Clemson's offense comes alive in the second half to avoid the upset

The best scriptwriter in the world couldn’t have scripted this movie yesterday. Apparently, all Clemson needed was a lengthy weather delay. The Tigers took their first lead of the game with 5:01 to go on a Gideon Davidson touchdown run and then stopped North Carolina on downs for a 28-20 victory on Saturday.

The game was stopped for over two hours with 8:01 remaining in the fourth quarter because of an approaching thunderstorm. After Davidson scored, North Carolina had plenty of time for a potential game-winning field goal. But as the Tar Heels decided to go for it on fourth down just after the two-minute warning, the call was for a play-action pass. Nothing was open. Billy Edwards held onto the ball before attempting an improbable deep shot that fell incomplete. As soon as Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds got a first down with his feet, the Tigers were in a great position to run down the clock and win the game. With a minute remaining, North Carolina’s coach Mike Belichick might have allowed Tyler Brown to run for a 34-yard touchdown.

Just look at the way North Carolina’s defenders pursued the ball. And to be clear, letting Clemson score wasn’t the worst decision. North Carolina had much more time after Clemson’s touchdown, even if the margin grew from one point to eight. The Tar Heels were not able to score a touchdown on their final drive as Elliot Washington intercepted Edwards at the end of the drive. The fans roared as the clock expired, sealing a hard-fought win for Clemson. Analysts praised the efficient clock management and the defense’s late-game shutdown, cementing the young Reynolds’s poised leadership under pressure and a strategy that kept North Carolina from mounting a comeback.