CLEMSON — No. 9 Clemson football routed Virginia, winning 48-31 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers (6-1, 5-0 ACC) carried their momentum from their two road games to outgain Virginia 539-346. Quarterback Cade Klubnik and Clemson's offense had another slow start but found their footing in the third quarter to score 21 points. Defensively, Clemson stifled Virginia (4-3, 2-2), recording four sacks and forcing one turnover until giving the reserves late playing time, and ruined Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott's return back to Death Valley.

Here are three overreactions from Clemson's sixth straight win of the season:

Clemson football's Antonio Williams is team's best offensive player

Antonio Williams can do it all offensively and showcased it against Virginia. He completed a 34-yard pass to wide receiver Troy Stellato to get the Tigers inside the 5-yard line in the first half. He rushed for a 36-yard score on a jet sweep to the right in the second half. He also caught three passes for 44 yards.

Williams became the first Clemson non-quarterback to record a pass completion in consecutive games since 2002 after connecting with tight end Jake Briningstool on a 28-yard touchdown last week against Wake Forest. Williams is now 2-for-2 for 62 yards passing with a touchdown this season.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney calls Williams the team's best player often, and the wideout displayed his variety of talents on Saturday.

Clemson football's uncharacteristic penalties can derail playoff hopes

The Tigers entered Saturday as one of the least penalized teams in the country, averaging 4.67 per game which is tied for the 16th least in the country. Against Virginia, they committed 10, including five in the first half for 42 yards.

These penalties were costly, especially on Clemson's first drive, in which a touchdown was taken off the board because of an ineligible player downfield. The Tigers also committed three penalties on Virginia's first scoring drive to help it get into field goal range.

If Clemson wants to be a true contender for a national championship, Saturday's game must be an outlier on its schedule.

HOW THE GAME WENT: Clemson vs Virginia score today: Live updates, highlights from Week 8 game

Clemson football's defense continues to be stout

After Klubnik's interception in the second quarter, the Tigers' defense gave up a six-play, 34-yard touchdown. It was the first time Clemson trailed at home this season.

The defensive unit responded to hold Virginia scoreless during its next five possessions. It forced four punts, including three three-and-outs, and a fumble, thanks to linebacker Wade Woodaz. Clemson's defense helped the team score 35 unanswered points and continues to be the Tigers' strongest unit.

The Cavaliers had a 21-point fourth quarter against reserves.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Wide receiver Antonio Williams shines vs Virginia