Oct 15, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) carries the ball while being defended by North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker Jerod Fernandez (4) during the second half at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Tigers won 24-17. Photo Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Most every college football team aspiring to win a national championship will face an instance or two of real adversity against an inferior opponent.
Last year, Alabama needed a late Derrick Henry touchdown and a defensive stand to win a close game at home against Tennessee. Ohio State had a scare against Penn State two years ago, needing two overtimes to close out the Nittany Lions on the road. And Florida State’s 2013 campaign saw the Seminoles get behind Boston College 17-3 before rallying back for a win over the Eagles.
On Saturday afternoon, it was time for Clemson to experience a similar scare.
With running back Wayne Gallman sidelined with a head injury and the offense struggling against a physical and speedy North Carolina State team, Dabo Swinney’s squad was in trouble. To make matters worse, the Tigers were turning the ball over at will, finishing with four giveaways.
In the end, though, Clemson survived the upset bad of Dave Doeren’s team, winning 24-17 in overtime when cornerback Marcus Edmond picked off Ryan Finley’s throw in the end zone on the Wolfpack’s first offensive play in the extra frame.
Clemson realized what Ohio State came to know last season: despite being littered with talent, it’s easier to hunt than be the hunted.
Deshaun Watson threw the first pick-six of his career, as turnovers again plagued the Tigers. Last year, despite going unscathed in the regular season, Clemson lost the turnover battle on six occasions. So the Tigers have played with fire before. On Saturday, it almost cost them against a Wolfpack team that entered with the No. 8 total defense in the country.
An NC State 33-yard game-winning kick in regulation veered slightly right, keeping Clemson’s College Football Playoff hopes alive. A bullet dodged. Survive and advance, as the Tigers remain in control of the ACC Atlantic division. Now, the Tigers have an off-week to clean up their mistakes before their showdown with division foe Florida State.
In front of a homecoming crowd at Memorial Stadium, Clemson survived a major scare to keep its CFP chances intact. It wasn’t pretty, but no one ever said becoming a champion was easy.
The dynasty is never-ending
Even Tennessee couldn’t make a comeback in this one. The team that has relied on storming back from big early deficits all season dug itself a massive hole and was overwhelmed at home by top-ranked Alabama on Saturday. The No. 9 Vols were blown out 49-10 by the Crimson Tide, as Nick Saban’s squad remained the King of the Mountain in front of 102,455 spectators inside of Neyland Stadium.
The Tide dominated every aspect of the game as true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts had three rushing touchdowns, Eddie Jackson had a 79-yard punt return score and Ronnie Harrison ran back an interception 58 yards for another touchdown. It was the Tide’s second straight win against a ranked SEC foe on the road.
They put up 594 yards of total offense and held the Vols to just 163 while forcing two turnovers and recording three sacks. It was a dominant effort, and the win moved the SEC West to 89-35 over the SEC East since 2009. The Tide will now prepare for nemesis Trevor Knight and Texas A&M next week in Tuscaloosa in what could be the league’s game of the year. Of course, Knight beat Alabama when he was the quarterback at Oklahoma, while A&M “arrived” in the SEC with its win over the Tide in Johnny Manziel’s first year as a starter.
Meanwhile, the Vols continue to be a battered bunch, as a slew of injuries just may make Florida the team to beat in the East division.
An SEC first
Kudos to Derek Mason, who won his first SEC road game of his career in a victory over Georgia in Athens. Vanderbilt’s last SEC road win came on Nov. 23, 2013, at Tennessee when James Franklin was roaming the Commodores’ sideline.
It was Vanderbilt’s third win over Georgia in the last 22 years — Vandy beat the Bulldogs in 2006 and 2013 when Mark Richt was UGA’s head coach. The ‘Dores received an outstanding effort from linebacker Zach Cunningham, who finished with 19 tackles (2.5 for loss) and a pass breakup.
He won’t win it because he’s a defensive player from Vanderbilt, but he should garner some SEC player of the year votes.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s 2-3 mark in SEC play is its worst start to a league season since 2010, when the Bulldogs also lost three of their first five league games and finished 3-5 in league play. Kirby Smart will get things right in Athens, but he has not made quite the first-year impact that many expected.
Marching on
It’s been quite the tumultuous season for USC, but give credit to head coach Clay Helton for keeping this team together during so much turmoil and adversity.
After a disastrous season-opening loss to Alabama and a road loss to Utah that dropped them to 1-3, the Trojans have now won three in a row following their 48-14 win at Arizona. They have outscored their opponents 110-51 over the last three weeks and have some time off before resuming play when they host Cal on Oct. 27.
Sam Darnold threw five touchdowns, including three to JuJu Smith-Schuster, as the Trojans built up a 34-7 lead against the Wildcats. USC is very much a contender in the Pac-12 South, as Helton’s squad has wins over Arizona State, Colorado and Arizona after losses to Stanford and Utah. Following the matchup with the Golden Bears, USC has Oregon and a Nov. 12 matchup with No. 5 Washington.
ACC scramble
The ACC Coastal division race is heating up. Syracuse notched its first conference win of the Dino Babers era, upsetting No. 17 Virginia Tech 31-17 as the Orange piled up 561 yards of total offense against Bud Foster’s defense.
Meanwhile, North Carolina is back to being a contender after its 20-13 upset of No. 16 Miami on the road. Of course, North Carolina lost to Virginia Tech last week, so this was a big day if you’re a Tar Heels fan.
It is the first time that UNC has defeated Florida State and Miami in the same season, so expect Larry Fedora’s agent to field some phone calls this offseason.
Miami now has two league losses, which is disappointing for a team that just seven days ago was undefeated before its game against Florida State. And don’t dismiss Pitt, which has won three in a row and is tied with the Hokies and Tar Heels atop the division.
Virginia Tech still controls its own destiny, although it has a tough test against the Hurricanes on Thursday night.
