Clemson’s Resilience On Display In Critical Win Over No. 20 Louisville

The Clemson Tigers (5-5, 4-4 ACC) walked into L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in desperate need of their fifth win of the season. They left with a 20-19 nail-biting victory over No. 20 Louisville and proof that their team has plenty of fight in them, no matter their record.

In one of the wildest games of the 2025 college football season, Clemson took down No. 20 Louisville (7-3, 4-3 ACC) in Friday night action. It wasn’t pretty from the Tigers, but they were able to earn their tenth win all-time over the favored Cardinals. Louisville had scored 24+ points in 23 straight games. It was the longest active mark in FBS. That streak, like the Cardinals' ACC title hopes, is no longer.

Running back Adam Randall scored his second touchdown of the game with 7:16 to play in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-goal as Clemson (5-5, 4-4 ACC) held on for a 20-19 win at No. 19/21 Louisville (7-3, 4-3 ACC). Randall put the Tigers in scoring position with a career-long 46-yard scamper down to the 10-yard line and then finished the drive to give Clemson a 9-1 all-time lead in the series and a 5-0 mark on the road.

After scoring, Clemson held the Cardinals scoreless on their final four drives, including a pair of missed field goals, in a game that featured four lead changes. Randall rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and added 27 receiving yards on three catches to help Clemson to 308 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 22-of-34 passes for 187 yards, and sophomore receiver T.J. Moore recorded a team-high 68 receiving yards on six catches. Linebacker Sammy Brown led Clemson defensively with 11 tackles (2.0 for loss) and a sack, and cornerback Avieon Terrell forced and recovered a fumble, which gave him sole possession of the Clemson record for career forced fumbles by a defensive back (seven).

“So many people, when they have adversity in their life, it defines you or destroys you,” head coach Dabo Swinney said after the win. “But if you’re made of the right stuff, it’ll develop you. And that’s what’s happened with this team. It’s developed our spirit. It’s developed our toughness. It hasn’t defined or destroyed us. We’ve grown stronger from the struggle.”

That attitude has allowed for the Tigers to rally for back-to-back conference wins in the back end of this season. Mired in a 3-5 start and staring down a potential worst season in the Swinney era, they’ve stuck together.

A pillar of that belief and persistence has been running back Adam Randall. The senior from Myrtle Beach, S.C. has been a beacon of light in an up-and-down season for the Tigers. He rumbled for 105 yards on 15 carries against Louisville, and earned both of Clemson’s touchdowns in the game.

“Obviously, we didn't get the start that we wanted,” Randall said after the eighth game that he’s scored a touchdown in this season. “At the end of the day, we committed to a season. I feel like everybody in the locker room has given 110%, regardless of the situation that we've been in. Coach Swinney said it, the tougher it's gotten, the stronger we, as a team, we've gotten.

“That’s why we didn’t go to the portal to get a [running] back,” Swinney said postgame. “Because we had Adam Randall. I love that kid. He’s amazing. It’s his first year playing running back, ever. He’s gritty, he’s tough. I’m really proud of Adam. He’s been a warrior all year.”

Armed with a fifth win, Clemson heads back home in search of their first three-game winning streak since last November. The Tigers will host local FCS foe Furman (5-4, 3-3 Southern Conference) at 4:30 p.m. inside Memorial Stadium. With a win, Clemson would become bowl eligible for the 27th consecutive season.