New coordinators, familiar result as Clemson scores Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State
A new era for Clemson and its coordinators got off to a slow start during the Cheez-It Bowl on Wednesday at Camping World Stadium, but things picked up during the second half.
After depending on kicker B.T. Potter to score all of the team’s points through two quarters, the Tigers’ offense and defense each scored touchdowns 53 seconds apart in the third quarter in a wild 20-13 win over the Iowa State Cyclones.
Clemson (10-3) ends the season with its 11th straight double-digit win season and a six-game winning streak in the debuts of offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter and defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
“This team’s journey was full of adversity and we probably had more adversity this year than the last seven combined,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “What made it great was how everybody in the whole program, the thing that never flinched was the leadership.
“This was a complete program effort. … What made this team special was because they didn’t make excuses.”
The only other programs to have at least 11 straight seasons of 10 wins or more are Florida State, under the late Bobby Bowden, with 14 between 1987 and 2000 and Nick Saban-led Alabama with 13 (2008-20).
Swinney also joins a group of only 15 NCAA FBS head coaches to reach 150 wins in 200 games or less. The Alabama native accomplished the feat in 186 games, the sixth-quickest among the 15 coaches, and says he forgot until Clemson chief of football administration Woody McCorvey reminded him.
“The credit goes to the players,” Swinney said. “This game is about the players. It’s about players and players buying in. I’m just incredibly blessed that I can’t even process that.”
The Goodwin-led defense mirrored Brent Venables’ teams in that the game fell in its hands. With the Tigers up 20-13 and Iowa State facing fourth-and-2 at its 36 with 42 seconds to go, Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy gained enough yardage for a first down when Mario Goodrich forced a fumble. Purdy recovered the ball with Goodrich on his heels, but lost yards in the process, allowing the Tigers to get the victory.
“It means a lot for everyone on this team,” said Goodrich, who also scored on an interception return and was named the bowl MVP. “We started 2-2 and to rally back with 10 wins is amazing.”
A more amped second half was a far cry from a sluggish offensive first half that ended with Clemson leading Iowa State 6-3. Streeter’s playcalling involved getting running backs Will Shipley and Kobe Pace more involved as pass catchers. Both had at least one catch during Clemson’s scoring drive at the beginning of the third quarter.
Shipley had two catches for 15 yards before scoring on a 12-yard run at the 4:54 mark of the frame.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s Goodwin-led defense held the Cyclones without a touchdown for the majority of the game even without several of its veteran players. Safety Nolan Turner and linebacker Baylon Spector were out of the game with injuries, while the Tigers lost linebacker James Skalski late in the second quarter and cornerback Andrew Booth in the third.
Just before Booth’s exit, Goodrich scored on a pick-six to put the Tigers up 20-3 with 4:01 left in the third quarter. After it was hit in the air at least twice in a volleyball-like manner, the senior corner came down with the ball and ran 18 yards for the touchdown.
Iowa State finally broke through with Purdy’s six-yard touchdown to Charlie Kolar with 9:42 left in regulation, though the Cyclones still trailed 20-13.
When the Cyclones were backed up on their side of the field with less than five minutes to go, Clemson defensive lineman KJ Henry added a quarterback sack on third down to force them to punt.
The Tigers then ate up as much of the rest of the clock as they could and ended the game winning the time of possession, 32:10 to 27:50. With 1:52 left, Iowa State had one last drive that ended with Purdy’s fumble.
Streeter and Goodwin, who received an A-plus grade from Swinney, began their tenures with wins and positive momentum heading into the offseason.
“I thought it was great. I thought it went as well as it could being first time,” Goodwin said. “Not like we had any scrimmages and stuff to get in the flow of things as a staff. Me, being inserted in the playcaller role, but pleased from an overall overall game operation standpoint. No substitution penalties. Communication was great all night.”
Clemson recent bowl, postseason history
- 2005: 19-10 win over Colorado in Champs Sports Bowl
- 2006: 28-20 loss to Kentucky in Music City Bowl
- 2007: 23-20 loss to Auburn in Chick-fil-A Bowl
- 2008: 26-21 loss to Nebraska in Gator Bowl
- 2009: 21-13 win over Kentucky in Music City Bowl
- 2010: 31-26 loss to South Florida in Meineke Car Care Bowl
- 2011: 70-33 loss to West Virginia in Orange Bowl
- 2012: 25-24 win over LSU in Chick-fil-A Bowl
- 2013: 40-35 win over Ohio State in Orange Bowl
- 2014: 40-6 over Oklahoma in Russell Athletic Bowl
- 2015: (CFP) 37-17 win over Oklahoma in semifinals; 45-40 loss to Alabama in nat’l title game
- 2016: (CFP) 31-0 win over Ohio State in semifinals; 35-31 win over Alabama in nat’l title game
- 2017: (CFP) 24-6 loss to Alabama in semifinals
- 2018: (CFP) 30-3 win over Notre Dame in semifinals; 44-16 win over Alabama in nat’l title game
- 2019: (CFP) 29-23 win over Ohio State in semifinals; 42-25 loss to LSU in nat’l title game
- 2020: (CFP) 49-28 loss to Ohio State in semifinals
- 2021: 20-13 win over Iowa State in Cheez-It Bowl
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 9:12 PM.
