CLEMSON - Clemson spent part of Saturday fighting North Carolina, part of the afternoon fighting the weather, and still found a way to finish the job in its ACC opener.
The Tigers came out of a two-hour lightning delay, erased a late deficit and beat the Tar Heels 28-20 after trailing 20-15 when play stopped with 2:59 p.m. on the clock. North Carolina had been lined up at second-and-goal from the Clemson 7 when the pause hit. When the teams finally returned at 5:25 p.m., the Tar Heels could only settle for a field goal, and Clemson answered with two touchdowns and an interception to close it out.
That finish gave Dabo Swinney’s team a 2-1 start overall and a 1-0 mark in the ACC. North Carolina dropped to 2-1 and 0-1 in league play.
“We weren’t perfect, but we grew up tonight.” - Swinney
Clemson’s response after the delay was the kind of sequence that can change a season’s mood. The Tigers put together a four-play, 68-yard drive powered by Gideon Davidson, then added a Tyler Brown touchdown before Elliott Washington II picked off UNC quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to lock it down.
Davidson’s day was a breakthrough. He topped 100 rushing yards for the first time in his career and scored the first touchdown of his career in the fourth quarter. Washington’s interception was his first in a Clemson uniform and the third of his career after transferring from Penn State this offseason.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds also got his first win and first touchdown in his first career start. He finished 20 of 29 for 215 yards and a touchdown, with one interception on an underthrown ball to T.J.
Moore in the third quarter. Going back to the LSU game, it took Reynolds 24 attempts - not counting his kneels against Georgia Southern - to lead a scoring drive.
Clemson’s first half was ugly, but the Tigers found life before halftime and kept building from there. UNC led the yardage battle 195-117 in the opening half, and Clemson had just 29 total yards before a late surge gave it 88 yards on its final drive before the break. By the end, Clemson had outgained the Tar Heels 401-349.
North Carolina came out sharp and scored on its first two possessions. The Tar Heels would have made it three straight scoring drives if not for a missed field goal by Aeron Burrell. Clemson finally forced its first punt of the day with a little more than five minutes left in the first half.
Edwards had moments for UNC, but the Clemson defense kept tightening. He rushed for 21 yards in the first half after entering the game with -7 on the season, then finished with 14 rushing yards after taking three sacks. He completed 13 of 30 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and Washington’s interception came on UNC’s final drive.
The first-half lead mattered for Bill Belichick, too. It was his first halftime lead over an ACC opponent in his tenure, though he is now 0-2 all-time against Swinney.
The weather was a major storyline for Clemson yet again. Saturday’s delay was the third weather interruption the Tigers have dealt with in three weeks since the 2026 season began. Kickoff at LSU and the game against Georgia Southern were both pushed back two hours before kickoff, while this one became the first mid-game delay of the year.
Clemson kicker Hauser stayed perfect on the season, going 9 for 9 on field goals with a long of 50 yards.
There were personnel issues on both sidelines. Clemson played without Christopher Vizzina after Swinney said the quarterback change was influenced by performance, though Vizzina also remained out because of the elbow injury he suffered against Georgia Southern on Sept.
- He had been listed as probable on the initial ACC availability report, then moved to questionable, and ultimately became a game-time decision.
When Clemson came back out to warm up in pads, he was not dressed and had a brace on his left arm.
North Carolina was missing defensive lineman and 2025 ACC sacks leader Melkart Abou Jaoude, who was ruled out with a hand injury. Wide receiver Keeyun Chapman was suspended by the team on Sept. 17 after he was a passenger in fellow Tar Heels receiver C.J.
Sadler’s car during a traffic violation. Chapman was also charged with a misdemeanor for possession of concealed firearm.
UNC also had a coaching change in the mix. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Bill Belichick’s son, will resign at the end of his medical leave, which began Aug. 6 after an internal investigation which "determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina's values and standards of conduct." Brian Belichick, the other Belichick son, took over defensive play-calling duties personally after handling the role in the interim.
For Clemson, the quick turnaround comes fast. The Tigers head to Berkeley, Calif., for a Friday night game against California.
The Golden Bears are 2-1 and 1-0 in the ACC after opening with a loss to UCLA, beating Syracuse and then rolling Wagner 49-7. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns against Wagner.
Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
In Other News...
Dabo Swinney's Contract Leaves Clemson Facing An Awkward Reality
Dabo Swinneys financial footing at Clemson remains one of the biggest storylines around the program as the Tigers navigate another season under a coach who is locked in through 2031. The 10-year, $115 million deal he signed in September 2022 still places him among the sports elite earners, and his 2025 salary of $11.5 million makes him the ACCs highest-paid coach and one of the top-paid coaches in college football.
The arrangement also underscores how complicated any future conversation around Swinney has become for Clemson. His contract includes a buyout clause, with an even steeper penalty if he were to leave for Alabama, along with performance-based bonuses that keep the deal loaded with incentives and protections. For the Tigers, it is a reminder that the programs relationship with its coach is as financially committed as ever, even as expectations around results continue to follow him everywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons ACC Opener Suddenly Carries Pressure Fans Cant Ignore
September is already bringing an early measuring stick to Clemsons season, with the Tigers set to open ACC play against North Carolina on Sept. 19 at Memorial Stadium. The noon kickoff on ESPN ensures this one will have a national audience, and it arrives with an added layer of intrigue because Clemson is turning to true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds for his first career start.
Reynolds debut instantly gives the league opener more weight than a typical conference game in mid-September. Clemson will be trying to start ACC play on solid footing in front of its home crowd, while Reynolds steps into a spotlight that leaves little room to ease into the job. For a team with bigger conference goals ahead, this is the kind of game that can shape the tone of the entire fall. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Pushed Dabo Swinney's Future Back Into The Spotlight
Clemsons uneven start has put Dabo Swinney back under the kind of scrutiny that only comes when the Tigers are not meeting the programs usual standard. With North Carolina ahead and fan frustration building, the conversation around the sideline has shifted from fixing early-season issues to the larger question of how long the current direction can hold if the results do not improve.
Swinneys status is not in immediate peril, and there have been no official decisions reported, but the noise is getting louder because of how steep the expectations are in Clemson. Every rough outing now feeds the same discussion about where this season is headed and how much patience remains if the struggles continue. [Read more 🡒]