Philadelphia rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have helped turn a secondary that was a decided weakness last season into a strength headed into the Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Phil Mafah ran for four touchdowns, including a 3-yarder with 17 seconds to play, and Clemson beat Kentucky 38-35 in a wild Gator Bowl to finish the year on a five-game winning streak.

Phil Mafah ran for a career high 186 yards and two touchdowns in relief of the injured Will Shipley and Clemson held off No. 12 Notre Dame 31-23 to end a disheartening two-game losing streak Saturday.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Riley Leonard broke loose from a tackler and sprinted to the open for a 44-yard touchdown that highlighted Duke’s tough and physical performance that shocked ninth-ranked Clemson 28-7 in the season opener for both teams.

Spencer Rattler threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns and South Carolina beat a top-10 opponent for the second straight week with a 31-30 victory over No. 7 Clemson.

Prince Kollie scored on a blocked punt, Benjamin Morrison returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown and had another interception to set up another score as Notre Dame earned its second straight win over a ranked opponent, beating No. 5 Clemson 35-14.

Will Shipley scored twice and freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik rallied No. 5 Clemson to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 27-21 victory over No. 14 Syracuse.

DJ Uiagalelei threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns and No. 4 Clemson forced a momentum-turning takeaway to hold off Florida State 34-28 on Saturday night.

DJ Uiagalelei threw for one touchdown and ran for another, overcoming a sluggish start in the season opener to lead No. 4 Clemson to a 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets kept it closer than expected much of the way.

D.

Will Shipley ran for two touchdowns, including the game-winning 21-yard score with 2:53 left, as Clemson rallied past Florida State 30-20 for its 32nd straight victory at Death Valley.

North Carolina State forced D.

Will Shipley ran for two touchdowns and No. 6 Clemson survived a wild finish to escape Georgia Tech with a 14-8 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday night.

Christopher Smith returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Georgia turned in a defensive effort for the ages, toppling third-ranked Clemson 10-3 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.