USA TODAY International Edition
Clemson keeps pushing its luck
As Dabo Swinney dropped to his knees and pounded the turf at Memorial Stadium after North Carolina State’s 33- yard winning field goal attempt went wide right, there was only one conclusion to draw.
No. 3 Clemson is still livin’ right.
The Tigers escaped N. C. State in overtime 24- 17 to win their 13th consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference game and avoid their first loss to an unranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2011. And it continued an almost unreal run for Clemson of being on the right end of heart- stopping finishes going back to Notre Dame last season and continuing this year with Auburn, Louisville and now N. C. State.
So Clemson is 7- 0, is unlikely to lose any ground in the rankings and gets a much- needed bye week with key players such as running back Wayne Gallman and receiver Hunter Renfrow banged up.
But there’s no doubt that the Tigers are now in the throes of an affliction fairly common in this era of college football.
As Florida State experienced in 2014 and Ohio State struggled with in 2015, it can be both a blessing and a curse to return the same core of players after a breakthrough year. While Swinney wouldn’t trade the abundance of talent he has on his roster right now, it is simply difficult for a team to replicate the same chemistry and live up to sky- high expectations after an offseason of hype.
Clemson co- offensive coordinator Jeff Scott offered a revealing quote this week, telling Tiger Illustrated: “When you have a really good game, we as coaches worry about guys reading too many newspaper clippings over five days. When you have eight months to read how good you are, it’s just human nature. You’ve got to kind of get all that off of you and out of you a little bit and go back to work.”
Despite returning eight offensive starters and adding its top receiver Mike Williams off a medical redshirt, Clemson simply has not executed at the same level it did at the end of last season when it tore through Alabama in the national championship game.
The Tigers committed four turnovers against N. C. State, two of which occurred inside the Wolfpack’s 10- yard line. Clemson also got stuffed on fourth- andgoal at the 1, and Deshaun Wat- son also threw a pick- six on the first play of the second half. In other words, the Tigers mistakes produced a 28- point swing on the scoreboard that nearly added up to their first loss.
Here are the rest of Saturday’s winners and losers:
WINNERS
Oklahoma: After a shaky September, it sure seems like Oklahoma is the Big 12 favorite once again. The Sooners were solid all around in a 38- 17 victory against Kansas State and continue to improve as the schedule eases up a bit the rest of this month. Baker Mayfield was on target against the Wildcats, racking up 346 yards on 25- for- 31 passing with four TDs and an interception.
Vanderbilt: A truly incredible effort by Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham to stop Georgia receiver Isaiah McKenzie short of the first down marker on fourth- and- 1 gave Vanderbilt its first Southeastern Conference road victory in the Derek Mason era 17- 16. Cunningham, who finished with 19 tackles, led a defense that held running back Nick Chubb to 40 yards on 16 carries but gave up 421 total yards and didn’t force a turnover.
Mason, who was 0- 9 previously in SEC road games, probably got himself off the hot seat with this victory — Vanderbilt’s first in Athens since 2006.
LOSERS
Georgia: The second- guessing has begun in Athens. Though it’s always a tricky proposition to blame a first- year coach for underachievement, particularly when there’s a reason the previous coach got fired, it would be hard to make excuses for Kirby Smart at this point after a 17- 16 loss to Vanderbilt.
Michigan State: There doesn’t really seem to be a bottom in sight for the Spartans, who got clobbered at home — again — by Northwestern 54- 40. It’s the fourth consecutive loss for Michigan State, something Mark Dantonio has never experienced in his career as a head coach ( including three years at Cincinnati). Just one year after winning the Big Ten and making the playoff, the Spartans have simply collapsed under the weight of poor quarterback play and a defense that has clearly regressed.
Tennessee: After all of the work they have done to survive the first half of their schedule, the Vols no longer control their own destiny in the SEC East race. Tennessee did some nice things and played hard against Alabama, but the Crimson Tide are just better under any circumstances.