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Bizarre officiating decision can't keep Clemson from taking down Pitt

Late in the fourth quarter, a moment of incompetence from the ACC officials sent the game into chaos but fortunately, Clemson didn't let that be their undoing.

ByMatthew Conner|
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney reacts to a Tigers penalty against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney reacts to a Tigers penalty against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In a season full of strange officiating moments across the NCAA, Clemson overcame a bungled officiating mess to take down Pitt 24-20 on the road Saturday afternoon. The win helped keep the Tigers' slim ACC Championship and College Football Playoff hopes alive.

With the Tigers and Panthers knotted at 17-17 with just 3:40 to play in the game, Pitt QB Nate Yarnell was sacked by Clemson's defense. But on the play, Clemson's Dee Crayton clubbed Yarnell in the head as he applied pressure.

Though the play was a textbook roughing the passer penalty, no flag was initially thrown. However, a Pitt offensive lineman was injured on the play causing there to be a stoppage as he was attended to.

As the officials conferred during the lengthy injury delay, which lasted several minutes, they then dropped a flag and penalized the Tigers 15 yards for the personal foul. That would set the Panthers up for a first down and the drive would end with a 47-yard field goal to put the home team ahead 20-17 with just 1:36 to play.

At that time, it appeared as if the officials' incompetence would doom the Tigers. Though there was obviously an infraction by the Tigers, after no call was made, there should have been no reason for the referees to then drop a flag some five minutes after the play took place

Had the Panthers' center not been injured on the play, there would have been no call made. Instead, the officials either looked at the replay on the video boards or decided to give into the wants of the home team and the home crowd and take the unusual step of throwing the flag after an etertinty had passed.

Fortunately, though, the Tigers didn't let that cost them the game. On the ensuing drive, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik would score on a 50-yard QB draw to put his team ahead for good, 24-20.

It was the type of heroic play the Tigers needed on a day when the offense couldn't run the ball at all the conventional way. Fortunately, it prevented a terrible officiaing moment from deciding this game.

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