Klubnik’s Massive Run Boosts Clemson Tigers Past Pitt 24-20

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PITTSBURGH—Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik ran for a 50-yard touchdown with 1:16 left to lift No. 20 Clemson (8-2, 7-1 Atlantic Coast conference) to a 24-20 win over the Pitt Panthers (7-3, 3-3)Nov. 16 at Accrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Game Summary

Klubnik had a great first half throwing the ball as he went 20-of-28 for 244 yards and 2 TDs. Incredibly, Klubnik only finished with 288 passing yards as the Pitt defense took over in the third quarter, holding Clemson to a meager 22 yards of offense. The Clemson defense bent but didn’t break in the third quarter, holding the Panthers scoreless while their offense sputtered. Both defenses were solid in the pass rush as Pitt sacked Klubnik 5 times while Clemson got to Pitt QB Nate Yarnell 8 times. LB Barrett Carter led the Tigers with 12 tackles and added 2 tackles for loss.

Early in the 4th quarter, Pitt had the ball for a third-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Then on consecutive plays, Pitt committed an illegal formation penalty, a delay of game penalty and then a false start to create a third-and-goal from the 16-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Pitt settled for a 35-yard field goal from Ben Sauls.

When asked about the penalty sequence, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said, “We were trying to huddle with our skill guys and just didn’t break out fast enough. You know, that’s my fault, I take responsibility for that. Offensively, I’m the quarterback I gotta make sure everything is smooth and it wasn’t.”

Yarnell finished 34-of-54 with 350 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.

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While the Clemson offense successfully threw the ball, the Tigers did not run the ball well against Pitt. Heading into the final drive, Clemson had a total of 8 yards rushing on the day. Klubnik’s favorite target was redshirt sophomore Antonio Williams, who finished the game with 13 catches for 149 yards and 2 TDs.

Turning Point

The turning point in the game came at the end when Clemson’s Klubnik blew through the Pitt defense and raced 50 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Pitt had just taken the lead on a Ben Saul's 47-yard field goal. Klubnik completed 2 passes for 25 yards to get the Tigers to first-and-10 from the 50-yard line. Klubnik motioned his back out and ran a draw up the middle that he pushed outside while in the Pitt secondary. He stepped out of an attempt at a leg tackle then ran down the sideline for the 50-yard game-winning touchdown. 

Regarding the run, Klubnik said, "Oh my gosh, those last 15 or 20 yards it was a great feeling."

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What It Means for Clemson

Dabo Swinney's Tigers maintain second place in the ACC standings with the win. The Tigers are done with ACC play as their final two games are at home against The Citadel (5-6) and South Carolina (6-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference. It’s a waiting game now for the Tigers as they look on and see how No. 9 Miami (9-1, 5-1) and No. 14 SMU (9-1, 6-0) fare. An ACC loss by either team increases Clemson’s chances of making the ACC Championship Game.

What It Means for Pitt

For Pitt, the loss is the Panthers’ third in a row. Linebacker Kyle Louis said the Panthers do not lack confidence, but the losing has to end.

“We gotta stop all this losing, losing, losing," he said after the game. "We lost three, no more, we gotta stop losing.”

With the loss, the Panthers fall into a five-way tie for sixth place in the ACC with Duke (7-3, 3-3), Syracuse (7-3, 4-3), Virginia (5-5, 3-3) and Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3).