CLEMSON FOOTBALL Cade Klubnik probably isn't going to win the Heisman Trophy. Still, this was quite a moment. Klubnik ripped off a gotta-have-it rushing touchdown in the game's final two minutes to lift Clemson past ACC foe Pitt, 24-20, on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium and prevent what would've been one of the Tigers' worst collapses in recent memory.
Klubnik's 50-yard rushing touchdown brought Clemson from down 20-17 to up 24-20 with 1:16 remaining, and the Tigers' defense picked off a final pass near the end zone to escape a second straight ACC road stadium with a win. No. 20 Clemson led 17-7 at halftime and after three quarters but was outplayed and outcoached most of the second half to the point of a near-epic meltdown.
Klubnik's heroics prevented a blown 10-point fourth quarter lead and kept the Tigers' outside hopes at an ACC championship game spot alive. On an afternoon when his run game was nonexistent, Klubnik was 27 of 41 for 288 yards and two scores and added the game-winning score on the ground, finishing with 329 of the team's 346 total yards of offense (95%). The Tigers moved to 8-2 on the year and will finish 7-1 in the ACC, left hoping that one of the two teams ahead of them (undefeated SMU and oneloss Miami) slip up down the stretch, allowing the Tigers to backdoor their way to Charlotte.
Pitt lost a third straight ACC game after a 7-0 start and fell to 7-3, 3-3 ACC. The Panthers put up 438 yards on Clemson's defense with a backup quarterback, but 13 penalties.