The Notes: Texas 38, Clemson 24
Clemson concludes the year with a 10-4 record. The 2024 season marked Clemson’s 20th season with 10 or more wins all-time and its 13th in the last 14 years, tied for the most in the nation (Alabama, 13 entering the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31) in that span.
Clemson appeared in its seventh College Football Playoff and stands as one of only two teams ever to earn seven College Football Playoff berths since the institution of the postseason format in 2014 (Alabama, 8).
Despite the defeat, with a win in the ACC Championship Game, Clemson will enter the 2025 season riding a 14-year active streak of consecutive seasons with at least one postseason win (conference championship games and/or bowl/CFP games), the longest streak in FBS history.
Clemson gained 412 total yards against Texas, including 336 passing yards. Clemson’s yardage outputs were the most surrendered this season by the Longhorns’ defense, which entered bowl season ranked third in the nation in total defense (249.5 yards allowed per game).
Texas entered bowl season ranked first in the nation in pass defense (143.1 yards per game). Clemson became the first team this season to throw for 300 yards on the Longhorns.
Clemson (6,326) produced the 10th 6,000-yard season in school history, the Tigers’ first such season since 2020 (6,028). Clemson’s 6,326 yards in 2024 rank seventh in a season in team history.
Clemson threw for the most touchdown passes against Texas this season and became only the second team this season to throw multiple touchdown passes against the Longhorns. Entering the game, Texas was tied for the national lead in fewest passing touchdowns allowed this season (four through its first 13 games before allowing three on Saturday).
Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 26-of-43 passes for 336 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The 300-yard game was Klubnik’s fourth of the season and the seventh of his career. It was his second career 300-yard passing game in postseason play, joining a 320-yard effort in the 2022 Orange Bowl against Tennessee.
Klubnik (308) finished the season with the third-most completions in a season in Clemson history, trailing only two seasons by Deshaun Watson (388 in 2016, 333 in 2015).
On his ninth completion of the game, Klubnik (308) surpassed his 290 completions from 2023 to set a new single-season career high.
Klubnik finished the season with 36 touchdown passes, tying Tajh Boyd (2012) and Trevor Lawrence (2019) for the second-most touchdown passes in a single season in Clemson history.
Klubnik (3,639) passed Charlie Whitehurst (3,561 in 2003) to finish seventh on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for passing yards in a single season.
With the performance, Klubnik (4,102) posted the seventh individual season with 4,000 yards of total offense in school history. That feat had only been accomplished previously by Tajh Boyd (three times), Deshaun Watson (twice) and Trevor Lawrence (once).
With his second touchdown pass of the game, Klubnik (70) passed Woodrow Dantzler (68 from 1998-2001) for fifth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career touchdown responsibility.
Klubnik (4,102) passed Tajh Boyd (4,046 in 2011) to finish sixth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for total offense yards in a single season.
Moore’s 100-yard game was the first of his career and the 25th 100-yard receiving game by a Clemson true freshman since the NCAA instituted permanent freshman eligibility in 1972.
Moore recorded his fifth receiving touchdown of the season on a seven-yard fourth-down scoring pass from Klubnik in the fourth quarter.
Between Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson has now had multiple freshmen record at least five receiving touchdowns in a season for the first time since 2015 (Deon Cain and Hunter Renfrow).
Receiver Antonio Williams caught four passes for 66 yards with a touchdown.
With 11 touchdown receptions on the year, Williams tied Aaron Kelly (11 in 2007) and Mike Williams (11 in 2016) for the sixth-most touchdown receptions in a single season in school history.
Clemson opened the scoring on the game’s opening possession on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Williams.
Clemson produced a touchdown on its opening drive of a game for the second straight contest, its first time doing so since scoring touchdowns on its first drives against Appalachian State, NC State and Stanford in September.
Williams has now caught a pass in all 33 games he's played for Clemson since his debut season in 2022. His 33-game streak with a reception leads active Clemson players and is 10 shy of Hunter Renfrow’s school record.
On his first reception, Williams (153) became the 13th player in Clemson history to record 150 career receptions.
With his fourth catch of the game, Williams (75) posted the first 75-reception season by a Clemson player since 2020 (77 by Amari Rodgers).
Wide receiver Adam Randall contributed at running back and recorded a career-long 41-yard rush in the second quarter.
On his second reception of the game, tight end Jake Briningstool (127) became the ninth tight end in ACC history to record 125 career receptions.
Briningstool finished the game with four catches for 69 yards.
Briningstool (530) broke his single-season career high of 498 receiving yards, set in 2023.
Briningstool (530) posted the sixth 500-yard receiving season by a tight end in Clemson history. His 530 receiving yards were the fourth-most by a Clemson tight end in a season in school history.
Running back Jarvis Green recorded the first touchdown of his career on a 25-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter.
Green finished the game with two receptions for 35 yards, the first two receptions of his career.
Defensive tackle Tré Williams recorded his first sack of the season in the first quarter.
Williams added his second sack of the game — the fourth of his career — in the third quarter, forcing Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers to slide short of the line of scrimmage.
The game was the first multi-sack performance of Williams’ career.
Safety R.J. Mickens recorded his second interception of the season — the seventh of his career — in the second quarter.
Mickens played his 60th career game, tying Jalyn Phillips (60 from 2019-23) and Will Putnam (60 from 2019-23) for eighth-most in Clemson history.
Linebacker Sammy Brown led Clemson with 10 tackles (one for loss).
Brown finished the year with 11.5 tackles for loss, trailing only T.J. Parker (12.5 in 2023) and Myles Murphy (12.0 in 2020) among true freshmen in school history.
On his fourth point of the game on a 32-yard field goal late in the first half, placekicker Nolan Hauser (113), who already owned the Clemson record for points by a true freshman, entered the Top 10 in school history in points scored in a single season by a player of any classification.
Hauser’s 113-point 2024 season ranks tied for sixth in Clemson history in kicking points scored in a single season and tied for ninth in school history in points scored by any means in a single season.
On its 61st offensive play of the game, Clemson (1,006) reached 1,000 offensive plays in a season for the 10th time in school history.
The teams tied the turnover margin, 1-1. Clemson finished even or better in the turnover margin in a 13th straight game for the first time since a 17-game streak across the 1989-90 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has lost the turnover margin only once in its last 19 games.
Clemson faced Texas for the first time in program history.
With back-to-back games against SMU and Texas, Clemson played consecutive games in a single season against opponents it had never previously faced for the first time since 1952, a year in which the Tigers made their series debuts against Villanova and Maryland in consecutive weeks.
Texas became the 22nd opponent Clemson faced for the first time in postseason play, joining Boston College (1939), Missouri (1948), Colorado (1956), LSU (1958), TCU (1959), Pitt (1977), Ohio State (1978), Baylor (1979), Nebraska (1981), Minnesota (1985), Stanford (1986), Penn State (1987), West Virginia (1989), Illinois (1990), Cal (1991), Syracuse (1995), Louisiana Tech (2001), Texas Tech (2002), South Florida (2010), Iowa State (2021) and SMU (2024).
With December games against SMU and Texas, Clemson played multiple games against teams from Texas in a single season for the first time in school history.
Announced attendance for the game was 101,150. It was the second-largest crowd ever to witness a Clemson football game, trailing only a 104,794-person crowd at Texas A&M in 2018.
Clemson elected permanent captains for the 2024 season prior to the game. Clemson’s official captains of record for the year are tight end Jake Briningstool, linebacker Barrett Carter, running back Phil Mafah, safety R.J. Mickens and defensive tackle Payton Page.