The 30 minutes have been a defensive slugfest. For most of the half, neither team could get much going on the offensive side of the ball. It wasn't until Louisville's second-to-last drive in the second quarter that the Cardinals scored their first touchdown. Now, they go into halftime up 17-7 over the Tigers.
They had help from Clemson with a nitpicky horse collar and a pass interference that extended Louisville's drive. Cardinals' quarterback Tyler Shough finished the series in style, somersaulting into the endzone. Their second score also came from a Tiger's mistake after Louisville blocked a would-be field goal and returned the ball into Tigers' territory.
Cade Klubnik is doing enough to win, but a few dropped passes and poor blocking up front have made his efforts in vain. He's 16-25 for 60 percent through the first half, including one touchdown. He's also averaging seven yards a carry on five attempts for 35 yards.
If Clemson can clean up some things on offense and stop helping the Cardinals keep drives alive, it could take over the second half. This Louisville team is battle-tested, but Clemson has the talent to power through if they can play clean and aggressive coming out of the locker room.