Austin, TX
Clemson vs. Texas Prediction: Tigers look to upset the Longhorns in Austin
12-SEED CLEMSON (10-3, 7-1 ACC) at 5-SEED TEXAS (11-2, 7-1 SEC)
WHEN: SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 4 P.M. ET
WHERE: DKR-TEXAS MEMORIAL STADIUM (100,119), AUSTIN, TEXAS
TELEVISION: TNT (Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor, Laura Rutledge)
RADIO: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather)
RADIO: ESPN Radio (Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Dana Boyle)
SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM 81
NOTABLE
*This season, Clemson earned its seventh College Football Playoff berth since the format’s inception in 2014. Clemson’s seven berths trail only Alabama (eight) for the most in the nation. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney‘s seven CFP berths are the most of any active coach and one shy of Nick Saban (eight) for the most of any coach all-time.
*Though the game features two high-profile quarterbacks, the matchup will also feature two of the game’s emerging young stars on defense. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons (12.5) and Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown (10.5) rank first and second in the nation, respectively, in tackles for loss by freshmen this season.
*Clemson is attempting to win multiple postseason games (conference championship, bowl game and/or national championship game) in a single season for the fifth time in school history (two in 2015, three in 2016, three in 2018 and two in 2019).
*Clemson attempting to produce its 12th 11-win season in program history, joining the 1948, 1978, 1981, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022 seasons. It would be Clemson’s ninth season of 11-plus wins under Head Coach Dabo Swinney.
*The winner advances to play Arizona St. in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That game is set for Wednesday, Jan. 1st at 1 pm.
ABOUT TEXAS
The Longhorns featured the nation’s No. 18 offense (445.4 yards per game), with quarterback Quinn Ewers leading the way. He has thrown for 2,665 yards (233 for 352, 66.2 percent) with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Backup Arch Manning has played in eight games (61-of-90, 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions).
However, Ewers is more of a dropback passer and has 42 attempts for minus-62 rushing yards. Unlike the NFL, in college a sack is counted as negative rushing yardage. Manning is more of a dual threat and has 21 carries for 100 yards.
Quintrevion Wisner is the leading rusher (176 carries for 863 yards, 4.9 yards per carry and 71.92 yards per game). Jaydon Blue has carried it 112 times for 564 yards, giving the Longhorns a true two-back tandem.
Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond was the big news in the offseason at wide receiver, but he tallied just 33 catches for 532 yards and five touchdowns [According to ESPN, he faces “long odds” of playing due to recovering from a high ankle sprain still]. Matthew Golden leads Texas with 738 yards on 47 catches, but tight end Gunnar Helms is Ewers’ go-to guy on third down – he has 49 receptions for 611 yards.
Defensively, the Longhorns are ranked third nationally in total defense, giving up just 249.5 yards per game. Texas is ranked second nationally in scoring defense, giving up just 12.5 points per game. Texas ranks 15th nationally against the run (106.38 yards per game) and No. 1 nationally against the pass, giving up just 143.1 yards per game.
Texas gave up over 100 rushing yards seven times, twice to Georgia (108 and 141), and a season-high 197 against Florida. Kentucky managed just 21 yards on the ground in its loss.
Only two teams cracked the 200-yard mark through the air against Longhorns – Michigan (204), and Kentucky (211). Florida is the only school to crack 300 yards of total offense, with 329 yards. That 329-yard mark would serve as the fourth-lowest for the Clemson defense this season.
Texas is ninth nationally in sacks with 38 and recorded six sacks on four occasions (Miss St., Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky). Freshman edge Colin Simmons leads Texas with eight sacks, while sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill registered 4.5 sacks. Fourteen different players have a spot in the sack column.
The Longhorns are seventh nationally in tackles for loss, with 95 (for 402 yards lost). Texas is third nationally in interceptions, with 19 (San Jose St. and BYU each have 20), and it collected a season-high three against Georgia in October.
FIVE KEYS TO A CLEMSON WIN
1. Take care of the football. The Tigers are ranked fifth nationally in turnover margin (plus-16) with 25 takeaways against just nine turnovers. Texas is opportunistic on defense, but also lost 22 turnovers (the same as Clemson last season). Clemson is attempting to win the turnover margin for a sixth straight game. It would be Clemson’s first time winning the turnover margin in six straight contests since a nine-game streak in 2019.
2. Find the running game. Phil Mafah won’t be entirely healthy until he has surgery, but the Tigers still have to run the football enough to keep that dangerous Texas defense honest. To me, that means quarterback Cade Klubnik is going to have to be a huge part of the run game, along with those short throws that act as part of the run game.
3. Score points! That sounds simple, but the Tigers put up yards and plays against both Louisville and South Carolina but didn’t turn those into points.
