This one is going to sting.
When your offense hangs 45 points, racks up 538 total yards, and averages a staggering 7.7 yards per play... you're supposed to win. You're supposed to be celebrating in the locker room.
Instead, the Clemson Tigers are left wondering how it all went wrong in a 46-45 heartbreaker, a loss snatched from the jaws of victory by a last-minute Duke touchdown and two-point conversion.
In a game with 91 total points, the superstars are expected to show up. And Clemson's starters didn't just show up—they put on a clinic. It just wasn't enough.
The Man Who Did It All
Look at the stat sheet and find WR Antonio Williams. Then look again.
Williams was a one-man wrecking crew. He was a target monster for QB Cade Klubnik (who had 370 yards passing), hauling in a game-high 10 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown.
But he wasn't done. He also took a handoff for a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Williams accounted for 171 all-purpose yards and two scores. He did everything you could possibly ask of a No. 1 receiver.
The Lightning Strike
While Williams was the consistent workhorse, WR T.J. Moore provided the lightning.
Moore was quiet for most of the game, but with 10:28 left in the fourth quarter, he took a pass from Klubnik and exploded for a 75-yard touchdown that sent Memorial Stadium into a frenzy and gave Clemson a 45-38 lead.
He only had two catches all day, but they went for 92 yards. That's 46 yards per catch. When Moore touched the ball, he wasn't just moving the chains; he was rewriting the game.
The Bruiser
On the ground, it was RB Adam Randall carrying the load. Randall was the hammer, pounding the Duke defensive line 16 times for 89 yards.
More importantly, he was the guy they trusted in the red zone. Randall punched in two separate 2-yard touchdowns in the second quarter, powering the Clemson comeback that gave them the lead at halftime.
So, What Happened?
This wasn't a case of an offense not showing up. This was a case of wasted heroics. Williams, Moore, and Randall—all listed starters—played well enough to win any game.
But in a shootout this wild, the only thing that matters is who has the ball last. And with 40 seconds on the clock, Duke had the ball... and the final answer.