Clemson Tigers Running Back Phil Mafah Speaks About Injury Heading into CFP

Clemson Tigers running back Phil Mafah recently spoke about his injuries that have been slowing him down.

Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Phil Mafah (7) runs the ball against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. / Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers are getting ready for a big showdown against the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

It was an amazing ACC Title win for the Tigers, as they were able to defeat the SMU Mustangs in a thriller. Despite having a nice lead early on in the game, the Mustangs came charging back to tie the game up with less than a minute to go. 

However, Clemson was able to hit a 56-yard field goal to secure the win and get the automatic bid into the CFP. 

There were a lot of players who stepped up in the win for the Tigers on both sides of the ball, as Cade Klubnik had an excellent four-touchdown performance. While the passing attack was superb for Clemson, they did once again struggle on the ground. 

Prior to the game, it was announced that senior running back Phil Mafah was battling some injuries. The senior was having a great season, but his snaps and production both dropped of late. After the big win in the ACC Title game, he spoke about being a bit banged up. 

“It’s a little banged up,” Mafah admitted to Jason Priester of the Clemson Insider. “I got time to heal up and give it my all. I am going to get as healthy as I can to help my team.”

Luckily for Mafah, Clemson has the week off before traveling to Texas to play the Longhorns. However, getting the extra bye week would have been ideal to get some more time off and heal up his shoulder. 

So far this season, the senior has totaled 1,106 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, and a 5.4 yards per carry average. While the numbers overall are solid, the production over the last month has been pretty poor. 

Starting against the Pittsburgh Panthers, Mafah’s struggles began, as he totaled just 17 rushing yards on 17 carries. Over the last four games, he has averaged just 31.25 rushing yards per game. 

Considering how well he was playing prior, the injury is clearly affecting his play. 

Due to the struggles of Mafah on the ground, the Tigers’ offense has struggled to have a balanced attack on that side of the ball. They have been relying heavily on the passing offense, and that could be a problem against an elite team like Texas. 

Hopefully, the week off helps Mafah get healthy, as Clemson could use his production out of the backfield.