4. Play complementary football for four quarters. The Tigers will have two good quarters out of the offense, and three good quarters out of the defense, or vice versa, and then it all goes hooey. Teams that should have been put away have crept back into games because of a conservative offense and a conservative defense.
5. Stop the Texas run game. As we’ve noted, Texas is prone to turning it over, and if the Tigers can stop the Longhorn rushing attack and make Ewers one-dimensional, the defense can stymie them enough to win the game.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN
I was running through the keys to the game with a former player – one who wears a couple of big-time rings – and he told me, “Hope isn’t a gameplan.”
That’s the critical thing for me. Clemson needs to do things it hasn’t done this season – score points on a really good defense, stop a dominant rushing attack, and play four quarters of good football. It can happen. Clemson has a chance to stroll into Austin and steal one from the Longhorns, but it will take its best effort of the season.
I don’t see it happening. The Texas defense leads the way to a win.
FINAL SCORE: TEXAS 27, CLEMSON 17
TigerNet picks
David Hood – TigerNet senior writer – 27-17 Texas
Mickey Plyler – The Roar 105.5 morning show host – 31-17 Texas
Nikki Hood – Staff writer – 20-17 Clemson
Brandon Rink – Associate editor – 24-22 Clemson
Tony Crumpton – Associate editor – 24-23 Clemson
Ryan Kantor – Contributing Writer – 23-14 Texas
Ariana Pensy – Intern – 27-21 Texas
Merrell Mann – Photographer – 27-24 Clemson
Brooks Thomason – Intern – 30-10 Texas
Grayson Mann – Staff writer – 20-17 Texas
| Game | Actual | David Hood | Plyler | Nikki Hood | Rink | Crumpton | Kantor | Pensy | M. Mann | Thomason | G. Mann |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 34-3 UGA | 27-24 CU | 23-21 CU | 24-17 CU | 29-20 UGA | 27-20 UGA | 28-21 UGA | 24-17 UGA | 17-14 CU | 27-21 UGA | 27-23 UGA |
| App State | 66-20 CU | 34-14 CU | 30-16 CU CU | 38-17 CU | 34-17 CU | 31-17 CU | 35-10 CU | 30-10 CU | 31-10 CU | 31-13 CU | 28-10 CU |
| NC State | 59-35 CU | 34-13 CU | 38-16 CU | 42-20 CU | 30-13 CU | 28-10 CU | 35-14 CU | 34-17 CU | 38-17 CU | 31-10 CU | 31-10 CU |
| Stanford | 40-14 CU | 44-20 CU | 48-17 CU | 38-10 CU | 44-16 CU | 42-14 CU | 41-17 CU | 45-17 CU | 48-21 CU | 40-20 CU | 41-17 CU |
| FSU | 29-13 CU | 41-13 CU | 42-10 CU | 42-17 CU | 38-16 CU | 35-14 CU | 40-14 CU | 55-7 CU | 44-20 CU | 31-16 CU | 45-14 CU |
| Wake Forest | 49-14 CU | 47-20 CU | 44-20 CU | 52-14 CU | 45-20 CU | 48-13 CU | 48-14 CU | 35-14 CU | 42-13 CU | 38-17 CU | 45-10 CU |
| Virginia | 48-31 CU | 38-16 CU | 42-17 CU | 38-17 CU | 44-20 CU | 45-14 CU | 47-14 CU | 45-17 CU | 45-13 CU | 42-20 CU | 41-17 CU |
| Louisville | 33-21 UL | 44-28 CU | 40-25 CU | 45-24 CU | 40-21 CU | 34-21 CU | 49-31 CU | 37-27 CU | 42-27 CU | 41-28 CU | 38-21 CU |
| Va Tech | 24-14 CU | 30-23 CU | 30-20 CU | 28-17 CU | 26-22 CU | 24-17 CU | 41-28 CU | 28-24 CU | 30-24 CU | 31-20 CU | 23-21 CU |
| Pitt | 24-20 CU | 27-16 CU | 31-17 CU | 28-12 CU | 31-16 CU | 31-21 CU | 35-17 CU | 27-20 CU | 34-24 CU | 24-21 CU | 31-17 CU |
| The Citadel | 51-14 CU | 52-6 CU | 44-14 CU | 55-7 CU | 44-7 CU | 56-7 CU | 46-14 CU | 45-10 CU | 42-17 CU | 52-17 CU | 56-17 CU |
| SC | 17-14 SC | 26-20 SC | 27-24 CU | 28-20 CU | 24-22 CU | 28-24 CU | 31-30 SC | 34-33 CU | 35-31 CU | 20-17 CU | 30-21 SC |
| SMU | 34-31 CU | 31-23 CU | 30-27 CU | 30-28 SMU | 27-23 SMU | 28-24 CU | 28-21 SMU | 24-20 CU | 27-24 CU | 31-24 SMU | 27-26 SMU |
| Points | – | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 11 |
* Points: 3 pts for best correct prediction of the week (tiebreaker is Clemson score), 2 pts for picking score exactly, 1 pt for picking the correct winner
AUSTIN, Texas — The housing market has cooled, with J.P. Morgan predicting house prices in the U.S. will stall. Despite the stagnate home price analysis, one Texas-based tech company is developing an unconventional way to build. An Austin church is tapping into ICON’s 3D printing technology to rebuild its church campus.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church has been on its 8-acre property since the late 1950s.
