It was not pretty, but the Clemson Tigers got it done late on Saturday night and well into Sunday morning. After another two-hour weather delay, Clemson had to wait even longer play in front of the home crowd. While it was not the greatest game Clemson has ever played, the Tigers still managed to win comfortably in the end over Georgia Southern, 22-7. It was all about defense and special teams.
For as good as Tom Allen's defense and Rich Bisaccia's special teams unit looked, Chad Morris' offense was still stuck in neutral. Dabo Swinney may have gone with Tait Reynolds over Christopher Vizzina at quarterback for most of the game, but that was largely out of his control. Vizzina suffered a shoulder injury where his arm went numb, and he had to be removed from the game very early on.
So with that in mind, here are the game's biggest winners and losers from the Clemson perspective.
Tigers win 👏 pic.twitter.com/FBmTYLAaOY
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 13, 2026
Winner: Tom Allen had his defense playing cohesively all night long
In a game that was delayed once again due to bad weather, Clemson would not have come out of Death Valley alive with its first victory of the season without the help of Tom Allen's defense. After getting lit up like a Christmas tree versus LSU a week ago, Allen's unit played with a great deal more poise and confidence. Outside of an explosive play for a touchdown, this defense held it together.
The best part about the defense's showing was how strong it performed on third down. Clemson held the Georgia Southern offense to 4-on-17 on its third-down conversion attempts. Had the defense not been as locked in from the start, there is a non-zero chance that Georgia Southern would have pulled off the monumental upset and set Clemson, SC ablaze in a fiery fury. This was so much better.
If Clemson is going to win many more games this season, it will have to be because of this defense.
Winner: TJ Moore was Clemson's most reliable receiving target all night
Not only did TJ Moore have the first touchdown of the ballgame, but he once again proved to be Clemson's most reliable receiving target on the evening. He finished the game with seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Whether it was Vizzina or Reynolds throwing him the football, he was still able to make plays. Although this was not a banner day for the Clemson offense, Moore still excelled.
Eventually, Moore is going to build up his rapport with Reynolds, Vizzina, or whoever else ends up securing the starting quarterback job. Because the tight end game has not really emerged yet for Clemson, the signal callers need to trust their receiviers. While Bryant Wesco Jr. has been up and down during these first two games, it has been nice to see Moore still be productive in trying times.
As long as Moore continues to show up each and every Saturday, the Tigers might figure this all out.
Loser: Chad Morris has yet to find his groove as offensive coordinator
For the second week in a row, Chad Morris' offense left so much to be desired. While Clemson did throw and run the football better, it was against a far less worthy adversary in Georgia Southern. The biggest problem was the offensive line not looking all that cohesive once again. It did not help Tait Reynolds as much as it probably should have. This was supposed to be a big strength for this team.
The most frustrating part about it all was the only offensive touchdown Clemson scored was because of a short field created by a Georgia Southern special teams miscue. Yes, Christopher Vizzina was able to find TJ Moore for six points, but it was not like Morris' play-calling set them up for success on a well-orchestrated drive. As painful as it sounds, Clemson may have made a mistake in re-hiring him.
If Clemson plays like this on offense versus North Carolina, it will begin the season 0-1 in ACC play.
Winner: Will Heldt made his presence felt in Georgia Southern backfield
Give Will Heldt credit for showing up big time in the pass-rushing department. Clemson's best edge rusher had two of the Tigers' three sacks on the night. They came in crucial third-down situations for the Georgia Southern offense. Even though the Eagles were largely out-matched by Clemson from a pure talent standpoint, Heldt delivered when his teammates needed him most. He was a true leader.
While it remains to be seen if he will play up to this high standard versus high-end ACC competition moving forward, it is always great to see your best pass rusher wreak havoc in the opposing backfield. For a defense that needed a jolt of positivity after last weekend's debacle, Heldt showed that he can galvanize an underwhelming defensive line rotation to just find a way to be better anyway.
Heldt has undeniably joined Sammy Brown and Ashton Hampton as cornerstones of this defense.
Winner: Nolan Hauser has become automatic in the kicking game
Where would the Clemson Tigers be this season without sure-footed placekicker Nolan Hauser? He made all five of his field goal attempts in Week 2. This includes a long of 50 yards. Hauser accounted for 16 of Clemson's 22 points on the evening. For as difficult as it was for Clemson to find the end zone, at least when Hauser took the field for a kick, we just knew that he was going to make them all.
It just goes to show the positive impact Rich Bisaccia is having on the special teams unit for Clemson. Hauser is not so quietly earning a reputation as a reliable kicker on an unreliable offense. Because of Clemson's struggles in scoring touchdowns this season, his play will be magnified. In short, what this does is not let the opposing defense off easy, knowing they are at least going to give up some points.
For a team that is really trying to find itself offensively, having a kicker like Hauser is a huge plus.
Loser: Christopher Vizzina struggled and then got pulled after his injury
He may be a nice guy, but Christopher Vizzina is not long for the Clemson starting quarterback job. He only played in three offensive series before getting pulled due to injury. Vizzina's three series under center ended in a three-and-out, a touchdown pass to TJ Moore because of the short field, and a ghastly interception thrown into double coverage somewhere in the area of Bryant Wesco Jr.
On the evening, Vizzina completed 4-of-7 passes for 19 yards, a touchdown, and interception. Even though Tait Reynolds is still so incredibly raw at quarterback, he did get somewhat into rhythm as the game went along. He completed 16-of-27 passes for 178 yards in relief of Vizzina. He also had 14 carries for 38 yards, while trying to demonstrate his abilties as viable dual-threat playmaker as well.
Simply put, Vizzina may have one more start left in him before he eventually gives way to Reynolds.
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