The No. 12 Clemson Tigers, 1-2, 0-1 ACC, failed to escape their early-game woes, losing to Georgia Tech, 24-21 in their first conference matchup.
The contest was full of uncertainties, leaving Clemson to either sink or swim as the game grew increasingly intense, but unfortunately, the team fell by a 38-yard final drive and a game-winning 55-yard field goal right as time expired.
The Yellow Jackets, 3-0, 1-0 ACC, had control of the game from beginning to end, scoring on three of their four first-half drives and leading 13-7 heading into halftime.
Georgia Tech got on the board first in the ACC opener, kicking a 40-yard field goal after a solid opening drive. After Clemson missed a field goal, the Yellow Jackets came back and scored again with a rushing touchdown by Jamal Haynes.
The Tigers stayed alive going into halftime with quarterback Cade Klubnik leading a 16-play, 75-yard drive that a quarterback keeper rushing touchdown capped off.
With hope still in fans’ and players’ hearts, Clemson came out of the half roaring, driving down the field effortlessly. However, Klubnik would throw an interception in the red zone to Omar Daniels, who returned it 45 yards near center field.
Despite the setback, Clemson refused to go quietly. The defense immediately answered with a quick three-and-out, setting the stage for Klubnik to deliver a 73-yard strike to Bryant Wesco Jr., who raced into the end zone to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead early in the second half.
The final quarter turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading scores and Tech converting a two-point try to knot things at 21 with just over three minutes left.
But in the end, Clemson’s early miscues proved costly. Georgia Tech marched 38 yards to set up a 55-yard game-winner, while the Tigers were left looking at plays and numbers that told the story: a costly interception at the goal line, a missed 52-yard field goal and a defense that allowed 358 offensive yards.
The team will return in action at home next Saturday against Syracuse at noon.
