Clemson wins ACC title, playoff spot

“That’s all that matters….”

Clemson Football: Deshaun Watson spoke with ACC Digital Network host Jeff Fischel about winning the ACC Championship and why he deserves the Heisman Trophy.

Clemson redshirt sophomore RB Wayne Gallman rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in Saturday’s 45-37 win over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game. No one could quite figure out why, but North Carolina were assessed a penalty and forced to re-kick anyway.

Their defense, a massively improved unit under first-year coordinator and Broyles Award finalist Gene Chizik, hadn’t allowed more than 600 yards of offense or 40 points-until Saturday night. The total points were the most in ACC championship game history. “They always come out to support us and that’s one of the reasons we won in Charlotte”. The 97-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter tied the ACC Championship Game record. “What a crowd. It felt like a home crowd and I just can’t thank our fans enough”. For the season, he’s registered 1,332 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Tigers turned the ball over at least three times in their previous three games but had only one turnover against North Carolina on a tipped pass thrown by Watson that was intercepted.

The Tigers’ average starting field position was inside their own 25.

Clemson better be ready for the pizza party to end all pizza parties.

The Tar Heels took issue with what they thought was a phantom call.

“I had a chance to look at it, and they missed it”, said Fedora, who in the moments after the call appeared angry and animated while speaking with the officials. Running the ball and throwing the ball he can beat you any you want to give him an opportunity to beat you. “We’ll be pulling for them”. Marquise Williams eluded the pressure from the Tigers and found a wide open T.J. Logan in the flats. I don’t have an answer for it. I have no idea what he was thinking. But cornerback Cordrea Tankersley intercepted Williams’ tipped pass at the 3-yard line.

Fedora ultimately inherited sanctions that included scholarship reductions and a one-year postseason ban, which sidelined the Tar Heels from playing in the ACC title game in his first season.

Carolina returned the favor in the third quarter, attempting a fake punt and throwing incomplete instead, giving Clemson the ball at its 36.

Williams cut the lead to 35-23 on a 1-yard TD run, but Watson’s second scoring run – a 2-yard keeper with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter – pushed Clemson’s lead to 42-23.

Up by three scores at that point, the Tigers went into cruise control the rest of the way-much like the Tar Heels have done all year long. Clemson went down the field only getting a field goal out of it to make it a 45-30 game. It came three months and two days after they fell to SC 17-13 in their season-opener on a day when Williams threw three interceptions, including two in the Gamecocks’ end zone, at the same Charlotte venue located about 20 minutes from Mallard Creek High School, Williams’ alma mater.

No. 7 Stanford 41, No. 24 USC 22: Christian McCaffrey ran for 207 yards and a score, threw a touchdown pass, caught another and broke Barry Sanders’ single-season all-purpose-yards record to make his Heisman Trophy case and lead No. 7 Stanford (11-2) to the Pac-12 championship over No. 24 Southern California (8-5) in Santa Clara, Calif.

Joey Mangili booted a 51-yard punt in the second quarter against Clemson, the longest of the season for him.

Clemson marched 96 yards on 12 plays to go back ahead, with Watson running 9 yards for the score. And for the first time in Swinney’s career, the target is on the Tigers’ backs.