PITTSBURGH — The No. 20 Clemson Tigers held on in a thriller to defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers 24-20 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

The Tigers (8-2, 7-1 ACC) had their backs against the wall, trailing by 3 points with no timeouts and just 1:36 remaining on the game clock. As it turns out, Clemson only needed 20 seconds. After a few quick passes, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik reacquired the lead with a 50-yard touchdown rush, putting the Tigers up by four after the extra point.

“It just doesn’t feel real,” Klubnik said after the game. “Those last 15-20 yards is a crazy feeling.”

It provided a stark contrast to the remainder of the afternoon, as Clemson, as a team, had only rushed for 8 net yards up until that play.

The game was a tale of two halves for Clemson. The first half provided an impressive aerial attack and strong defensive play. Klubnik threw for 242 yards in the first half of the contest while only recording 46 yards in the second half. Clemson went three-and-out on three consecutive drives and turned the ball over on downs on the following drive.

Wide receiver Antonio Williams was Klubnik’s No. 1 target on the afternoon. Williams accrued 149 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches.

Clemson secured the win when defensive back Khalil Barnes intercepted the Panthers’ 26-yard pass attempt to the goal line.

“Kind of free cheese, it felt like,” Barnes said of his game-sealing interception.

Defensively, the Tigers put up a solid performance, sacking the Pittsburgh (7-3, 3-3 ACC) quarterback eight times. Clemson defensive end TJ Parker tallied four of those sacks on the day. They also acquired 16 tackles for a loss.

Clemson will be back in action next Saturday when they face The Citadel in Death Valley at 3:30 p.m.