“We’ve long been in this kind of predicament here as a congregation that we have these really deep-level structural problems with our buildings, and we’ve really never been able to imagine being able to pay for it,” said Father Zac Koons, the leader of the church.
He said costly quotas to repair aging infrastructure is one big reason they partnered with ICON to develop a whole new church campus.
“It’s not only a less expensive or a more affordable way to build, it’s also a more environmentally friendly way to build,” Koons said.
ICON’s “Titan” construction system will be used for this project, bringing the world’s first 3D-printed church to Austin.
“I think this will be a famous building,” said Jason Ballard, the CEO and co-founder of ICON. “I think it will stand for hundreds of years, and I think they’re just so pleased with what they’re able to get on their budget out of this building.”
The company says its concrete mixture can save future homeowners and businesses roughly 40% compared to conventional wood and metal frameworks.
“For the past two years, we have been working on a second generation of printer technology that is multi-story, easier to set up, easier to operate, even lower cost, even faster,” Ballard said.
Had it not been for the partnership with ICON, Koons said his church would not have been able to afford such a large-scale project.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do something as ambitious as we’re talking about doing without ICON, for sure,” Koons said.
He said they’ll break ground in about a year, with hopes to finish the first building by the summer of 2028.
Austin, TX — If you’re looking for an easy way to make a difference this Earth Day, Goodwill Central Texas has a simple challenge for you.
It’s called “Swap Your Shop,” and the idea is straightforward. Instead of buying something new, try picking up one secondhand item. That one small switch can help cut down on waste and reduce your environmental impact.
According to a 2023 report, if every U.S. shopper made that choice just once this year, it could reduce carbon emissions by more than 2 billion pounds. That’s like taking 76 million cars off the road for a day. It could also save more than 20 billion gallons of water and keep hundreds of millions of pounds of waste out of landfills.
And it doesn’t have to be a big commitment. Even buying one thrifted clothing item instead of a new one could prevent about 450 million pounds of waste each year.
So whether you already love thrifting or have never tried it, this is a good time to start. Swap out one purchase, give something pre-owned a second life, and see the difference it can make.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
If you do take part, you can even share your find on social media and tag @austingoodwill.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin airport expects over 18,000 departing passengers on Saturday, this coming the morning after Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA employees after Congress failed to agree on DHS funding.
The airport recommends travelers arrive 2.5 hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international departures.
ALSO | Hays County judge says Rep. Erin Zwiener turned away from meeting over water dispute
AUS noted that many MotoGP fans will be departing from the airport this weekend, the motorcycle racing event at Circuit of the Americas happening this weekend and ending on Sunday.
The DHS shutdown has burdened airports nationwide with hours-long TSA lines. Austin’s lines were especially long during SXSW, stretching out the terminal and down the road.
Skier dies after fall at Sugarbush Resort in Vermont, police say – The Boston Globe
West Virginia State Police searching for missing woman last seen in Kingwood
![!∇∯$[+[!LIVESTREAMs!]+]Washington Wizards vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 Ｓｔｒｅａｍ Ｆｒｅｅ ＯＮ Ｔｖ Ｃｈａｎｎｅｌ](https://i3.wp.com/www.tvyayinakisi.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/sportstv.png?w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "!∇∯$[+[!LIVESTREAMs!]+]Washington Wizards vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 Ｓｔｒｅａｍ Ｆｒｅｅ ＯＮ Ｔｖ Ｃｈａｎｎｅｌ")
!∇∯$[+[!LIVESTREAMs!]+]Washington Wizards vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 Ｓｔｒｅａｍ Ｆｒｅｅ ＯＮ Ｔｖ Ｃｈａｎｎｅｌ
What Wisconsin men’s basketball needs to target in the transfer portal this offseason
West Virginia Mountain Bike Association holds Race to Lil Moe’s in Philippi
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Scathing report claims nation’s oldest labor union ‘betrayed’ MAGA members through ‘shocking’ spending
Republican US lawmaker demands Congress vote on any Iran troop deployment
So you went to a No Kings protest. Now what?
JD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
The EU's recipe for trade deals : easy on beef, tough on wine
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Miami, FL3 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
Tennessee6 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Minneapolis, MN3 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast
-
Politics1 week agoSchumer gambit fails as DHS shutdown hits 36 days and airport lines grow
-
Science1 week agoRecord Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West