Clemson overcame a turnover-filled start before Gideon Davidson and Bryant Wesco Jr. supplied the explosive plays the Tigers needed to pull away for a 24-10 win over California on Friday night, or Saturday morning for those of us back east.
Davidson delivered the knockout blow with a 75-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining, capping a career night in which the sophomore rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Wesco provided Clemson’s other second-half touchdown on special teams, returning a punt 65 yards for a score to break a 10-10 tie in the third quarter.
The Tigers finished with a 363-231 advantage in total offense and rushed for 255 yards while holding Cal to 86 on the ground.
It was anything but a clean start.
Clemson’s night began inauspiciously when freshman Tait Reynolds was intercepted on a flea flicker on the opening possession. The Tigers got the ball right back, however, as Elliot Washington II intercepted Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on Cal’s ensuing series.
Clemson’s defense delivered again later in the opening quarter.
Facing fourth-and-2 at the Clemson 26, Cal kept its offense on the field, but 6-foot-7 defensive end Darien Mayo batted down Sagapolutele’s pass to end the threat.
The Bears eventually found the end zone without their offense having to get there.
Aiden Manutai drove Reynolds to the ground, and as he landed, the ball broke free, and Kamar Mothudi returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, giving Cal a 7-0 lead with 5:15 remaining in the first quarter.
Clemson answered with its best sustained offensive stretch of the half. Wesco turned a bubble screen into a 10-yard gain, Tyler Brown broke loose for 27 yards and Davidson helped move the Tigers into the red zone. Clemson stalled after reaching first-and-goal, however, and settled for Nolan Hauser’s 30-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, his 10th field goal of the season.
The Tigers’ defense quickly forced another punt behind a third-down sack from London Merritt, and Clemson followed with the defining offensive possession of the first half.
The Tigers went 66 yards in 17 plays and used 7:30, converting twice on fourth down and also benefiting when Cal jumped offsides as Clemson lined up to pooch punt out of a field-goal formation.
Later, Reynolds found Christian Bentancur on fourth-and-2 after working through his progression as the play developed. Davidson powered ahead on fourth-and-1 to extend the drive, and after a Cal personal foul moved the ball to the 2, Davidson took a direct snap into the end zone to put Clemson ahead 10-7.
Cal threatened to answer late in the half, but Ashton Hampton broke up a third-down pass, and the Bears came up short on a 51-yard field-goal attempt.
Clemson took a 10-7 advantage into halftime after outgaining Cal 179-93 and possessing the ball for more than 19 minutes.
The Bears responded with their best offensive drive to begin the second half. Cal marched 71 yards in 11 plays and consumed 5:33 before Clemson stiffened near its goal line. Andy Burburija broke up Sagapolutele’s third-down pass at the Clemson 12, forcing the Bears to settle for a field goal that tied the game at 10.
Then Wesco changed the game.
After Clemson’s offense went three-and-out on its next possession, the Tigers' defense answered with a three-and-out of its own. Wesco fielded Cal’s ensuing punt and took it 65 yards to the end zone, giving Clemson a 17-10 lead with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Clemson SID Ross Taylor tweeted that the return was Clemson’s first punt-return touchdown since Amari Rodgers scored against Boston College on Nov. 10, 2018, a span of 2,876 days.
Later, Will Heldt and Merritt combined to blow up a third-and-1 run on Cal’s next possession, and the Bears later pinned Clemson at its own 1-yard line. Davidson powered through the pile on third-and-2 to extend the ensuing possession as the Tigers carried their seven-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Clemson mounted another lengthy drive early in the final period but came away empty when Hauser’s 48-yard field-goal attempt went wide left.
Cal had another opportunity with 9:14 remaining. A 34-yard screen pass down the sideline was largely erased by a holding penalty, and Clemson's defense eventually pushed the Bears backward. Champ Thompson and Jeremiah Alexander combined for an eight-yard sack before Hampton broke up Sagapolutele’s pass on third-and-16, forcing another punt.
That punt pinned Clemson at its own 2 with 5:30 remaining and gave Cal a chance to get the ball back with an opportunity to tie.
Davidson made sure it never happened.
After ripping off a 17-yard run earlier in the possession, Davidson took a third-and-8 draw through the Cal defense and raced 75 yards for a touchdown, pushing Clemson’s advantage to 24-10 with less than three minutes remaining.
Washington then put the finishing touch on the victory by intercepting Sagapolutele for the second time, giving him both of Clemson’s takeaways.
Davidson finished with career highs in carries (22), rushing yards (159) and rushing touchdowns (two), averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. His 159 yards accounted for more than 62 percent of Clemson’s 255 rushing yards.
Reynolds finished 13-of-21 passing for 108 yards with one interception. Brown led Clemson’s receivers with three catches for 29 yards, while Olsen Patt-Henry supplied the Tigers’ longest completion with a 22-yard reception.
Clemson’s defense held Sagapolutele to 119 yards on 16-of-29 passing and intercepted him twice. Cal finished just 3-of-12 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down while averaging 4.1 yards per play.
After Clemson committed two turnovers in the opening half — one of which directly produced Cal’s only touchdown — the Tigers did not turn the ball over after halftime.
Instead, Clemson leaned on its defense, Wesco’s special-teams spark and a career night from Davidson to turn a three-point halftime advantage into a 14-point road victory.
