Clemson storms back to stun North Carolina after lengthy lightning delay

Clemson spent much of Saturday afternoon searching for something -- offense, momentum, a break -- before finally finding all three when it mattered most.

The Tigers erased a 17-3 deficit and survived a lengthy fourth-quarter lightning delay to rally past North Carolina, with a late Gideon Davidson touchdown putting Clemson ahead before the defense sealed the comeback with an Elliot Washington II interception.

For a team that had endured a difficult start to the season, the finish brought an emotional response from Dabo Swinney.

“Man, I just, I love my team,” Swinney said in his postgame television interview. “They got down 17 to three, and they never quit, and they kept battling. That's what football is.”

Clemson trailed 17-6 at halftime after an opening 30 minutes in which almost nothing came easily offensively.

North Carolina set the tone immediately, scoring a touchdown on its opening possession before extending the advantage to 14-3 late in the first quarter.

Clemson’s only response during that stretch came from Nolan Hauser, who connected on a 49-yard field goal after a North Carolina pass-interference penalty helped extend the Tigers’ drive.

Clemson compounded its problems when Jarvis Green fumbled late in the opening quarter, although the mistake did not result in points when North Carolina missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt.

The Tar Heels went back to work in the second quarter, leaning on their running game during a 13-play, 61-yard march. Clemson eventually kept North Carolina out of the end zone, but a field goal stretched the deficit to 17-3.

Until its final possession of the half, Clemson had generated just 29 yards of offense.

The Tigers finally found some rhythm after taking over at their own 10-yard line.

Tait Reynolds completed passes to T.J. Moore, Tyler Brown and Bryant Wesco Jr., while Davidson provided several important runs as Clemson drove to the North Carolina 3.

But even Clemson’s best possession of the half ended without a touchdown. Hauser kicked his second field goal, sending the Tigers into halftime trailing 17-6.

The second half began with another missed opportunity.

After Reynolds ripped off a 17-yard run and connected with Olsen Patt-Henry for 24 yards, Clemson gave the ball away on an underthrown interception with Wesco open downfield.

This time, however, the Tigers' defense immediately gave the offense another chance.

North Carolina fumbled near its own goal line, with Vic Burley recovering at the Tar Heels’ 12. Clemson again could not reach the end zone, settling for another Hauser field goal to cut the deficit to 17-9.

The defense continued to keep Clemson within striking distance, forcing another North Carolina punt before the offense finally broke through.

Starting at its own 8-yard line, Clemson used a pair of Green runs to get moving before Reynolds found Wesco on a slant for 41 yards. Reynolds later connected with Christian Bentancur for a 27-yard touchdown, with the tight end fighting to stay off the turf before reaching the end zone.

Clemson’s two-point attempt, a double pass from Wesco intended for Moore, failed, leaving North Carolina in front 17-15.

The Tigers' defense answered again. Will Heldt's third-down sack forced another Tar Heels punt, continuing a stretch in which Clemson repeatedly gave its offense opportunities to complete the comeback.

North Carolina eventually mounted a fourth-quarter drive and reached the Clemson goal line before the game was halted by lightning with 8:31 remaining.

The delay lasted roughly two and a half hours.

For Clemson, it was another extended interruption in a season already filled with weather disruptions.

“We don't have enough time to talk about two hours of delay, but it's the third weekend in a row so we've had a lot of practice,” Swinney said.

When play finally resumed, Clemson’s defense delivered one of the biggest sequences of the night.

The Tigers stuffed North Carolina on consecutive runs near the goal line, forcing the Tar Heels to settle for a 12-yard field goal and a 20-15 advantage with 6:34 remaining.

That stop gave Clemson a chance.

Chris Johnson Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the Clemson 32, and Davidson quickly changed the game with a 45-yard run to the North Carolina 9.

Two plays later, Davidson finished the drive himself, breaking loose for an 8-yard touchdown that gave Clemson its first lead, 21-20, with 5:01 remaining. The Tigers failed on another two-point attempt, leaving the defense with a one-point advantage to protect.

North Carolina moved to its own 45 before facing fourth-and-1 with less than two minutes remaining. The Tar Heels went deep, but the pass fell incomplete with Jerome Carter III in man coverage and Clemson's defensive front collapsing the pocket.

The Tigers took possession needing only to finish the game.

Reynolds helped Clemson move the chains with a 9-yard zone-read keeper, and after North Carolina used its final timeout, Tyler Brown broke free for a touchdown to give the Tigers additional breathing room.

North Carolina had one final opportunity, but Washington ended it.

After the Tar Heels converted a third-and-10 with a 13-yard completion, Washington intercepted Billy Edwards Jr. at the Clemson 48 and returned it seven yards with 32 seconds remaining.

Clemson took a knee from there.

Swinney pointed afterward to the resilience of his young quarterback, who endured a difficult opening half before helping Clemson climb back into the game.

“I mean, how about this quarterback?” Swinney said. “He was pretty bad in the first half and just a couple of things in the second, but what a competitor. You saw a kid grow up tonight. He's going to be a problem for a long time and he ain't going to do nothing but get better.”

Swinney said Clemson used the delay to review what had gone wrong without dwelling on it.

“We did a great job of going back through the tape and seeing the mistakes, but not harping on it,” Swinney said. “Like, what do we got to do to fix it and get better? I'm really proud of them, proud of the staff.”

After spending most of the afternoon playing from behind, Clemson walked away with the kind of win Swinney acknowledged does not happen often.

“You don't win many games like we just won,” Swinney said.

For Swinney, though, the significance went beyond simply escaping with a win. It was the way Clemson responded that made the night one he expects to remember.

“If you are going to be a great team, if you are going to be a great program, you've got to win some like that,” Swinney said. “I saw an unshakeable belief. I've been coaching since '93, and there are moments etched in my mind, and this will be one of those moments."