For a half, Clemson found ways to hang around with No. 4 Miami even after giving up two huge explosive plays to the ACC’s top team early.
Eventually, that explosiveness, physicality, and control at the line of scrimmage proved too much.
Miami turned an 11-point halftime advantage into a 41-13 victory over Clemson on Saturday night in Death Valley, handing the Tigers a lopsided loss despite several promising moments from quarterback Tait Reynolds and a defense that spent much of the night trying to keep Clemson within striking distance.
The final margin was inflated by J.J. Dunnigan’s 39-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:49 remaining, but by then the Hurricanes had already taken control.
Clemson finished with 350 yards on 75 plays, but only 55 came on the ground. Miami produced 419 yards while averaging 6.8 yards per play and rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
The Tigers also surrendered six sacks for 35 yards, with Reynolds officially finishing with minus-22 rushing yards on 14 attempts after sack yardage was included.
That pressure became one of the defining stories of the night.
Reynolds was frequently forced to create with defenders bearing down on him, yet the freshman still completed 29-of-44 passes for 295 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown and was intercepted once, but he repeatedly flashed the improvisational ability that earned him Clemson's starting job.
His favorite target was Bryant Wesco Jr., who delivered a huge performance with nine receptions for 152 yards.
Miami wasted almost no time grabbing control.
After Clemson went three-and-out following a 42-yard Chris Johnson Jr. kickoff return, the Hurricanes needed only one offensive snap to score. A Clemson penalty helped move Miami forward before Darian Mensah connected with Cooper Barkate for a 61-yard touchdown, giving the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead.
Clemson appeared to produce the answer defensively when London Merritt hit Mensah as he threw and Corey Myrick scooped up the loose ball and raced for what initially appeared to be a touchdown. Officials allowed the play to continue before replay ultimately overturned the ruling.
Miami settled for a 50-yard field goal and a 10-0 advantage.
Nolan Hauser answered with a 48-yard field goal late in the first quarter, but Mensah struck again early in the second. The Miami quarterback broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run, fumbling near the goal line before recovering the ball in the end zone himself.
Suddenly it was 17-3.
Clemson had chances to make it tighter.
Reynolds converted difficult third downs, including a 19-yard completion to Wesco on third-and-15, and Clemson's defense continued generating negative plays against the Hurricanes, but every time there was an opportunity, Dabo Swinney’s squad fell short.
The Tigers put together their best sustained drive just before halftime, going 75 yards on 16 plays. Reynolds made plays on the move to Wesco and T.J. Moore, helping Clemson reach the Miami red zone.
But a false start and a sack helped keep the Tigers out of the end zone, leaving Hauser to kick another field goal as time expired.
Miami led 17-6 at halftime.
“You score both of those right there, it’s 17-17, and it’s a different game. I really believe that,” Swinney said. “The momentum, the fans, the crowd, you know, just confidence, all that type of stuff.”
The Hurricanes then delivered the kind of drive that began separating the two teams.
Starting at its own 17, Miami marched 83 yards in 14 plays while consuming 7:58. Clemson repeatedly forced the Hurricanes into difficult situations, but Mensah kept finding answers.
On third-and-11, Mensah absorbed a hit while delivering a completion to Malachi Toney. Later, Miami converted on fourth down before Mensah found Barkate for 20 yards. Jordan Mallory powered through tackles to move the Hurricanes near the goal line, and Mark Fletcher Jr. finished the drive with a touchdown.
Miami led 24-6.
Meanwhile, the Clemson offense struggled to consistently handle Miami's front. On one second-half play, Reynolds had the ball punched loose with a defender arriving almost immediately after the snap — a snapshot of the protection problems Clemson battled throughout the night.
Miami added a 24-yard field goal to make it 27-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Then came Clemson's biggest offensive play of the game.
Reynolds connected with Wesco on a short throw that turned into a 55-yard gain, with Wesco racing all the way to the Miami 2-yard line. After a Clemson false start pushed the Tigers backward, Reynolds powered his way back toward the goal line before Gideon Davidson finished the possession with a touchdown.
At 27-13 with 12:09 remaining, Clemson still had a pulse.
Miami promptly extinguished it.
The Hurricanes leaned entirely on the running game, marching 62 yards on nine consecutive runs while taking 5:47 off the clock. Fletcher and Mallory carried the load as Miami imposed itself on a Clemson defense that had been on the field for much of the night.
The touchdown made it 34-13. It was the type of back-breaking drive the Tigers once utilized to close out games.
Miami finished with 192 rushing yards on 35 attempts, a sharp contrast to Clemson's inability to establish a consistent ground attack. Chris Johnson Jr. led the Tigers with 32 yards on five carries, while Davidson added 25 yards and Clemson's lone touchdown.
Mensah didn't need huge passing numbers to beat the Tigers. He completed 18-of-27 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown while adding the 34-yard rushing score. Barkate caught five passes for 98 yards, including the 61-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.
The Tigers were just 8-of-18 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down. They reached the red zone twice and scored one touchdown. Ten penalties for 91 yards compounded the offensive struggles.
The night ended with one final blow.
Facing fourth-and-7 with two minutes remaining, Reynolds looked for Tyler Brown. Dunnigan jumped the pass at the Clemson 39 and returned the interception 39 yards for a touchdown.
Final: Miami 41, Clemson 13.
For Clemson, the score will sting. But the game also offered another glimpse of what Reynolds and Wesco could become together. Reynolds battled through relentless pressure, while Wesco produced the first 150-yard receiving performance of his Clemson career.
“We really believe in this kid. We love this kid,” Swinney said of Reynolds. “I mean, he’s going to be a stud now. He’s just got to play.”
Against the nation's No. 4 team, however, flashes of what could be aren’t enough.
