Ellington, Clemson will use bye week to recover

CLEMSON -- Coach Dabo Swinney received some good news Monday when the team's medical staff informed him Clemson should be near complete health when it returns from its bye week to host Wake Forest on Nov. 12.

The most significant player limping into the bye week is running back Andre Ellington (left ankle) who did not play Saturday at Georgia Tech and was missed in the loss as his replacements, freshmen Mike Bellamy and D.J. Howard, struggled to run, pass block and protect the football.

Without the former Berkeley High star, Clemson became a one-dimensional offense in Atlanta.

"(Ellington's ankle) is pretty good," Swinney said. "He'll be rocking and rolling by the time we play Wake Forest."

Ellington rushed for a career-high 212 yards in Clemson's comeback at Maryland earlier this month, but injured his ankle in the North Carolina game.

Ellington has missed five of Clemson's last 14 games with an assortment of injuries (foot, hamstring, ankle) and been severely limited in two other games, essentially a non-factor in half of Clemson's games since last October.

Wake game time on hold

ESPN exercised its six-day window Monday to announce a game time for the Wake Forest at Clemson game Nov. 12, meaning a kickoff time will not be announced until next week.

The Atlantic Coast Conference did announce the game will kick off at either noon or 3:30 p.m. and be televised on either ABC or one of ESPN's networks.

Tigers visit prison

Each year Swinney takes his team on a community service trip on its bye week. This year, Swinney is taking his team to a maximum security prison. Said Swinney: "It should be interesting."

Unnamed culprits

Of the 15 players to play on defense at Georgia Tech, Swinney said 11 players did their jobs well and that breakdowns could be traced to four players, players he declined to name. Clemson allowed 386 rushing yards to Georgia Tech, which possessed the ball for 39 minutes.

Fundamental breakdown

Swinney said Bellamy and Howard will eventually be productive players, but notes their two lost fumbles at Georgia Tech were critical, fundamental-based errors. Bellamy held the ball away from his body, allowing it to be knocked away Saturday night in the third quarter, while Howard was caught trying to switch the ball to his other hand early in the game.

Dabo in disguise

Swinney said he planned to take his sons trick-or-treating Monday night. Swinney said he "might need a mask" in reference to Clemson's loss at Georgia Tech, blemishing what had been a perfect season.