AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 12-seeded Clemson Tigers fell to the No. 5 Texas Longhorns by a score of 38-24 on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Dabo Swinney returned to the College Football Playoffs for the first time in nearly four years at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Texas Stadium, extending Clemson’s streak to seven appearances. Despite a valiant second half resurgence, the Tigers could not recover from the early point deficit of the first half.
“We won the second half, if my math is correct,” Swinney said after the game. “What was it, 14-10? We won the second half, just too big of a hole in the first half.”
The numbers back him up — the 28 points scored by Steve Sarkisian’s offense were the most allowed by the Tigers in an opening half this season. The Longhorns have averaged 164.4 yards on the ground per game this season, yet picked up 292 against Clemson. The Tigers’ rushing defense was near nonexistent, allowing four of the Longhorns’ five touchdowns to come on the ground.
Alternatively, all three of Clemson’s scores came through the air.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik had an incredible day, drawing high praise from Swinney.
“You’re never out of it with him,” Swinney said about his quarterback. “He’s gonna give you a chance.”
He ended the game completing 26 of 43 attempts for 336 yards, his longest pass a 30-yarder to receiver T.J. Moore.
The Tigers came out of the gate swinging, scoring on their first drive in just under seven minutes. They were stagnant for the rest of the half, adding only a field goal before heading into the locker room.
The second half saw some necessary adjustments, as the defense held Texas to a field goal on its opening drive and forced its first three-and-out of the game with five minutes left in the third quarter. Momentum appeared to be swinging their way when Klubnik connected with running back Jarvis Green in the end zone and the next Longhorn drive ended in a dropped pass on a crucial 4th-and-two.
All of a sudden, it was a one score game thanks to Moore landing in the end zone.
The Longhorns responded in fast fashion, however, with a 77-yard rush by running back Jayden Blue down the right sideline, sealing the final score at 38-24.
“I hate losing, and I really hate losing in the playoffs,” Klubnik said. “But nobody picked us to be here, nobody believed in us or really wanted us here. But we believed in each other, this group of guys.”
The loss was a heartbreaking goodbye for many seniors playing their last game in the purple and orange. The Austin native got emotional talking about the impact of these players, both on himself and the program as a whole.
“I mean, I just think of the guys like Jake Briningstool, Barrett Carter, Tristan Leigh,” Klubnik said. “I feel like last year they were just my teammates. And now they’re truly my brothers.”
Although their season may be over, the Clemson Tigers’ story is far from finished. A talented young group across skill positions has the team primed to be a top contender next season, and Swinney knows it.
“We got a chance to be a really, really good football team and it’s my job to do that.”
