The Clemson Tigers finally ended a home losing skid last week against rival Florida State and picked up a win that kept the season from becoming even more of a failure.
More importantly, Dabo Swinney’s squad proved that it still has fight left in it with three games to go and a chance to reach bowl eligibility still. The Tigers (4-5 overall, 3-4 ACC) can get closer to that goal with a win Friday night at No. 20 Louisville (7-2, 4-2).
The Cardinals are still in the hunt for a trip to the ACC Championship Game, although that journey took a huge hit with a home loss to Cal last week. They sit behind five one-loss teams in the conference standings, so the Cardinals might feel like they’re out of the race.
This is the final ACC game of the year for the Tigers, who are 8-1 all-time against the Cardinals, including 4-0 in Louisville. Clemson’s offense has greatly improved over the last few weeks, but it faces a tough test against the No. 1 pass defense in the ACC this week.
Availability
Clemson had a couple of surprises on this week’s availability report. Defensive tackle Stephiylan Green was listed as questionable, while defensive starters DeMonte Capehart and Ricardo Jones showed as probable.
There are no new players expected to sit that weren’t already known.
Check back with Rubbing The Rock later for injury updates.
Tiger time
Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, Ky.
When: Friday, November 14, 2025
Kickoff time: 7:30 p.m.
Where to find the game: ESPN
Spread: Louisville -2.5
Predictions
Zach Lentz: Clemson (4-5) rides a wave of defensive momentum into their Friday night showdown at No. 20 Louisville (7-2) after stunning FSU, but they face a brutal statistical mismatch. Despite a recent offensive surge (34.4 ppg since Oct. 1) and a perfect 4-0 all-time record in Louisville, the Tigers' season-long struggles on 3rd down (89th) and in the run game (100th) play directly into the hands of a Cardinals' defense that ranks 32nd on 3rd down and 21st against the run. With Clemson missing key receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. and Louisville likely without star RB Isaac Brown, this game will be a defensive slugfest, but the Cardinals' home-field advantage and superior ability to get off the field will be the difference.
Final score: Louisville 24, Clemson 20
Brad Senkiw: Clemson picked up some much-needed momentum last week that shows they aren’t completely bailing on this season. Louisville is a much better all-around team than FSU and will be jacked up coming off a loss, but the Cardinals have turned the ball over 11 times at home, and Clemson’s defense might’ve figured out how to turn teams over again. Offensively, the Tigers will have to run the ball effectively to set up the pass against a good Cardinals secondary, but freshman running back Gideon Davidson has become a nice complement to Adam Randall, and Cade Klubnik is playing inspired ball at the right time. Clemson pulls off the upset as a slight underdog.
Final score: Clemson 26, Louisville 20