Jason Priester/All Clemson
Klubnik, Wiggins Lead Clemson to ACC Championship Win Over UNC
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No. 9 Clemson had the look of championship teams past in Saturday's ACC title game.
After benching starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in favor of freshman backup Cade Klubnik, the offense took off and Nate Wiggins made a series of huge defensive plays to lead the Tigers to an easy 39-10 victory over No. 23 North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The Tigers (11-2) kept UNC out of the end zone for the final three quarters, won their eighth ACC title under head coach Dabo Swinney and looked like a completely different team. It wasn't a struggle. It wasn't hard. It wasn't manufactured. Clemson's offense racked up 385 total yards with 317 coming through the air.
Klubnik went 20-of-24 passing for 279 yards, threw for one touchdown and rushed for another. He finished with a QB rating of 194.7, the highest by a Tiger who played the majority of a game this season.
Freshman Cole Turner became the first Clemson receiver this season to go over 100 yards, and Joseph Ngata had five catches for 46 yards.
The Tigers won't be going to the College Football Playoff this time, but they might have turned the corner as an offense.
Clemson made the quarterback change after Uiagalelei, who had just 99 yards passing in last week's loss to South Carolina, led two unsuccessful drives that resulted in no first downs Saturday. Klubnik immediately picked up four first downs on his first drive. He went a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 50 yards and tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Davis Allen to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:41 left in the first quarter.
UNC QB Drake Maye fumbled on the ensuing possession, and Ruke Orhororo came away with it for Clemson at the UNC 23. Klubnik then caught a 19-yard pass from running back Phil Mafah to set up a 4-yard TD run by Mafah to put the Tigers up 14-7 with 35 seconds left in the quarter.
UNC (9-4) tried to answer with a score but Wiggins blocked a field-goal attempt to preserve Clemson's 7-point lead. The Tigers came right back with a 68-yard pass from Klubnik to Turner to set up a 1-yard TD run by Klubnik to put Clemson up 21-7 with 6:02 left in the first half.
The Tar Heels finally got back on the board after three fruitless possession with a 25-yard field goal. Clemson got the ball back with 1:20 left in the first half and got down the field for a 52-yard field goal by B.T. Potter to go up 24-10 at halftime.
Wiggins picked off a pass on UNC's second drive and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown, and the Tigers scored a two-point conversion on a run play by Will Swinney to go up 32-10 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers added another TD on a 2-yard run by Will Shipley to go up 39-10 with 42 seconds left in the third.
The Clemson defense overcame a shaky start to force three turnovers and produce four sacks. ACC Player of the Year Drake Maye threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. He was 26-of-42 passing for 268 yards. Josh Downs had 100 yards receiving, but the UNC run game only averaged 2.7 yards per carry.
Player of the Game: Wiggins had a monster game. The sophomore cornerback broke up two passes in the end zone, blocked a field-goal attempt and had a 98-yard pick-6. That set the record for the longest-scoring play in ACC Championship Game history. He stopped 17 points and scored six on the night.
Key Play: With Clemson up 14-7, Klubnik unloaded a deep ball down the left side to Cole Turner, who made a great catch for 68 yards to get down to the 1-yard line. It was the longest offensive play, run or catch, of the season for Clemson, which hasn't taken many deep shots in recent weeks. It gave UNC a lot to think about and showed the kind of plays Klubnik and Turner, both freshmen, are capable of making.
Freshman Impact: Klubnik is the easy decision here. He had significant playing time in the second half against Syracuse, but the ACC Championship Game hinged on him playing well, and the true freshman did. Klubnik completed his first 10 passes, gave the Tigers a spark, sped up the offense and created big plays. He also led Clemson in rushing with 30 yards on seven carries.
Stat of the Game: Clemson has zero turnovers in the game for the first time since Oct. 15 at Florida State.
Injury update: Clemson didn't have any reported injuries during the game.
Up Next: By winning the ACC title, Clemson earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, which will be played on Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The opponent will be officially announced Sunday afternoon.
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