By : Zohaib Khan
(Photo/Zohaib Khan-The Mojo Network)
Clemson’s season hit another low point on Saturday, falling 46–45 to Duke in one of the most dramatic and controversial finishes of the year. A late pass interference call on fourth down extended Duke’s final drive, setting up a short touchdown run and a successful two-point conversion that gave the Blue Devils the lead. The call left Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney furious. “That’s one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen in a game, ever in my entire coaching career,” he said afterward. Clemson had 40 seconds left to respond but managed only a few short gains before a desperate lateral play was stopped near midfield.
The defeat marked Duke’s first win at Clemson since 1980, snapping a 15-game losing streak at Memorial Stadium. Quarterback Darian Mensah powered the Blue Devils with a career night, throwing for 361 yards and four touchdowns while converting key plays on third and fourth down throughout the game. Duke improved to 5–3 overall and 4–1 in ACC play.
Clemson’s offense showed flashes of what it could be. Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, including a 75-yard strike to TJ Moore that gave the Tigers a 45–38 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. But missed opportunities and defensive breakdowns erased what could have been a much-needed win. The Tigers’ 560 total yards were the second-most they’ve ever had in a loss, and their 45 points were a season high, but critical penalties and coverage lapses overshadowed those numbers. “You have to not lose to Clemson in order to win,” Swinney said. “We did some really dumb stuff that was 1,000 percent on us.”
The game started as a shootout. Duke’s offense attacked Clemson’s secondary early and often, jumping out to a 21–7 lead after the first quarter behind Mensah’s deep passing. Clemson regrouped with 21 unanswered points to take a 28–21 advantage before halftime, thanks to strong play from Klubnik and a revived rushing attack led by Adam Randall and Gideon Davidson. But just before the break, Duke converted a fourth down and struck again on a 43-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28, leaving Swinney fuming on the sideline over more defensive breakdowns.
Momentum shifted multiple times in the second half. Clemson briefly took control when Tyler Venables blocked a punt, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run from defensive lineman Peter Woods. But Duke immediately answered with a kickoff return for a score. The Tigers added a field goal to go up 38–35 heading into the fourth quarter, then took a seven-point lead on Moore’s long touchdown. From there, though, Duke took over — converting a pair of clutch fourth downs and capitalizing on the late penalty that set up the game-winning sequence.
The loss was Clemson’s sixth straight home defeat against a Power Five opponent, the program’s worst stretch at Memorial Stadium since the early 1970s. Swinney, while visibly frustrated, insisted his team will learn from the adversity. “It hurts, no doubt, but this is our reality right now,” he said. “We’ve got to own it, get back to work, and find a way to win a ballgame.”
Clemson now turns its attention to next week’s matchup against Florida State, hoping to salvage what’s been a difficult season in the ACC.