Mo Mafah, Mo Betta: Swinney defends use of workhorse back

Mafah is closing in on his first thousand-yard season.If you’re watching a Clemson football game and it seems like senior running back Phil Mafah never comes off the field, you aren’t imagining things. Mafah almost never comes off the field.

The Loganville (GA) Grayson product leads the Tigers with 161 carries for 981 yards. At some point in the first half Saturday at Pitt, the burly back should crack the thousand-yard barrier for the first time in his career (he had 179 carries for 965 yards last season).

Mafah also averages 6.09 yards per carry, which is easily the highest mark of his career. He’s still of last season’s career-high 13 touchdowns (he has eight this season), but he could…