Clemson Tigers Survive Attempted Upset by North Carolina Tar Heels

Entering Saturday’s slate of games, there were many matchups that didn’t appear to be that competitive on paper. Clemson facing off with North Carolina was the perfect example considering that the Tigers were 27.5-point favorites, per Sportsline. However, Saturday’s game certainly did not play out as expected considering that the two teams were tied at 14 entering halftime.

From that moment on, the game turned heads with its surprising pace. UNC made all of the biggest plays when necessary en route to a shocking performance. This team was not expected to be remotely competitive, but a punishing defense and a hard-charging running game gave Clemson all they could handle. Ultimately, a failed two-point conversion with little more than one minute remaining in regulation proved to be the deciding factor as Clemson escaped North Carolina with the victory.

Interestingly enough, this North Carolina team is responsible for a notable loss in Clemson history. Back in 2010, Alabama and Clemson lost on the same day, which was a complete shock to college football fans. The Crimson Tide fell to the 19th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks while the Tigers lost to the Tar Heels.

Early in the game, the high-flying Clemson offense and sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence were held in check by the UNC defense. Running back Travis Etienne had a touchdown, but his longest run only traveled 13 yards. Similarly, Lawrence didn’t top 160 passing yards until midway through the third quarter.

This Clemson offense, while powerful, had few answers for a swarming North Carolina defense, which made the game far more competitive. Lawrence was under pressure all game long, which forced multiple off-target throws, as well as untimely batted passes. Lawrence also missed his receivers with several throws that were simply too high.

The biggest name responsible for this defensive output was senior linebacker Allen Cater. The former defensive end was forced into more of a starting role during this battle, and he responded by batting a key pass at the line of scrimmage and tracking down players near the line of scrimmage or in the backfield.

The other factor that certainly benefited the Tar Heels is that Dabo Swinney’s team entered the season without many key starters on defense. Cornerback, Trayvon Mullen and pass rusher Clelin Ferrell are both members of the Oakland Raiders while defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence landed with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, respectively. Meanwhile, Austin Bryant found a home with the Detroit Lions. Without these defensive stalwarts on hand, Clemson had a far more difficult time shutting down Sam Howell and the UNC offense.

Ultimately, this marquee matchup of big-name colleges ended with the Clemson Tigers reigning supreme on Saturday afternoon. This game certainly did not play out as many expected, but there was no denying that it entered thousands of fans, whether they were at Chapel Hill in Kenan Memorial Stadium or sitting on the couch.

To add another historic precedent to the game, this was a battle between the number one team in the nation (Clemson) and one that was unranked (North Carolina). The last time an unranked team turned in a major upset against a squad ranked number one was back in 2008. The Oregon State Beavers, led by running back Jacquizz Rodgers and defensive back Greg Laybourn, upset Mark Sanchez and the USC Trojans in Corvallis, Oregon.

North Carolina had a chance to achieve something that hadn’t been done in over a decade, but they ultimately couldn’t complete the task.