Clemson was absolutely right to try and score as time expired vs. Miami

Clemson was absolutely right to try and score as time expired vs. Miami

The No. 1-ranked Clemson Tigers took care of business Saturday evening with a dominating 42-10 victory over the No. 7-ranked Miami Hurricanes.

The Tigers showed throughout the game that they were the better team and- aside from a few mistakes and a handful of plays that kept Miami in it for a little bit- Clemson was absolutely efficient and effective against the Hurricanes.

As we approached the end of the matchup, though, there was a decision made by Dabo Swinney and Tony Elliott that left many Miami fans shaking their hands and yelling at their television.

Clemson forced a turnover that gave third-string QB Taisun Phommachanh and a load of backups a short field and an opportunity to earn some playing time with a little more than three minutes remaining in the contest. The Tigers were already up 42-10 and began to run a few plays- starting the drive at the Miami 26-yard line.

What happened next, though, is something that won’t be soon forgotten by many fans of the Hurricanes. Clemson, inside the Miami 5-yard line, ran the ball with freshman Kobe Pace down to the 1-yard line. Then, the Tigers lined up and ran one last play as time expired, but were unable to get into the end zone.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t take things away from players who have worked hard to get on the field

Some will call this a lack-of-sportsmanship and, sure, it’s certainly not what we’re used to seeing Clemson do in terms of ending a game up 30 points.

That being said, the Tigers were absolutely right for running that last play.

First of all, it should be noted that Miami had been talking trash and celebrating moral victories all night long. At times, it seemed like the Hurricanes’ defense was head-hunting players like Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, coming in late on hits and driving them to the ground at times when it was unnecessary.

While those things in and of themselves might not be enough to attempt to run the score up, the truth of the matter is simple: Clemson had its third-string QB in the guy with a bunch of backups and Dabo Swinney wasn’t going to take that opportunity away from them.

Go back and watch that last sequence. Phommachanh was begging the Tiger sideline for an opportunity to run one last play. The backup offense wanted that final opportunity to get in the end zone and have a celebration. They have worked extremely hard throughout the preseason and during the week without even knowing if they would see the field.

If you’re a coach, you don’t take away that opportunity from your kids. Period.

Can you imagine the frustration from Phommachanh- and others- if the Tigers had just called it a night right there after he had begged for one final play? It’s not just about your opponent. It’s about building a program and keeping morale at high level.

Many will characterize that final play as Clemson trying to run the score up on Miami- and that certainly might be the case considering the circumstances of what happened during the game- but this was just as much about trying to reward those third-string players who have worked so hard to get on the field.