No. 18 Clemson beats No. 8 SMU 34-31 in the ACC championship game, earning a berth in the College Football Playoff (CFP). The Tigers’ victory marks their seventh win of the season and improves their overall record to 10-3.
Clemson dominated the first half, scoring three touchdowns on its first four possessions. The Tigers took a 21-0 lead into halftime, with quarterback Cade Klubnik throwing for two scores and running back Kevin Jennings rushing for another touchdown. SMU’s only score of the quarter came on a 44-yard field goal by Nolan Hauser.
In the second half, Clemson continued to hold a significant advantage. The Tigers scored three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 20-yard pass from Jennings to Matthew Hibner with just over a minute left. However, SMU refused to give up and responded with a touchdown of its own on a 4-yard pass from quarterback Jake Briningstool with only seconds remaining.
The game was decided by the final score: Clemson’s 56-yard field goal as time expired gave the Tigers the narrow victory. The win marks a major milestone for the program, which has now claimed seven conference championships and will head to the CFP for the first time since 2016.
Clemson will face off against another top-ranked team in its next matchup, with the College Football Playoff semifinal details set to be announced soon.
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401673463/clemson-smu