December 8th 2024.
Last Saturday night, Cade Klubnik experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. After his team, Clemson, lost to their rival South Carolina, he sat in his car for over an hour, shedding tears and believing that their chances of making it to the College Football Playoff were gone. But, as they say, "life can change in an instant."
Later that evening, Klubnik's mood shifted drastically when he found out that Syracuse had upset Miami, knocking the Hurricanes out of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and giving Clemson another opportunity to secure their spot in the playoffs. And boy, did they seize that opportunity.
Led by Klubnik's impressive performance of 262 passing yards and four touchdowns, Clemson defeated SMU 34-31 to claim the ACC title and secure their spot in the CFP. The team was ecstatic, with Klubnik even comparing the feeling to when your mom gives you five more minutes to play outside with your friends before calling you in for the night.
The Tigers' victory was a team effort, with wide receiver Bryant Wesco catching two touchdowns and kicker Nolan Hauser making a 56-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win. Head coach Dabo Swinney praised his team's determination and heart, especially after coming back from a 17-point deficit in the first quarter.
For Swinney, this was the seventh time leading the Tigers to the playoffs, and he couldn't be more proud of his team's performance. He even pushed for their opponent, SMU, to also make it to the playoffs, recognizing their strength and resilience.
Despite the Mustangs' impressive regular season record of 8-0, they struggled in the first half of the game, making uncharacteristic mistakes and falling behind 24-7. However, their quarterback Kevin Jennings put up a fight, throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns, and even running for a score. Coach Rhett Lashlee praised his performance, calling Jennings a "playoff quarterback."
In the end, it was a close and intense game, with SMU tying the score 31-31 in the final seconds. But Clemson's Adam Randall returned the kickoff for 41 yards, giving them the opportunity to make one last play. Klubnik found receiver Antonio Williams for a 17-yard gain, setting up Hauser's winning kick.
The Tigers dominated in the trenches, putting pressure on Jennings and forcing him to scramble throughout the game. On the other hand, SMU struggled with mistakes and keeping up with the speed of Clemson's receivers.
Now, Clemson will wait to see if they will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs, while SMU awaits their fate. It was a thrilling and emotional game for both teams, and one that will surely go down in Clemson's history books.
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