Clemson destroys Miami 38-3 to claim playoff spot: 3 takeaways
Saturday night’s ACC Championship in Charlotte was never much of a contest, as the No. 1 Clemson Tigers obliterated the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes.
For the third straight season, the Clemson Tigers are headed to the College Football Playoff after destroying the Miami Hurricanes 38-3 on Saturday night in the ACC Championship Game at Bank Of America Stadium.
Clemson made a statement on its 10-play, 68-yard opening drive for a touchdown against the stout Miami defense, as Kelly Bryant hit Hunter Renfrow on three passes before Travis Etienne punched it in from four yards out to quickly go up 7-0. The Hurricanes appeared to have caught a break a few minutes later on a muffed punt, but they couldn’t take advantage as Michael Badgley’s attempt sailed wide left.
With injuries and mistakes quickly piling up, the Hurricanes looked to be in serious trouble at the 3:02 mark of the first, as Kelly Bryant made it a 14-0 game on an 11-yard scramble. The rout was on just over two minutes in to the second quarter when Adam Choice scored on a 1-yard touchdown to make it a 21-0 game.
Miami’s defense at least managed to stop the bleeding over the rest of the half with improved pass rush, but the Hurricanes were unable to get on the board. With Christian Wilkins and the rest of the Clemson defensive line dominating, Miami had just 64 yards of total offense before the break and no play longer than 11 yards.
The second half didn’t start much better with Miami punting quickly and giving Clemson the ball with great field position thanks to a facemask, which the Tigers quickly turned into a field goal to go up 24-0. A Jeff Thomas fumble stalled Miami’s next drive, and the Hurricanes turned it over yet again midway through the third when Malik Rosier was picked off by Nolan Turner just shy of midfield.
Tavien Feaster made the Hurricanes pay shortly after on an 11-yard touchdown run to put the game even further out of reach at 31-0 with four minutes to go. Rosier was picked off again to kill the next Miami drive, and Clemson added yet another touchdown two snaps later on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Bryant to Deon Cain.
Clemson removed most of its key players at the start of the fourth and only surrendered a field goal in the final frame for the 38-3 victory. Here’s what we learned from the Tigers’ destruction of Miami on Saturday night in Charlotte.
3 takeaways
Kelly Bryant has flawlessly replaced Deshaun Watson
Clemson’s quest for a third straight College Football Playoff was largely dependent on a new quarterback under center, and Bryant has done an excellent overall job filling impossibly big shoes.
A four-star prospect, Bryant spent his first two seasons at Clemson backing up arguably the best player in program history in Watson, and was named the Tigers’ starter for the 2017 with all of 18 pass attempts on his resume. The junior has been strong for the most part, piling up 2,436 passing yards, 639 yards on the ground, and 22 total touchdowns.
Bryant had one of his most efficient games of the year on Saturday against an ultra-athletic Miami front, completing 23-of-29 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown, helping offset an unproductive game as a scrambler. While the Tigers had major defensive issues in their lone loss to Syracuse, it should be noted that Bryant was absent for the second half of that game, and has been showing improvement in the passing over the past few weeks.
Clemson’s strength is its defense, and a deep backfield between Feaster and Etienne doesn’t hurt. Even so, Bryant has been a huge factor in Clemson’s third straight playoff trip, and deserves more credit then he’s currently receiving.
Injuries eventually caught up to the Hurricanes
Miami was absolutely outclassed by Clemson, and close calls against inferior opponents earlier this season indicate the Hurricanes may have been a good yet not elite team all along. Still, numerous key injuries over the past two weeks ended any chance the Hurricanes had at reaching the College Football Playoff.
Last week’s 24-14 loss at Pittsburgh was a complete disaster, as the Hurricanes lost tight end Christopher Herndon IV and wide receiver Ahmmon Richards for the season. Herndon IV was a good receiver and crucial blocker for Miami’s strong running game, while Richards provided a much-needed big play threat.
Without the ability to pass down the field, Rosier and running back Travis Homer had no chance against the Clemson defensive front. Several Hurricanes defenders including Chad Thomas and Kendrick Norton were also banged up on Saturday night, helping Bryant and the Tigers’ offense.
The Hurricanes had no chance with all the injuries, and could suffer the same fate in their New Year’s Six Bowl without better health.
Clemson has the nation’s best defense
That statement may have very well been true before Saturday night’s performance, but the Tigers left no doubt that they own the best defense in college football by completely shutting down the Hurricanes.
Clemson held Miami to 214 yards of total offense, including just 64 in the first half to effectively put the game away, and forced three turnovers in the third quarter to end any hope of a comeback. As banged up as Miami was, those are impressive totals against any Power Five team, let alone a top-10 Hurricanes team.
The Tigers have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line with Wilkins, Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell, and the secondary has played very well despite losing a lot of talent last year. As great as other units like Georgia and Alabama are, Clemson is in a class of its own, and might be the only team capable of limiting Oklahoma should the two teams meet in the playoff.