Clemson’s 10 most memorable moments of the 2016 season … so far
As Clemson prepares for its second consecutive College Football Playoff, take a look back at the 10 most memorable moments of the season’s first 13 games:
1. Marcus Edmond’s fourth-down stop vs. Louisville
Lamar Jackson and the Louisville offense put up 568 yards on Clemson on Oct. 1, but the Cardinals came up a yard short when they needed it most. Marcus Edmond forced Louisville wide receiver James Quick out of bounds 11 yards downfield on a fourth-and-12 catch-and-run. That sealed a 42-36 win in front of a raucous crowd at Death Valley in a prime time game that ultimately decided the winner of the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
2. Pitt hands Clemson its first loss
The Pittsburgh Panthers stuffed Clemson’s offense on third and then fourth-and-1 to give themselves a chance at a late field goal, which Chris Blewitt knocked through from 48 yards out to deal the Tigers their one loss. Streaks of consecutive wins over unranked opponents (45), regular season wins (25), home wins (22) and ACC wins (15) all came to an end despite Watson setting an ACC single-game record of 580 passing yards.
3. N.C. State’s missed kick
There were few tenser moments in Death Valley than the end of the fourth quarter against N.C. State. The Wolfpack needed a 33-yard field goal to defeat Clemson and end its winning streaks at home and against unranked opponents. But the Memorial Stadium crowd erupted when N.C. State kicker Kyle Bambard pushed his kick wide right, sending the game to overtime and leading to Clemson’s aforementioned win.
4. Tigers sack Francois to secure first FSU win in 10 years
Clemson rallied from an 8-point fourth quarter deficit for a 37-34 win at Florida State, taking a first big step toward an ACC title and a first win in Tallahassee since 2006. Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook was a one-man wrecking crew with three second-half touchdowns, but a 34-yard touchdown pass from Watson to tight end Jordan Leggett served as Clemson’s go-ahead score with 2:06 to go. Back-to-back sacks of FSU redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois sealed the victory.
5. Tigers dominate heated rivalry game
From an on-field scuffle before the game to accusations and insults afterward, this year’s rivalry game between Clemson and South Carolina showed more bad blood than in recent years. The game wasn’t competitive; the Tigers dominated the Gamecocks, winning 56-7. After the game, Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware said, “South Carolina has been and always will be the little brother in this rivalry.”
6. Johnson knocks down two Hail Marys at Auburn
Down 19-13 with seconds remaining, Auburn had two shots at earning the upset of preseason No. 2 Clemson in the opener. Seven seconds ticked off the clock when Sean White found a pocket in the end zone with one Clemson Tiger, and two from Auburn. Clemson senior safety Jadar Johnson deflected the pass. On the final play, White’s rollout and 40-plus-yard heave bounced from one group of Tigers and Johnson knocked it away before it could settle into Auburn receiver Nate Craig-Myers’ arms. The win was Clemson’s first in Auburn since 1950.
7. Edmond’s game-sealing interception vs. N.C. State
Before Clemson’s home game against N.C. State, the university announced it would enforce a new policy requiring fans to wait 30 seconds before entering the field after the game. That policy was ignored, however, when Edmond intercepted a pass by N.C. State quarterback Ryan Finley in overtime to seal a 24-17 win. That preserved the Tigers’ undefeated record at the time and ended Clemson’s first overtime game since 2014.
8. Tigers defend ACC title, clinch Playoff berth
Clemson led by as much as three touchdowns on Virginia Tech before finishing a win in a seventh game decided by a touchdown or less this season, 42-35. With a College Football Playoff spot on the line, the Tigers clinched back-to-back ACC Championships for the first time since winning three in a row from 1986-88. Watson’s five touchdowns and 373 yards powered the Clemson offense vs. a top-10-rated Hokies defense.
9. Tigers break streak at Georgia Tech
Clemson hadn’t won at Georgia Tech since 2003 before its Sept. 22 win at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The game itself was fairly anticlimactic, as Georgia Tech was unable to score until the fourth quarter and Clemson cruised to a 26-7 win. But it made a statement. The Tigers proved they were equipped to win on the road and were still favorites to win the ACC after a shaky start to the season.
10. Seniors – and NFL juniors – get sendoff
The win over South Carolina marked the last home game for 20 Tigers, including star juniors Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman, Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. The senior and NFL-bound starters were honored in the second half with a curtain call – one by timeout on offense, and with no timeouts remaining, a planned offside penalty with defensive tackle Carlos Watkins crossing the line.
This story was originally published December 18, 2016 at 12:27 AM.