Hauser's 56-Yard Field Goal Gives Tigers 2024 ACC Title

CHARLOTTE - Freshman placekicker and Charlotte-area native Nolan Hauser made a 56-yard field goal as time expired to claim the ACC Football Championship for No. 17 Clemson, 34-31, over No. 8 SMU (11-2, 8-0 ACC) at Bank of America Stadium. Clemson (10-3, 7-1 ACC) claimed its eighth conference championship in the past 10 seasons and became the first program to win 22 ACC titles. The win earns Clemson a likely berth in the 2024 College Football Playoff, with the field set to be formally announced at noon on Sunday on ESPN. 

Clemson led 31-14 after three quarters, but SMU scored 17 in a row and tied the game 31-31 with 16 seconds remaining. But Clemson responded as senior Adam Randall’s 41-yard kickoff return got the Tigers to the Clemson 45-yard line. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik hit Antonio Williams for 17 yards and Clemson took a timeout with three seconds left. Hauser put the 56-yarder down the middle to capture the title. According to ACC Network, it was the first time an FBS team has kicked a 50+ yard field goal as time expired to win a conference championship game. 

Klubnik, an Austin, Texas native, completed 24 of his 41 pass attempts for 262 yards and an ACC Championship Game record-tying four passing touchdowns to lead Clemson offensively, earning him ACC Championship Game Most Valuable Player honors, joining his selection in 2022 to make him only the third player ever to win multiple ACC Championship Game MVP honors (Deshaun Watson and Tyrod Taylor, two each).

Freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., who grew up just 30 miles from SMU’s campus, had eight catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and junior tight end Jake Briningstool recorded four catches for 23 yards and two touchdowns. Hauser accounted for 10 points, becoming the first Clemson freshman to record 100 points in a season, as he hit the 56-yarder, a 44-yarder and four extra points. 

Defensively, Clemson forced two first-half turnovers, a strip sack by sophomore defensive end T.J. Parker, who also recorded eight tackles (3.5 for loss), and an interception by sophomore safety Khalil Barnes. Sammy Brown led the defense with 14 tackles (0.5 for loss).

Clemson’s defense quickly struck first, as sophomore defensive end T.J. Parker forced and recovered a Kevin Jennings fumble on the third play of SMU’s opening drive on an 11-yard sack, giving Clemson the ball in SMU territory. The fumble was Parker’s sixth forced fumble of the season, giving him sole possession of the school record for caused fumbles in a single season, breaking the previous mark of five set by Brandon Maye in 2009.

On Clemson’s second offensive play, Klubnik rolled left, and just as it appeared he would run, he stopped and lobbed a pass over the defense to an open Bryant Wesco Jr. for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead just 1:25 into the contest.

After forcing a three-and-out and getting a 21-yard punt return from Antonio Williams, Clemson extended its lead to 14-0, capping a four-play, 28-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to tight end Jake Briningstool.

SMU responded on its next possession with a 24-yard touchdown run by Kevin Jennings to finish a 10-play, 75-yard drive, shrinking their deficit to 14-7 with 7:05 remaining in the opening quarter.

Clemson struck back with an eight-play, 75-yard drive of its own. Klubnik hit Wesco in stride on third down, as Wesco broke a tackle before taking it into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown to extend Clemson’s lead to 21-7.

Clemson registered its second takeaway of the game on SMU’s next drive when sophomore safety Khalil Barnes intercepted Jennings in SMU territory, but the Tigers were unable to capitalize. Later in the quarter, freshman placekicker Nolan Hauser made a 44-yard field goal with 5:22 remaining in the first half, which ended 24-7 in Clemson’s favor. 

SMU opened the second half with a stop and a score on their first offensive possession when Jennings connected with Brashard Smith for a 10-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play, 74-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 24-14. 

After the next two drives resulted in punts, Clemson stretched its lead to 31-14 with a 10-play, 58-yard drive capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Jake Briningstool, Klubnik’s fourth passing touchdown of the game.

SMU answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive, which finished with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jennings to Matthew Hibner, shrinking Clemson’s lead to 31-21 with 13:22 remaining in the game. 

The next three drives ended in punts before SMU finished an eight-play, 21-yard drive with a Collin Rogers 46-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 31-24 with 6:56 remaining. Clemson was forced to punt five plays later, giving SMU the ball at their own 21 with 4:05 remaining.

SMU drove 79 yards in 16 plays to tie the game 31-31 with a Jennings touchdown to Roderick Daniels Jr. with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, setting up Clemson’s heroics. 

Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff to the Clemson 45-yard line with nine seconds remaining. Klubnik found Williams for a 17-yard gain to the SMU 38 with three seconds remaining in regulation. Nolan Hauser made a 56-yard field goal to win the game 34-31 for the Tigers as time expired. His 56-yard field goal was the longest in ACC Championship game history. Additionally, the kick was the first walk-off, game-winning play in the 20-year history of the ACC Championship Game.

Clemson will now await its next postseason destination, which will be announced Sunday afternoon on the College Football Playoff selection show. Fans are encouraged to bookmark ClemsonTigers.com for more information in the coming days.