Skip to content

Uiagalelei finishes loss vs. Pitt after benching

Justin Berl / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said the offense will be evaluated following a 27-17 loss to Pittsburgh that saw D.J. Uiagalelei benched for a short period after throwing two interceptions.

"Everything's under evaluation at this point," Swinney said, according to ESPN's David M. Hale. "Everybody's got to show up every day and we've got to take it one day at a time. We'll practice and see who has the best practice and that's the guy who'll run out there first at every position."

Taisun Phommachanh stepped in at quarterback but struggled, prompting Clemson to put Uiagalelei back into the game with the Tigers trailing late in the fourth quarter.

Uiagalelei ran in a 6-yard score after being reinserted. He finished 12 of 25 for 128 yards and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Phommachanh completed just 3 of 7 passes for 23 yards.

Clemson yanked Uiagalelei when his attempted shovel pass was returned for a pick-6 in the third quarter.

"I thought (Uiagalelei) made a couple bad plays in a row," Swinney noted. "I just felt like I needed to give Taisun a chance."

Uiagalelei has struggled in his first full season as the starter following the departure of Trevor Lawrence to the NFL. The sophomore had completed just 55.7% of his passes for four touchdowns against three interceptions entering Saturday's bout.

The loss drops Clemson to 4-3, ending a two-game win streak.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox