No. 1 Clemson used a 45-37 shootout victory over No. 8 North Carolina on Saturday night to claim its second ACC Championship game win in five years and secure a shot at the national championship.
The Tigers (13-0), ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, set themselves up for a top seed in the four-team playoff bracket which will be announced Sunday.
Clemson let North Carolina hang around for a half before pulling away in the second half by as many as 19 points in front of a largely orange-clad crowd of 74,514 at Bank of America Stadium, an ACC Championship game record.
“I just hope that all 60,000 of (the Clemson fans) come to Death Valley tomorrow for the biggest dang pizza party you’ve ever seen,” said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who is making good on his promise to throw a pizza party for fans if Clemson made the playoffs. “All you daggone media people want me to get fired up about a poll six weeks (ago). Now is the time to get fired up about a poll, tomorrow Dec. 6, and I can’t wait to be there to be a part of it. I probably won’t sleep between now and then. We’re going to find out where we’re going and who we’re going to play, and our fans deserve this. But 13-0 don’t win a national championship anymore. You’ve got to keep playing.”
The Tigers needed to recover an onside kick with 1:08 left to secure their 16th consecutive victory, and they got the benefit of a questionable offsides call against Carolina on a previous onsides kick attempt which the Tar Heels recovered.
“I had a chance to look at it, and they missed it,” North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said afterward. “They were wrong. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
There was no debating the impressive display put on by Clemson’s sophomore quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Deshaun Watson, who topped ACC Championship game records with 420 yards of total offense and accounting for five touchdowns, three passing and two rushing. Running back Wayne Gallman piled up 187 yards rushing for Clemson on two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.
Watson was named the game’s MVP.
“You really sit down and watch our 13 games, he’s the best player in the country,” Swinney said. “This guys beats you just not with his legs, he beats you with his arm, his mind, his heart, his guts, his toughness. He’s a great champion of a player.”
Here are five observations from Saturday’s ACC championship game.
1. Deshaun Watson is the real deal. The Gainesville High graduate might not have the gaudy numbers or flashy skills of some Heisman candidates, but he showed his poise and value to a national championship contender Saturday night.
Watson, who was voted the game’s MVP, played another steady game while piled up big numbers. He had topped 100 yards rushing with 11:30 to go in the third quarter. He completed 13 consecutive passes while leading Clemson to 21 consecutive points, good for a 35-16 lead in the third quarter. Watson had topped the ACC championship game record in total yardage (397) with 4:58 to go in the third quarter.
When asked to make his case for the Heisman on the field after Saturday’s game, Watson obliged. “I’m going to say I’m the Heisman winner,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. If I get invited to the dinner, I’ll go and have fun with it.
2. Clemson wore down North Carolina's defense. With a whopping 57 plays in the first half (and an ACC championship game-record 98 in the game), the Tigers didn't have a ton of points on the board — leading 21-16 at the half — but they managed to take some wind from Carolina's defense. That's the way it looked anyway during a 97-yard scoring drive when Clemson restored some order in the third quarter.
The Tigers converted a pair of third downs on the drive and one nifty hook-and-lateral play for 22 yards, starting with a pass from Watson to Artavis Scott, who then lateraled to Gallman for another 10 yards.
3. Redemption game. UNC quarterback Marquise Williams distanced himself from his three-interception nightmare in the Tar Heels' season-opening loss to South Carolina his last trip to Bank of America Stadium, but he had a costly interception and fumble in the second half against Clemson to thwart serious comeback hopes. The first interception was the first turnover of the game for either team on Carolina's opening drive of the second half, allowing Clemson the momentum and the ball at the UNC 3. The Tigers mounted a 97-yard scoring drive from there to go up 28-16.
4. Advantage Clemson, in a swap of bad punt plays. Clemson picked an odd time to have a blown punt play to cap a disastrous drive. After three false-start penalties, including one with punter Andy Teasdall taking the snap, Teasdall took off running on fourth-and-15 from Clemson's 30 rather than punting. He gained only four yards and received a tongue-lashing from Swinney when he got to the sideline. Carolina took the gift at the 34 and scored five plays later on a Williams' 3-yard pass to Ryan Switzer to put Carolina up 16-14.
“There was no fake punt,” Swinney said. “That was just Teasdall kind of losing his mind. We’re supposed to be what we call ‘Rambo’ and we’re supposed to be rolling to the right and putting the ball in the ground, and he went Superman or something, 3rd-and-forever and he just thinks he’s going to run out — I have no idea. I have no answer. He doesn’t, either. We had a little I love you and I love you back session, but you know, he got dialed back in. But there was no fake punt. Holy cow. It was just a young man making a really bad play. That’s all I can say.”
Carolina returned the favor in the third quarter, attempting a fake punt and throwing incomplete instead, giving Clemson the ball at its 36. The Tigers responded two plays later with Watson’s 35-yard touchdown strike and a 35-16 lead.
5. Clemson beat itself in the early going. The Tigers outgained North Carolina 309 total yards to 103 in the first half, but led by only five points. Plenty was because of seven first-half penalties, which cost the Tigers 58 yards and the services of safety T.J. Green for the second half. Green was called for targeting on a helmet-to-helmet hit against Switzer on a second-quarter punt return. Clemson had three costly personal fouls in the half, including a roughing the passer and a late hit out of bounds. The late hit, along with a facemask penalty kept the first Tar Heels drive alive, allowing the Heels to take a 3-0 lead. That was the first time Clemson had trailed in four games.
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