Clemson tops SMU on last-second field goal to lock up spot in CFP

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clemson is moving onto the College Football Playoff.

By the skin of its teeth. Or, better put: Nolan Hauser’s leg.

Hauser nailed an ACC championship game record 56-yard field goal at the buzzer to lift Clemson over SMU, 34-31, on Saturday night at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium after the Tigers blew a 17-point lead.

The Tigers led 24-7 and 31-14 at various points during the game, nearly suffered an epic collapse, but are now off to the 12-team CFP as the ACC’s auto-bid.

Clemson won its eighth league title in 10 seasons here and — far more importantly — earn the league’s anticipated auto-bid to the inaugural 12-team CFP.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik, the 2022 ACC title game MVP, threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter and finished with four scores, while the defense struggled for a second straight week but got bailed out by Hauser, a true freshman kicker and native of nearby Cornelius, N.C.

The No. 17 Tigers (10-3) shouldn’t have any issues finishing as one of the committee’s top five highest-ranked conference champs after toppling the No. 8 Mustangs (11-2).

Worth watching: How does the committee evaluate the ACC champion Tigers’ résumé against that of Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State?

Only two of those champs can get first-round byes to the quarterfinals behind the SEC champion Georgia and Big Ten champion Oregon. The odd one out must play a first-round game on the road.

But Clemson’s there, and for the Tigers right now that’s all that matters.

Game recap

Clemson was coming off a demoralizing home loss to South Carolina in which the Tigers forced three turnovers and scored zero points on the possessions following them.

That trend flipped in a big way early, as Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker strip-sacked SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings on the game’s opening possession. Klubnik followed that up with a 35-yard touchdown pass to receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. on a fake QB draw play.

Clemson’s dream start continued as a good punt return (and unnecessary roughness penalty) set the offense up at SMU’s 28 on its second drive. The Tigers made quick work of a short field with Klubnik hitting tight end Jake Briningstool for a nine-yard score.

Somehow, it got better.

Clemson’s defense got burnt by Jennings for a 24-yard rushing touchdown, but the offense responded with a rapid scoring drive. Wesco caught his second touchdown of the night, from 43 yards out, and the Tigers led 21-7 with 3:28 remaining … in the first quarter.

Klubnik became the first quarterback in the ACC championship’s 20-game history to throw for three touchdowns in any quarter. But he and the offense came back down to earth.

In the second quarter, the Tigers stalled after safety Khalil Barnes picked off Jennings in plus territory. A touchdown there could’ve truly blown the game open at 28-7, but Clemson freshman kicker Nolan Hauser missed a 44-yard field goal and left points on the board.

Hauser atoned for that miss — his first miss this season on a field goal that wasn’t blocked — with a 44-yard make later in the second quarter to put Clemson up 24-7.

The Tigers were happy to head into halftime at Bank of America Stadium up 17 points against a high-powered SMU offense that had averaged 40.9 points over its previous nine games.

A 24-7 halftime lead also boded well for Clemson historically. In 134 other instances of leading by 17 points at any point of a game under coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers were 133-1. The only loss? To future national champion and No. 1 pick Cam Newton and Auburn in a 2010 road game.

SMU kept pushing and cut its deficit to 24-14 early in the third quarter on Jennings’ 10-yard touchdown pass to star running back and Miami transfer Brashard Smith.

With the game at its closest since the first quarter, and Clemson playing without injured backup running back Jay Haynes and a less than 100% Phil Mafah, Klubnik willed the Tigers on their biggest drive of the game.

Clemson went 10 plays and 58 yards for a score, with receiver Antonio Williams ripping off a 32-yard gain on third-and-8 around midfield and Briningstool finding paydirt for a second time to end the possession.

The Tigers entered the fourth quarter up 17 points, and fans in Charlotte danced and cheered over the break, their team so close to the CFP they could taste it.

SMU, the ACC’s best regular-season team, wouldn’t go away. Jennings’ 20-yard touchdown pass to start the period made it 31-21, and Clemson went three-and-out on its next possession, setting up a key drive.

The Mustangs could’ve put Clemson on the ropes in a one-score game. Instead, a receiver dropped an open pass on third down and SMU chose to punt, trailing 31-21 with 11 minutes left in the game.

Turns out, it was the right decision. The Tigers went three-and-out again, SMU added a 44-yard field goal on its next drive (31-24) and Clemson stalled again near midfield, opening the floor for an SMU game-tying touchdown.

Jennings delivered, hitting a receiver in the back of the end zone for a score.

Hauser then nailed the game-winner.