Clemson Clinches Bowl Eligibility

Clemson clinched bowl eligibility with a dominant 45-10 win over FCS Foe Furman. The Tigers came out firing, scoring on their first three drives of the game. They continued pouring it on in the first half, finishing with 31 points total to the Paladins’ three.

Many of the Clemson starters sat before the end of the first half. This includes Cade Klubnik, who was pulled after one play in the second quarter.

What’s Next for the Tigers?

Cade Klubnik and Antonio Williams Show Out

Klubnik and his number one partner-in-crime, Antonio Williams, showed out in the first quarter of their last game in Memorial Stadium. Garrett Riley and the offensive staff obviously planned to have these two go out with a bang.

Klubnik threw fifteen passes in just one quarter of action. He completed nine of those passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Both of Klubnik’s touchdown passes went to Williams, for his only two receptions of the game. His first touchdown catch was his 200th career reception at Clemson. Williams is just the fifth Tiger ever to reach that milestone.

Klubnik and Williams accounted for 216 of the Tigers’ 271 total yards in the first half. And they did it all in one quarter. Both players have had careers filled with adversity at Clemson. But they finished with one of their best showings in front of the Memorial Stadium crowd.

Defense Dominates Early

The offense wasn’t the only one to get itself going early in the game. Clemson’s defense played by far its most dominant game of the season. The Tigers gave up just six first downs and three points in the first half. The Furman offense went three-and-out on all but two of its drives in the first 30 minutes.

Sammy Brown played exceptionally well in his last home game of the season. He accumulated three total tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and an interception in the first half alone. Brown’s pick was not the only takeaway by the Tigers on the night. Will Heldt also forced a fumble that was recovered by TJ Parker, also in the first half.

It was by far the best showing by this Clemson defense on the season. The juice from this dominant performance needs to be taken on the road to Columbia next week.

Can Clemson Close the Season

This is Clemson’s second straight home win, as the end of the 2025 season approaches. It is also the Tigers’ third straight win overall, in a season they started 3-5. This is the finish to the season Clemson needs to build back morale and create momentum for next year.

They will have to close out the season on the road, in the Palmetto Bowl matchup with South Carolina. The Gamecocks have had a similarly disappointing season and will want a win at home in this rivalry game.

The Tigers are now bowl eligible for the postseason with the win over the Paladins. Next week’s game is still incredibly important to the Clemson faithful, though, and a must-win for the program.