Clemson Comeback Bid Falls Short In College Football Playoff First Round
AUSTIN, Texas - No. 12-seed Clemson (10-4) cut a 21-point deficit to a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but fifth-seeded Texas (12-2) held off a pair of potential scoring drives late to hold on for a 38-24 win at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in the College Football Playoff First Round. The Tigers piled up the most passing yards (336), yards of total offense (412) and highest yards-per-play average (6.1) surrendered by the Longhorns this season in the defeat.
The Tigers had two fourth-quarter drives stall as they made a bid to cut into the lead again, including a fourth-down stop on the one-yard line. Texas ran 48 times for 292 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, including a 77-yard touchdown run two plays after the Tigers cut the lead to 31-24.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik, playing in his hometown, threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman wideout T.J. Moore had career highs of nine receptions and 116 yards, and added a touchdown.
Linebacker Sammy Brown led Clemson with 10 tackles (1.0 for loss). Defensive tackle Tré Williams recorded 2.0 sacks, and safety R.J. Mickens recorded a second-quarter interception of his high school teammate, Quinn Ewers. The interception initially went for a touchdown, but was called back due to a penalty on the return.
Clemson received the opening kickoff and opened the scoring, as Klubnik connected with Antonio Williams for a 22-yard touchdown on a crossing route on third down to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive, which spanned the first 6:46 of the contest. Klubnik completed 6-of-7 passes for 60 yards on the drive and picked up a key third down with his feet.
Texas responded on its first possession of the game, as Quintrevion Wisner rushed for a two-yard touchdown to finish a 12-play, 75-yard drive and tie the game at 7-7 with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter.
After forcing Clemson to punt on its next drive, Texas took a 14-7 lead with a 38-yard rushing touchdown by Jaydon Blue to finish a five-play, 65-yard drive. After a Clemson punt, Texas pushed its lead to 21-7 with a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Wisner with 7:26 remaining in the first half.
Texas forced the first turnover of the game on the next drive, as Klubnik’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Colin Simmons to give the Longhorns the ball at the Clemson 26. However, Brown recorded a tackle for loss on fourth down on the Longhorns’ ensuing possession to force a turnover on downs.
Mickens intercepted Ewers on Texas’s next drive to give Clemson the ball with 2:40 remaining in the half at its own 46, and a penalty negated a return for touchdown for Mickens on the play. Clemson cut into the deficit with a 32-yard field goal by Nolan Hauser to finish a seven-play, 40 yard drive with 1:33 remaining in the first half.
Texas scored on its next drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ewers to Gunnar Helm and carried a 28-10 lead into the halftime break.
Texas drove to the Clemson two-yard line on the first possession of the second half, but Clemson held the Longhorns out of the end zone and forced a 22-yard field goal by Bert Auburn to extend Texas’ lead to 31-10.
Later in the quarter, Klubnik found running back Jarvis Green for a 25-yard touchdown (the first of Green’s career) to cap a four-play, 55-yard drive and cut the Longhorns’ lead to 31-17 with 3:29 remaining in the third quarter. Texas drove into Clemson territory on the ensuing possession, but an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 gave the Tigers the ball at their own 36 with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Klubnik scrambled and found wide receiver T.J. Moore wide open in the end zone on fourth-and-6 for a seven-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive, which spanned 10 plays for 64 yards, cutting Texas’s lead to 31-24 with 11:43 remaining. However, Blue ran 77 yards for his second touchdown of the contest on the second play of Texas’ next drive to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 38-24.
Clemson would reach the Texas one-yard line, but Texas held the Tigers out of the end zone on both third and fourth downs to force a turnover on downs and take possession at its own two-yard line. Texas’ ensuing drive was stopped when Arch Manning bobbled a fourth-and-1 snap, giving Clemson the ball at its own 43-yard line with 1:43 to play.
Clemson drove to the Texas 26-yard line on the ensuing drive, but the Longhorns broke up a pass on fourth-and-6 and ran out the clock to secure their 38-24 victory.
Clemson will now turn its attention to the 2025 season, which will open with a marquee matchup against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30. Clemson’s full schedule for the 2024 campaign is still TBA, but in addition to the season opener against LSU, Clemson’s slate will include home games against Duke, Florida State, SMU, Syracuse, Troy and Furman, as well as road contests at Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina and South Carolina.