No. 20 Clemson escapes Pitt with 24-20 win after Klubnik’s late TD run

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Cade Klubnik sprinted 50 yards for a clear touchdown with 1:16 left and no. 20 (CFP) Clemson held off Pittsburgh 24-20 on Saturday.

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The Tigers (8-2, 7-1 ACC) had done little on the ground all day before the junior quarterback spiked the ball and ran past a handful of stunned defenders to keep Clemson’s outside hopes of reaching the ACC championship alive.

Klubnik finished with 288 yards and two touchdown passes through the air and added 41 yards on the ground, almost all of the positive yardage coming on his zig-zag through the Pitt secondary just 20 seconds after the Panthers had taken the lead on a 47-yarder. field goal by Ben Saul’s.

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Antonio Williams caught 13 passes for 149 yards and two scores for the Tigers, who need the No. 12 Miami to lose one of its last two games or No. 14 SMU to drop its final two contests to reach the ACC title game in Charlotte on Dec. 7 .

Nate Yarnellstarts for injured Eli Holsteinthrew for 350 yards, including a game-tying touchdown to Gavin Bartholomew with 7:05 left. The last of Yarnell’s 55 pass attempts was picked off by Clemson Khalil Barnes on the finish line as time expired.

Desmond Reid had 176 yards for the Panthers (7-3, 3-3), who outgained Clemson 438-346 and dominated the second half until Klubnik took advantage of Pitt’s relentless pressure by stepping up in the pocket and finding plenty of room to run. .

TAKEAWAYS

Clemson: The Tigers aren’t the lean they were at the start of the decade, and Klubnik’s season likely won’t end with him becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist, but he provided a signature moment that helped Clemson survive on a day when the Tigers had managed a whopping 8 yards on the ground until their final offensive snap.

Pitt: The Panthers played with passion, if not precision. It just wasn’t enough to prevent them from a third straight loss after a 7-0 start. The pre-snap issues that have dogged Pitt recently resurfaced, most notably early in the fourth quarter when a first-and-goal from inside the Clemson 5 turned into a short field goal by Sauls after illegal formation, delay of played and false. starting penalties.

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CONSEQUENCES OF THE VOTE

Don’t expect the Tigers to move up too much in either the AP Top 25 or the College Football Playoff rankings after struggling to do much of anything over the final 30 minutes against Pitt.

UP NEXT

Clemson: host The Citadel next Saturday.

Pitt: travels to Louisville no. 22 next Saturday.

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