Clemson had three costly personal fouls in the half, including a roughing the passer and a late hit out of bounds.
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Before answering questions, Swinney leaned into his microphone.
“You really sit down and watch our 13 games, he’s the best player in the country”, Swinney said. I’m just happy for Clemson Nation. The works not done, but Dabo Swinney has brought the Clemson program to the brink. The Tigers will nearly assuredly be joined by Alabama, Oklahoma and Michigan State. And for the first time in Swinney’s career, the target is on the Tigers’ backs.
The kick was redone and Clemson recovered to seal the game.
Despite North Carolina’s inability to accomplish its re-set goal of winning the ACC Championship, the team lost its first game since the season opener in the same fashion that it won 11 straight. This marks his 8th game this season in which he both threw for a touchdown and ran for one.
While the Tar Heels’ defense has improved, so has Watson and the Clemson offense. In that game, senior quarterback Marquise Williams threw three interceptions, two in the end zone, while the Tar Heels curiously only gave just 12 carries (none in the red zone) to top tailback Elijah Hood in the 17-13 loss to SC. The Tar Heels came back from a 21-14 hole (after trailing 21-0 earlier) to defeat Georgia Tech on October 3.
Since it is against NCAA rules to review a play deemed as “offsides”, the play stood as called and North Carolina was simply robbed of a chance to try and tie the game.
Despite trailing by as many as 19 in the second half, UNC made it a one-score game with 1:13 to play on a Williams touchdown pass to Ryan Switzer. However, officials declared the Tar Heels offsides negating the recovery and forcing a re-kick.
That was until the Tar Heels recovered an onside kick, only to lose their momentum and the ball on a controversial penalty.
Clemson running back Wayne Gallman picked a good time for his first receiving touchdown of the year.
Afterward, Fedora was blunt when referencing the referees’ call.
“I would say the biggest thing is they have a lot of confidence”, Fedora said.
Wide receiver Quinshad Davis doesn’t remember much of what Watson did to the Tar Heels past year because he was anxious about the offensive side of the ball. Nope, just that one offsides play. The Tigers, who had been on this kind of stage before, were the better team, the more poised team.
He’s passed for 2,605 yards and 18 touchdowns while only being intercepted five more times over the final 11 games. The Tigers then ran out the clock. The image caused thousands of lingering Clemson fans to erupt in cheers.
It was sort of a coming out party for Watson, who has continued to succeed at Clemson, and is in consideration for the Heisman Trophy. For now, he’s focused on what his team earned on Saturday.
“No matter where we get the ball, we always have the mindset of get one first down, and if we can do that, we can score”, Watson said. “They played one heck of a game”. Both of those losses happened inside Bank of America Stadium.
Clemson would add one last score before the half.
Clemson walked out ACC Champions, and will participate in the second year of the College Football Playoff.
“Well, we’ve got three top-10 wins”. Now No. 1 Clemson is likely bound for the Orange Bowl semifinal on December 31, the first in a two-step process that would bring another national title to the school.
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Because it’s a judgment call by refs, it’s not subject to review, although Cunningham said he asked a sideline official for a clarification. “So what, I didn’t win – I like the outcome of my team”.
