Clemson crushes North Carolina in ACC championship game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Backup quarterback Cade Klubnik accomplished 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and a landing and ran for one more rating and No. 10 Clemson reclaimed the Atlantic Coast Convention championship with a 39-10 victory over No. 24 North Carolina on Saturday night time.

Cornerback Nate Wiggins broke up two passes in the long run zone, blocked a subject objective and returned an interception 98 yards for a landing to assist the Tigers win their seventh ACC title in eight seasons.

Clemson (11-2, No. 9 CFP) received six straight ACC championships from 2015 to 2020 earlier than failing to succeed in the title recreation final season. However coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers rebounded in a giant manner, going 9-0 in opposition to ACC foes this season to succeed in the Orange Bowl.

They’ve Klubnik to thank for that.

With Clemson down 7-0, Swinney benched two-year starter D.J. Uiagalelei after the Tigers failed to choose up a primary down on their first two possessions, Swinney turned to Klubnik, a 5-star recruit from Austin, Texas. He responded by main the Tigers to 4 straight scores and a 24-10 lead at halftime.

Clemson stretched it to 39-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t the primary time Swinney has turned to Klubnik.

He benched Uiagalelei within the second half in opposition to Syracuse and Klubnik responded by main the Tigers to a come-from-behind 27-21 victory. Swinney additionally turned to Klubnik in opposition to Notre Dame, though the outcomes have been the other with the freshman throwing a Choose 6 in a 35-14 loss.

Swinney has by no means been shy about changing veteran QBs with much less skilled gamers. He did it in 2014, sitting Cole Stoudt for Deshaun Watson, and once more in 2018 changing Kelly Bryant with Trevor Lawrence.

ACC participant of the 12 months Drake Maye was restricted to 268 yards passing and turned the ball over thrice for North Carolina (9-4, No. 23 CFP), which was looking for its first ACC championship since 1980 when Lawrence Taylor was wreaking havoc on quarterbacks.

Maye acquired issues began on the suitable foot for the Tar Heels, capping an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a 3-yard landing run for a 7-0 lead on UNC’s first possession.

However the Tar Heels repeatedly sputtered on offense contained in the purple zone after that, the most important blow coming when Maye misfired close to the objective line and Wiggins — who had struggled in Clemson’s 51-45 win over Wake Forest — returned his move for a landing to offer Clemson a 32-10 lead with 5:05 left within the third quarter.

Klubnik supplied a direct spark for Clemson.

He led the Tigers on a nine-play, 71-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard TD move to Davis Allen. After Maye’s fumble, Klubnik caught a 19-yard move from Phil Mafah to arrange Mafah’s 4-yard landing run — Clemson’s second TD in a span of 40 seconds.

Klubnik then confirmed off his arm power with a 68-yard move to fellow freshman Cole Turner to arrange his personal 1-yard TD run for a 21-7 lead.

That is the ultimate 12 months the ACC will function its two division winners enjoying for a championship. In future years, all ACC groups will probably be lumped collectively and the 2 groups with the most effective data will advance to the title recreation.