Clemson’s latest shot at a ranked opponent ended the same way the LSU opener did: with the Tigers looking overmatched by the time the fourth quarter settled in.
No. 4 Miami walked into Memorial Stadium on Oct. 3 and left with a 41-13 win, handing Clemson another lopsided loss and dropping the Tigers to 0-2 against ranked teams.
The result came after Clemson had won three straight, but that run never fully translated into a breakthrough against elite competition. Instead, the Tigers left a trail of missed chances - promising drives that fizzled, stops that didn’t lead anywhere and a game that slipped away once Miami’s offense found its rhythm.
Clemson did show more resistance than it did in the 51-10 loss at No. 11 LSU, but not enough to matter in the end.
The Tigers were held to six points on five drives that crossed midfield in the first half, even while producing their best first-half yardage total of the season with 191. Miami, meanwhile, outgained Clemson 419-329 and finished with four more first downs.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds completed 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards, but the ball kept finding its way out of Clemson’s hands. Reynolds had his fourth straight game with a turnover, losing a fumble in the third quarter before throwing a late interception that was returned for a touchdown. Clemson’s offense also took a beating up front, giving up six sacks and nine tackles for loss while piling up 10 penalties for 91 yards, including two pre-snap flags on offense.
The Tigers’ run game never got going. Clemson managed just 55 yards on 31 carries, with Chris Johnson Jr. leading the way at 32 yards on five attempts. Miami answered with 192 rushing yards, powered by Mark Fletcher’s 77 yards and two touchdowns.
Clemson finally reached the end zone in the fourth quarter, when Davidson finished off a 6-play, 75-yard drive for the Tigers’ only touchdown of the afternoon.
The game turned in a stretch where Clemson briefly looked capable of hanging around. The Tigers had forced Miami into three straight scoreless drives, but all they could produce was a field goal before the Hurricanes responded with a 14-play, 83-yard scoring march.
Then came the sequence that broke it open: Clemson turned the ball over on downs after back-to-back trick plays failed on third and fourth down with only a few yards needed. On the next possession, Clemson fumbled, and Miami turned that into a field goal and a 27-6 lead.
After that, fans started heading for the exits.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 227 yards and accounted for two total touchdowns. The Hurricanes came in leading the nation in yards per game and ranking fourth in points per game, and they looked every bit like a team built to punish mistakes.
There were a few notable details around Clemson’s lineup before kickoff. The Tigers started sophomore Gavin Blanchard at left guard in place of Elyjah Thurmon, who had been injured at Cal on Sept. 25 but was available against Miami.
Clemson also listed five defensive line starters pregame: Will Heldt, Amare Adams, Darien Mayo, Champ Thompson and London Merritt. Mayo had moved inside to defensive tackle before the Cal game, and Heldt was in a brace during pregame warmups.
Heldt, Mayo, Thompson and Merritt were the first four out there when the game began.
The weather never interrupted things, either. Kickoff came on time despite the threat of inclement conditions, making it Clemson’s first home game of the season to finish without a delay.
Bryant Wesco Jr. exited to the medical tent late and was replaced by freshman receiver Gordon Sellars III. Wesco still finished with nine catches for 152 yards.
The loss was notable for the margin as well: 28 points, Clemson’s largest defeat against Miami since 1953. The Hurricanes have now won the last two meetings and hold an 8-7 edge in the all-time series.
For Clemson, the schedule now pauses. The Tigers are off next weekend for a bye before returning home Oct. 17 to face Charleston Southern.
A kickoff time and TV channel have not yet been announced. The Buccaneers are 2-3 and 0-2 in the OVC after a 12-10 loss to Gardner-Webb on Saturday, and they’ll play South Carolina State on Oct.
- Charleston Southern lost 31-0 to Georgia Southern after Clemson beat the Eagles 22-7.
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