By the Numbers: Breaking Down Virginia's Loss to Clemson

Aidan Baller | Oct 20, 2024

With the loss to Clemson on Saturday, the Cavaliers fall to 4-3 on the season as Virginia still remains two wins away from bowl eligibility. / Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images

Virginia football fell to No. 10 Clemson in what turned into a high scoring affair after the final three minutes with a combined 21 points (14 from Virginia) being scored in that span to give Clemson a 48-31 victory over the Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

Clemson now leads the all-time series with Virginia 41-8 and has won each of the last six contests. The Cavaliers have not defeated the Tigers since 2004, when they won 30-10, and have not defeated Clemson at Memorial Stadium since 2001. Clemson is 22-3-1 all-time against UVA at Memorial Stadium. 

Five Takeaways From Virginia Football's 48-31 Loss to Clemson

Virginia's 10-3 lead over Clemson in the second quarter was the Cavaliers' first lead over the Tigers since the victory in 2004. Further, Virginia scored 31 points in the contest, its second-most ever against Clemson in 50 all-time meetings. UVA scored 35 in a 40-35 loss in Clemson in 1966. This was Clemson's fifth game this season in which the Tigers scored 40 or more points, showcasing their dominant offense led by Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah in 2024.

See the chart below for a breakdown of the stats from Virginia's loss to Clemson:

Virginia	Stat	Clemson
346	Total Offense	539
68	Rushing Offense	194
2.3	Yards Per Rush	5.1
278	Passing Offense	345
64%	Completion %	68%
13.2	Yards Per Completion	13.8
3/3	Red Zone Attempts	5/5
18	Red Zone Points	27
5/13	3rd Downs	9/15
0/0	4th Downs	2/2
26:04	Possession Time	34:03
6-61	Penalties-Yards	10-97
1	Turnovers	1
0	Sacks	4
2	Tackles for a Loss	6
5	Big Plays (20+ Yards)	8

Here are some key individual stats from Virginia vs. Clemson along with some more notes:

With 65 receiving yards, Malachi Fields cracked UVA’s top-15 career receiving yards list. In his 31st career game, Fields surpassed Tim Smith’s 1,591 career receiving yards mark. Fields also recorded his third touchdown of the season, two shy of tying his personal record (5). The touchdown was the longest of his career. Fields has hauled in at least one pass in each of the last 22 games.

Junior tight end Dakota Twitty caught his first career touchdown, an eight-yard reception to give UVA a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. The reception is the sixth of his career and fifth of the season. On the previous play, Twitty caught a five-yard pass over the middle for a first down at the Clemson 8-yard line. 

Ethan Davies caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Tony Muskett with 1:39 to play in regulation. It marked UVA’s second longest play overall of the season and longest through the air.  It was also Davies' first touchdown of his collegiate career.

Sackett Wood also recorded his first touchdown of his career on an eight yard touchdown reception from Tony Muskett.

Linebacker Trey McDonald recorded a game high 11 tackles, also his career best. In McDonald’s second career start, he also tied for a game high seven solo tackles along with teammates Jonas Sanker and Kam Robinson. Robinson also recorded his third interception of his career.

More Virginia Football News

By the Numbers: Breaking Down Virginia's Loss to Clemson

Five Takeaways From Virginia Football's 48-31 Loss to Clemson

Virginia Football Overpowered by No. 10 Clemson 48-31