Clemson finally got the kind of afternoon it has been waiting for.
After a stretch filled with night games, rain delays and plenty of stress, the Tigers had a clean, comfortable noon window at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 and turned it into a 37-0 rout of Charleston Southern. For Clemson, it was the kind of straightforward business trip that had been missing for a long time.
The score line settled quickly once the Tigers got rolling. Clemson scored three straight rushing touchdowns, then added a special teams touchdown before halftime and a 59-yard field goal from Nolan Hauser to push the lead to 34-0 by the break. That already made it Clemson’s biggest scoring output of 2026 in a half, and it matched the most points the Tigers had scored in any full game this season before kickoff.
Clemson’s offense opened a little unevenly. The first possession stalled out just past midfield, leading to a field goal.
Charleston Southern showed some early life, too, with Hakeem Watters helping the Buccaneers cross midfield before they missed a fourth-and-short field goal attempt. That was as close as they got to making things interesting.
Then the Tigers took over on the ground. Gideon Davidson scored once, and Chris Johnson Jr. found the end zone twice.
Johnson’s second touchdown of the day came after Clemson’s special teams forced a fumble on a Charleston Southern kickoff return. Safety Kylon Griffin scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown, stretching the lead to 31-0.
Hauser then drilled a 59-yarder as time expired in the first half, a career-long kick and a huge exclamation point on the scoreboard. His previous best had been a 56-yard game-winner against SMU in the 2024 ACC Championship.
By then, Clemson had already done more than enough. The Tigers outgained Charleston Southern 438-76 and finished with 21 more first downs. The Buccaneers never found a rhythm, going 0 for 10 on third down.
Tait Reynolds handled the quarterback duties for Clemson for most of the game and finished 17 of 26 for 127 yards with no touchdowns. He also avoided a turnover for the first time in his early career. Near the red zone in the third quarter, though, he nearly lost a fourth fumble in as many starts after escaping a sack and fumbling forward, only for Clemson to recover and set up Johnson’s second score.
Backup quarterback Trent Pearman came on near the end of the third quarter once the game was firmly out of reach. Clemson was already comfortable with a 34-0 cushion, and the backups closed it out from there. Hauser added another field goal, and the defense finished the shutout.
It was Clemson’s first shutout since a 30-0 win over South Carolina in 2021.
There were other details tucked into the day as well. Saturday was Clemson’s Military Appreciation game, featuring an F-15 flyover, a halftime presentation by the Clemson marching band and other on-field demonstrations. The Tigers wore purple uniforms in honor of the Purple Heart medal.
Clemson entered the game as a 43.5-point favorite and improved to 40-0 against FCS opponents since the NCAA split the divisions in 1978.
A few notable returns also came out of the game. Running back Jay Haynes played for the first time since his injury in the 2024 ACC Championship against SMU, and defensive tackle Kourtney Kelly, a West Georgia transfer, made his Clemson debut after tearing his ACL in the spring.
The Tigers are back in ACC play next, hosting Virginia Tech on Oct. 24.
Kickoff is set for 7 or 7:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2, with the exact time to be announced after the rest of Saturday’s games. Virginia Tech enters Week 7 at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play in its first season under former Penn State head coach James Franklin.
The Hokies lost 25-20 at Cal on Oct. 10 and hosted Georgia Tech on Saturday.
In Other News...
Clemsons 2026 Home Slate Says A Lot About The Programs Direction
Clemsons non-conference planning continues to take shape, and one of the clearer signs is the addition of Charleston Southern to the 2026 home slate on Oct. 17. The Buccaneers will receive $450,000 for the game, according to a contract that dates back to 2017 and also lays out details on passes and tickets, another reminder of how far ahead major programs map out their schedules.
The broader picture is even more telling. Clemsons non-conference opponents through 2036 already include Georgia State, Wofford, Troy, The Citadel, Furman, Notre Dame, South Carolina, East Carolina and Oklahoma, with a previously scheduled series against Georgia no longer on the calendar. For a program with Clemsons ambitions, the future schedule suggests a mix of regional familiarity and high-profile matchups, even if some of the most interesting pieces are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Players Think This Shutout Could Mean More Than One Win
A 37-0 win over Charleston Southern gave Clemson its first shutout of the season, and for a team still trying to sharpen its identity, the manner of victory mattered as much as the margin. At Memorial Stadium, the Tigers handled business the way a favorite should, then spent the postgame talking less about the opponent and more about what the performance said about where they are headed.
Several Clemson players met with the media afterward to break down their own outings, note personal milestones and look ahead to what the group can build from here. A shutout against an overmatched opponent does not answer every question, but it can reinforce the kind of discipline and cohesion this team wants to carry forward, and the next stretch will show whether it was just a clean Saturday or something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Is About To Test A Young QBs Confidence
Charleston Southern heads into a noon matchup with Clemson carrying a young quarterback who just took a meaningful step forward. Jared Echols made his first career start in the previous game and handled it well, completing 17 of 29 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Coach Gabe Giardina praised the way Echols stayed composed, and that kind of calm is going to matter against a Clemson defense that will ask plenty of questions right away.
Echols has already said he feels ready for the challenge, which is exactly the mindset Charleston Southern needs as it walks into a far tougher stage. A game like this can speed up a quarterbacks development in a hurry, but it can also test confidence early if the pocket closes and the field gets tighter. For Clemson, it is another chance to pressure an inexperienced starter, while for Echols it is a shot to show that the poise he displayed last week can travel into a much bigger spotlight. [Read more 🡒]