Clemson’s Comeback Bid Fails in First Round of College Football Playoff – Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site

BOX score

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) stopped two potential scoring drives late and held on for a 38-24 victory at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Tigers amassed the most passing yards (336), yards of total offense (412) and highest yards-per-play average (6.1) that the Longhorns gave up in the loss this season.

The Tigers had two drive failures in the fourth quarter as they tried to take the lead again, including a fourth down stop at the one-yard line. Texas ran 48 times for 292 yards and four touchdowns, an average of 6.1 yards per carry, including a 77-yard touchdown run two plays after the Tigers cut the lead to 31-24.

Playing in his hometown, quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman wideout TJ Moore set a career-high nine receptions for 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 RJ Mickens recorded an interception in the second quarter against his high school teammate Quinn Ewers. The interception initially served as a touchdown, but was called back due to a penalty on the return.

Clemson received the first kickoff and opened the scoring when Klubnik connected with Antonio Williams for a 22-yard touchdown on a cross route on third down, capping a 12-play, 75-yard drive that stretched over the first The contest lasted 6:46 of the game. Klubnik completed 6 of 7 passes for 60 yards on the drive and secured an important third pass with his feet.

Texas responded on its first possession of the game as Quintrevion Wisner rushed for a two-yard touchdown to cap off 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 from Jaydon Blue, capping a five-play, 65-yard drive. After a Clemson punt, Texas extended its lead to 21-7 with a 16-yard touchdown from Wisner with 7:26 left in the first half.

Texas forced its first turnover of the game on its next drive when Klubnik’s pass was deflected 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’ next drive to give Clemson the ball with 2:40 left in their own 46, and a penalty negated Mickens’s touchdown return on the play. Clemson erased the deficit with a 32-yard field goal by Nolan Hauser, capping 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 took a 28-10 lead into halftime.

Texas drove to the Clemson two-yard line on the first possession of the second half, but Clemson kept the Longhorns out of the end zone and forced a 22-yard field goal from Bert Auburn to increase Texas’ lead to 31-10 expand.

Later in the quarter, Klubnik connected with running back Jarvis Green for a 25-yard touchdown (the first of Green’s career) to cap a four-play, 55-yard drive that cut the Longhorns’ lead to 31-1 with 3:29 left. 17 to shorten in the third quarter. Texas pushed 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 left in the third quarter.

Klubnik fought back and found wide receiver TJ Moore wide open in the end zone on fourth-and-six, scoring a seven-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive that spanned 10 plays for 64 yards with 11:43 left for Texas’ lead remaining reduced to 31-24. However, Blue ran 77 yards for his second touchdown of the contest on the second play of Texas’ next drive, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 38-24.

Clemson reached 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 gain possession at their own two-yard line. Texas’ ensuing drive was stopped when Arch Manning took 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-six and ran out of time to secure their 38-24 victory.

Clemson will now turn its attention to the 2025 season, which opens with a big game against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, August 30. Clemson’s full schedule for the 2024 season has not yet been determined, 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.