Breaking news: Clemson Tigers “superstar” Will Shipley was arrested ealier today after the investigation of…..

CLEMSON – When Will Shipley broke his left tibia in Clemson’s loss at N.C. State on Sept. 25, the initial prognosis wasn’t encouraging.

He was told he could be on crutches for three or four weeks and be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

Apparently Shipley didn’t listen.

The precocious freshman running back was back in action in less than a month, carrying the ball 10 times for 52 yards Saturday against Pitt.

“So much football has been taken away from me in the past two years, so to think that it was going to be taken away again when I was gaining momentum and everything was starting to go my way, it was really frustrating,” Shipley said.

Shipley responded by doing everything possible to facilitate a rapid return.

Will power:Where there’s a Will, there’s a way for Clemson football

“I was in the training room two times a day for multiple hours,” Shipley said. “Everything started clicking, and I got back out there earlier than expected. I’m still working to get 100 percent back. It will be a continuing process, but I’m looking forward to it.”

While his return was memorable, less memorable was his dropped pass that would have gone for a 62-yard touchdown with 8:30 left in the second quarter and Clemson leading 7-0. The Tigers wound up losing, 27-17, dropping them out of the polls and to 4-3 overall including 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“He makes that catch nine out of 10 times,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said.

Shipley disagreed.

“More like 99 out of a hundred,” Shipley said.

For a running back who built much of his reputation as a high school star on his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, the missed opportunity weighed heavily.

“It was very frustrating for me personally,” said Shipley, who will get his first shot at Florida State on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. game at Memorial Stadium. “Thinking about it right now, my blood’s boiling. I make plays like that and to not make that play like that in a big game against Pitt. … I would do anything to get that play back. I feel like not only did I let myself down, I let teammates down, coaches, a whole fan base.