Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson looks to pass against North Carolina during the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015. Clemson had three costly personal fouls in the half, including a roughing the passer and a late hit out of bounds. “We felt we had them on their heels”. Despite pinning the Tigers back on its own four, UNC could not contain Watson on 3rd and 9 at the five.
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They had two more chances to cut the deficit after that, but were stopped on fourth down both times.
Whatever success UNC had in the first quarter disappeared in the second.
Williams was under heavy pressure for much of the game. Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, ranked No. …
On the next try, Clemson picked up the ball, and with it the conference championship.
Clemson began to take control midway through the third quarter, turning a Williams interception in the red zone and failed fake punt into touchdowns to take 35-16 lead.
North Carolina had to retry their onside kick.
The Tigers finished with 319 total rushing yards. In the first half Williams found him for a 46-yard touchdown pass from the line of scrimmage.
Tigers quarterback Johnathan Williams did all he could to keep Grambling State in striking distance going 18-for-36 for 207 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Watson had a 33-yard run and converted a fourth-and-4 on an 8-yard pass to Deon Cain that led to Watson’s 9-yard TD run and a 14-9 lead with 10:35 left in the half.
“The key will be which defense plays the best”, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told reporters.
From there, UNC never got closer than eight points. Clemson took over again and scored on a 30-yard touchdown from Clemson’s Deshaun Watson to wide receiver Artavis Scott to put Clemson up 35-16 with 4:58 left in the third quarter. In reality, the result should’ve been more lopsided than 15 points. However UNC has no answer for Clemson’s offense and Wayne Gallman.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Brandon Doughty threw for 410 yards with three touchdown passes and Western Kentucky came from behind to defeat Southern Mississippi 45-28 in the Conference USA Championship Game on Saturday.
WACO, Texas – Tyrone Swoopes threw for 151 yards with a touchdown and ran for a score in his first Texas start since the opener, and the Longhorns held on for a 23-17 victory Saturday that knocked No. 12 Baylor out of Sugar Bowl contention. UNC followed up by forcing a three and out but a promising drive that reached Clemson territory was undone by a sack of Williams and fumble. The play gave Clemson momentum heading going into halftime as they led 21-16. Then the game took an odd turn in an ACC referee sort of way. The call was highly questionable as noted by this screen shot.
The Tar Heels managed to recover from their season-opening loss to SC and go on to have one of the most successful seasons in North Carolina history.
But as Williams dropped back to pass the ball, it was slightly tipped at the line and intercepted by Clemson’s top corner Cordea Tankersley at their own 3-yard line.
But UNC fans, not to mention fans of exciting finishes, certainly would have liked to have seen how that all would have played out.
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Deshaun Watson and Wayne Gallman fired off a warning flare to the rest of the playoff field in the convincing win.
