Run, Cade, run: QB’s heroic play lifts No. 20 Clemson over Pitt in thrilling finish
Cade Klubnik probably isn’t going to win the Heisman Trophy.
Still, this was quite a moment.
Klubnik ripped off a gotta-have-it rushing touchdown in the game’s final two minutes to lift Clemson past ACC foe Pitt, 24-20, on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium and prevent what would’ve been one of the Tigers’ worst collapses in recent memory.
Klubnik’s 50-yard rushing touchdown brought Clemson from down 20-17 to up 24-20 with 1:16 remaining, and the Tigers’ defense picked off a final pass near the end zone to escape a second straight ACC road stadium with a win.
No. 20 Clemson led 17-7 at halftime and after three quarters but was outplayed and outcoached most of the second half to the point of a near-epic meltdown.
Klubnik’s heroics prevented a blown 10-point fourth quarter lead and kept the Tigers’ outside hopes at an ACC championship game spot alive.
On an afternoon when his run game was nonexistent, Klubnik was 27 of 41 for 288 yards and two scores and added the game-winning score on the ground, finishing with 329 of the team’s 346 total yards of offense (95%).
The Tigers moved to 8-2 on the year and will finish 7-1 in the ACC, left hoping that one of the two teams ahead of them (undefeated SMU and one-loss Miami) slip up down the stretch, allowing the Tigers to backdoor their way to Charlotte.
Pitt lost a third straight ACC game after a 7-0 start and fell to 7-3, 3-3 ACC. The Panthers put up 438 yards on Clemson’s defense with a backup quarterback, but 13 penalties for 100 yards hurt them in their quest for an upset bid.
Clemson got the ball with 7:05 remaining and a chance to go ahead in a tie game, but the Tigers stalled past midfield in shocking fashion. Star running back Phil Mafah (17 carries for 17 yards on Saturday) was tackled for no gain on third and 1, and then he was stuffed for a loss of four yards on fourth and 1 from Pitt’s 41-yard line.
On Pitt’s next drive, Tigers linebacker Dee Crayton sacked Pitt quarterback Nate Yarnell to bring up a 3rd and 12. But refs announced that “after discussion” they’d attributed Crayton a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.
That critical penalty kept Pitt’s drive alive, and Panthers kicker Ben Sauls hit a go-ahead field goal from 47 yards out to make it 20-17 Pitt with 1:36 to go.
Klubnik’s rushing touchdown on the next drive followed, and Pitt reached Clemson’s 26-yard line before safety Khalil Barnes picked off a final pass at the buzzer.
“It’s a shame anyone had to lose that ball game,” Swinney said postgame. “I mean, that’s two teams that left it all on the field. ... I’ve been a part of a lot of those games in my career, and they’re not fun to be a part of. But when you win games like that, they help your team grow and create the expectation.”
“Those are the type of games you have to win.”
Game recap
Clemson was down two regular starters on its offensive line and had to replace starting LT Tristan Leigh and LG Marcus Tate with new players on Saturday.
Then, one snap into the game, another starter went down. True freshman Elyjah Thurmon, who’d subbed in admirably for Leigh last weekend, got rolled up on and had to leave with an injury Swinney told reporters afterward was season-ending.
With a short-handed offensive line, the formula from there was clear.
Let Klubnik sling it.
After Klubnik lost a fumble on Clemson’s opening drive, he rebounded and threw strike after strike, including a 14-yard slant to receiver Antonio Williams for the game’s opening score (7-0).
Pitt used a 43-yard run from star running back Desmond Reid to get into the red zone and tied the game 7-7 with a short rushing touchdown.
But Klubnik came right back in the second quarter with strikes of 45 yards to Bryant Wesco Jr. down the seam and then 28 yards to Williams (who finished with a career-high 13 catches for 149 yards) for his second touchdown catch of the day.
Clemson led 14-7 at that point and added a 51-yard field goal from freshman kicker Nolan Hauser right before the break to take a 17-7 lead into halftime in Pittsburgh.
The first half wasn’t without its struggles, though. Pitt was down its starting quarterback, Alabama transfer Eli Holstein, but still gashed the Tigers defense for a few big plays with veteran backup Yarnell.
A retooled offensive line allowed four sacks in the first half (and eventually a season-high six in the game), and cleared the way for a mere two — yes, two — net rushing yards at halftime.
And Clemson, already down starting linebacker Wade Woodaz (leg), lost true freshman linebacker Sammy Brown for the rest of the game after he was called for a targeting penalty against Yarnell in the second quarter.
Although the third quarter didn’t feature any scoring, Pitt dominated. Clemson’s offense mustered just 12 total yards of offense on 15 plays and couldn’t capitalize on a strip sack midway through the quarter.
“We were really poor in the third quarter,” Swinney said. “Really poor.”
The Panthers got into a rhythm late in the third quarter and continued that momentum into the early fourth with Yarnell (34-54, 350 yards) spreading it out and dynamic running back Reid (174 all-purpose yards) leading the way.
Trailing 17-7, Pitt got down to Clemson’s 1-yard line facing a third and goal ... but then was whistled for three straight pre-snap penalties and had to settle for a 35-yard field goal instead of what felt like an easy touchdown moments prior.
No matter. Klubnik and the Clemson offense went three-and-out again, Pitt ripped off a few chunk plays and Yarnell threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gavin Bartholomew to tie the game 17-17 with 7:05 remaining in the game.
Sauls’ late field goal put Pitt ahead 1:36, and Clemson’s offense had just 27 yards of total offense in the second half heading out for its next drive.
Klubnik handled it from there, and Barnes intercepted Yarnell’s final pass at the 2-yard line to seal things.
“One of the most fun locker rooms and craziest games I’ve ever been a part of,” Klubnik said. “Nobody flinched. Nobody batted an eye or started pointing fingers. Just kept battling. ... We knew what we could do. We just had to go do it.”
Next game
- Who: No. 20 Clemson (8-2, 7-1 ACC) vs. The Citadel (5-6, 3-5 SoCon)
- When: 3:30 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 23
- Where: Memorial Stadium in Clemson
- TV: The CW
Clemson football schedule
Aug. 31: vs. Georgia in Atlanta, L 34-3
Sept. 7: vs. App State, W 66-20
Sept. 14: OPEN
Sept. 21: vs. NC State, W 59-35
Sept. 28: vs. Stanford, W 40-14
Oct. 5: at Florida State, W 29-16
Oct. 12: at Wake Forest, W 49-14
Oct. 19: vs. Virginia, W 48-31
Oct. 26: OPEN
Nov. 2: vs. Louisville, L 31-22
Nov. 9: at Virginia Tech, W 24-14
Nov. 16: at Pitt, W 24-20
Nov. 23: vs. The Citadel, 3:30 p.m. (The CW)
Nov. 30: vs. South Carolina, TBD
This story was originally published November 16, 2024 at 4:01 PM.
