CLEMSON – With 8:16 to play in the second quarter during Saturday’s win over NC State, Clemson running back Phil Mafah took a checkdown pass from Cade Klubnik and rumbled for a four-yard gain.
However, after the play, Mafah stayed on the ground. The running back said after the game he suffered a stinger, though he eventually got up and walked over to the sideline.
Though the Tigers star running back was not hurt, the sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium held its collective breath.
What would happen if Mafah did get injured?
Who would they call upon?
The answer, at least for right now, is Jay Haynes.
After three games, Haynes has shown he is the most consistent of the running backs outside of Mafah.
“I think he has really flashed and has done some good stuff,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.
Haynes rushed for 42 yards on eight carries against the Wolfpack, and definitely flashed when he took a hand-off on a sprint draw and ran 19-yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.
“What a great play on the hand-back draw there,” Swinney said. “He just shot out of a cannon. He has had a couple of good games in a row.”
Haynes seems to be the Tigers’ No. 2 running back, just ahead of Keith Adams, Jr., David Eziomume and Jarvis Green.
“We are pleased with all of those guys. Keith, as I have said many times, is different than those other guys,” Swinney said. “He is in category by himself. We really believe in Keith. He is going to have some really good moments as well.
“Easy E (Eziomume), we will continue to bring him along. He has done some good stuff. He is still a young guy trying to figure it all out. Then we got Jarvis back yesterday. He got a few carries as well.”
Haynes has rushed for 90 yards on 14 carries and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry through the first three games.
“It is a good group. We are excited about them, but Jay is definitely a guy right now that kinda gives us something that is a little different,” Swinney said.
As for Mafah, who rushed for 107 yards on seven carries in the blowout victory, Swinney said they were not worried about the senior after he went down because the team doctors gave him the “all-go” to return to the game.
“Doctor said he was good to go. We just do whatever the doctors tell us,” Swinney said. “If they said we can play them, we play them. If they say don’t play, they don’t play. They sent him back over there. He went back in and ripped off another touchdown run. He did not get a whole out of opportunities, but he took advantage of the ones he did get.”
Clemson hopes Mafah will take a few more when the 17 th -ranked Tigers take on Stanford next Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN) in Death Valley.
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