Clemson football report card: Who got an A and who got a D in double-OT win vs Wake Forest?

At the end of the day, Clemson football had to do some extra work.

The No. 5 Tigers (4-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had to stay after class for two more periods, but came out with mostly good grades on our report card after a 51-45 double-overtime victory against No. 16 Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Here's how we graded things:

Offense: A

Clemson started strong with a 14-0 lead and there was a lull for a while after that. But the Tigers finished with 559 yards. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei had the best game of his career, counting those remarkable performances as a freshman filling in for Trevor Lawrence, going 26-of-41 for 371 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Will Shipley ran 20 times for 104 yards and a touchdown.

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Defense: D

Here's the problem: Clemson's defensive backs had a miserable day without three key players who were out with injuries. Even when the Tigers were able to get a pass rush, the guys covering wide receivers seemed overmatched. They committed pass interference penalties, got beaten on patterns or both. Clemson desperately needs to get Andrew Mukuba, Sheridan Jones and Malcolm Greene back on the field soon. But the other guys have to get better.

Special teams: A-

Place-kicker B.T. Potter's initials should stand for Beyond Trustworthy. He made a career-high 52-yard field goal at the end of regulation. He's a remarkable 8-for-10 on kicks from beyond 50 yards. He nailed a couple of chip shots, at least by his standards, from 34 and 28 yards. Punter Aidan Swanson shanked a 21-yarder and another that was a line drive that could've been dangerous. No mistakes on the returns. Overall good day.

Coaching: B-

The defense had its problems in pass coverage again, but that didn't seem to be a coaching issue. The offense, while strong, had a curious play call on third-and-2 as the right-handed Uiagalelei rolled left and eliminated most of the receiving possibilities. Clemson also had a perfect red-zone opportunity in the first half but left Shipley on the sideline. Backup Phil Mafah busted a play. On fourth-and-2, it would've been nice to have Shipley in there to do something instead of settling for field goal.

Overall: B

As they say during the NCAA basketball March Madness, survive and advance. Clemson did enough to beat the defending Atlantic Division champion of the ACC and now is in control of what happens. Plenty to improve upon, but a victory like this, no matter how it happened, can do nothing but give the Tigers a boost.

Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football report card: A for DJ Uiagalelei vs Wake Forest