“Nobody believed in us. Nobody really wanted us here, but we believed in each other, and this group fought together. I feel like just a year ago, Jake Briningstool, Tristan Leigh, and Marcus Tate, to name a few, were my teammates. And this year, they’re truly my brothers because we’ve walked through life together and through hard times. So I spoke up and shared how much it sucked (losing). But also shared with them that I’m very thankful that I get to go through hard times with people I love and who love me.”
Clemson enters an interesting and uncertain offseason after a tough loss
While the Tigers fought and competed way better than any of the other teams did on the road tonight, it wasn’t meant to be. The Longhorns were dominant on the line of scrimmage, rushing for 292 yards and four touchdowns. On the other hand, Clemson rushed for just 76 yards on the evening.
After scoring early, the Tigers saw the Longhorns go on a 21-0. Texas extended its lead to as much as 21 until Cade Klubnik led a furious rally in the second half that cut the deficit to seven points. Unfortunately, Jaydon Blue’s 77 rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for Steve Sarkisian’s team to advance to the quarters. On the evening, Klubnik completed 26 out of 43 passes for 336 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
It’s ultimately unclear if the two-time ACC Championship MVP will return to Death Valley for one more year. The good news is that Dabo Swinney is adding players through the portal and finally adjusting to the times. In addition, the twelve-team College Football Playoff will give the Tigers plenty of opportunities to be an annual participant in the future. Even though that wasn’t a problem during Clemson’s heights in the old four-team format.
Should Klubnik return, Clemson will be the favorite to win the ACC again and get way higher than the twelve seed it received this year. Should this be the two-year starter’s last game with the Tigers, he left it all on the field at Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium.
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