By: Joshua Spining
(Photo/Joshua Spining-The Mojo Network)
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson finally showed signs of life Saturday night, rallying past North Carolina 28-20 after a lengthy rain delay at Memorial Stadium.
After an ugly start to the season that included a loss to LSU and a sluggish performance against Georgia Southern, the Tigers entered ACC play searching for answers. They found them late Saturday, overcoming a 17-6 halftime deficit and outscoring North Carolina 22-3 after the break.
Reynolds Gets Comfortable
Quarterback Tait Reynolds settled in as the game went on, finishing with 215 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
After a rough first half for the Clemson offense, Reynolds found his rhythm in the second half, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to Christian Bentancur that helped bring the Tigers back into the game.
Davidson Comes Through Late
Sophomore running back No. 8 Gideon Davidson had 105 rushing yards on 16 carries and came up with Clemson’s biggest play of the night.
With the Tigers trailing 20-15 late in the fourth quarter, Davidson ripped off a 45-yard run before finishing the drive with an eight-yard touchdown to give Clemson its first lead.
Tyler Brown added a 34-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left to make it 28-20.
North Carolina Starts Fast
North Carolina controlled the first half, jumping out to a 14-3 lead on touchdowns from Demon June and Benjamin Hall.
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. kept the Tar Heels in the game throughout, but North Carolina’s offense couldn’t keep the same pace after the delay.
Clemson Finishes It
The game changed after lightning forced both teams off the field with just over eight minutes left.
Once play resumed, Clemson took over. The Tigers drove down the field for Davidson’s go-ahead touchdown, then Brown broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left to make it 28-20.
North Carolina got one last chance, but Elliot Washington II intercepted Edwards Jr. with 32 seconds left to seal the win.
Clemson moves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC play. After a rough opening two weeks, the Tigers finally have something to build on.