Clemson Inches Toward Bowl Eligibility

It was not at all a pretty game between Clemson and Louisville. The Tigers were able to get the huge 20-19 victory on the road though, in their last ACC game of the season. This means Clemson finishes 2025 with a 4-4 record in conference play.

It’s not what was expected by this team, but it is an achievement based on how the season has gone. Especially with a win like this one, where luck has not typically been on the Tigers’ side.

Sloppy Play From Both Teams

This game was littered with sloppy play from both teams. There were multiple fumbles and a ton of penalties. The Tigers fumbled the ball twice on the goal line, on back-to-back plays at one point. The second one was on fourth down and was picked up by the Louisville defense.

The Cards were not exempt from the fumbles themselves. Duke Watson gave up one when Avieon Terrell ripped the ball from his hands on a play, getting the ball back for Clemson in Louisville territory. Things really started going downhill for Jeff Brohm’s team when they kept committing penalties to end the game.

The worst of it came on the Cards’ second-to-last drive of the game. Louisville was knocking on the door to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. That was until a false start and unsportsmanlike penalty gave the Cards a third and almost thirty. The Cardinals were able to barely get back into field goal range, but the attempt was missed.

That was the second straight missed field goal attempt on consecutive drives by the Cards. Louisville finished the game with 10 penalties for a total of 84 yards. It took away from the gutsy performance by Keyjuan Brown.

Run Game Shines From Both Sides

The running backs stole the show tonight for both offenses. The ground game proved to be crucial for both teams in order to control the clock and find explosive plays.

K. Brown has proven to be the perfect backup to step up in Isaac Brown’s absence. When the Cards needed a spark, he was the one to provide it. He busted multiple runs of 20+ yards on his way to 135 rushing yards total on 15 carries. K. Brown was not the only starting running back to carry the load for his offense, though, as Adam Randall played his best game at the position.

Just like K. Brown, Randall was the player to go to when the Tigers’ offense needed some momentum. Randall also had multiple runs of 20+ yards. One went for 46 yards, and another went for a touchdown from 25 yards out. The running backs were the workhorses in this game. It ultimately came down to whose team would make one fewer mistake.

Clemson Finally Builds Real Momentum

It might be a bit too late for this season, but Clemson looks to finally have built some real momentum. The Tigers just got their two best wins of the season in these last two games. They also finish conference play with two straight wins.

One more win, and Clemson will at least finish the season making it to a bowl game. A win next week will give the Tigers great momentum before facing their heated rival, South Carolina. This season turned into a flop, but Clemson continues to build itself up for a strong finish before preparing for next season.