Clemson didn’t so much win at Louisville as it escaped.
The Tigers trailed, got bullied on the ground, went 1-for-13 on third down and still walked out of L&N Stadium with a season-saving 20–19 road upset. At 5–5 (4–4 ACC), it was more survival than statement—but it might also be the night a new offensive star truly arrived.
Here’s the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from a wild Friday.
The Good
Adam Randall’s breakout night
This was the Adam Randall game, full stop.
The junior back was the best player on the field: 15 carries, 105 rushing yards and both of Clemson’s touchdowns, including a 25-yard blast right up the gut and a 46-yard sledgehammer that set up the go-ahead score. He averaged 7.0 yards per carry and finished with 132 all-purpose yards once you add in his work as a receiver.
When everything else felt stuck in the mud, Randall was the one Clemson weapon Louisville never solved.
Red-zone grit and a game-changing takeaway
Louisville actually outgained Clemson 385–310 and ripped off 171 rushing yards on 5.7 yards per carry. But the Tigers’ defense came up big in the moments that mattered.
- Held the Cardinals to 2-for-11 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth.
- Forced the night’s biggest swing when Avieon Terrell punched the ball out and fell on it, setting Clemson up at the Louisville 25. One snap later, Randall was in the end zone.
- Limited the damage to field goals and long attempts late when Louisville crossed midfield.
The Tigers gave up chunk plays, but when the field shrank, they finally looked like a veteran unit.
Special teams straight-up won the game
If you’re circling the real hidden edge in a one-point win, it’s special teams.
- Nolan Hauser went 2-for-2 on field goals (27, 48) and 2-for-2 on PATs.
- Robert Gunn III hammered five kickoffs, all for touchbacks.
- Jack Smith averaged 41.4 yards on five punts, dropping four inside the 20 and giving Louisville long fields all night.
On the other sideline, Louisville missed a PAT and two fourth-quarter field goals from 50 and 46 yards. Clemson was perfect in the kicking game. Louisville wasn’t. That’s your margin.
Discipline in a hostile environment
In a loud road setting, Clemson played cleaner football than the home team.
- Tigers: just 3 penalties for 30 yards
- Cardinals: 10 flags for 98 yards
For a Clemson team that has often beaten itself over the last two seasons, that level of composure on the road was a genuine step forward.
The Bad
Third down (and fourth down) nightmares
If you were screaming at your TV on money downs, you weren’t alone.
Clemson finished:
- 1-for-13 on third down
- 2-for-4 on fourth
The Tigers consistently put themselves behind the chains, then couldn’t dig out. Play calls felt predictable, spacing routes were short of the sticks, and even when receivers got separation, protection or timing broke down.
You don’t win many games with that conversion chart. Clemson did—but this isn’t sustainable.
Cade Klubnik’s uneven night
Statistically, Cade Klubnik’s line looks fine: 22-of-34, 187 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions. The reality was more complicated.
He managed the game, avoided the catastrophic pick and kept the offense on schedule at times. But the lack of explosive shots and the inability to consistently punish Louisville’s secondary were glaring. And the biggest blemish: a brutal red-zone fumble after a 10-play, 71-yard march that should have produced points.
Klubnik didn’t lose the game. He didn’t really go win it, either. On a night when the run game finally found a star, the passing attack still felt stuck in second gear.
Run fits still a problem
Clemson’s front never fully figured out Louisville’s rushing attack:
- Cardinals back Keyjuan Brown ripped off 135 yards on just 15 carries.
- Louisville finished with 171 rushing yards, repeatedly gashing Clemson between the tackles and on cutbacks.
Sammy Brown led the Tigers with 11 tackles and a sack, and several defenders made timely stops, but too many runs leaked into the second level. Against better closing kickers or more aggressive play-callers, those rushing numbers usually spell trouble.
The Ugly
Living on a prayer in the fourth quarter
For all the “good” listed above, Clemson was a couple of kicks away from another devastating loss.
Louisville had two chances in the final quarter to rip this game away with long field goals. Both missed. Add in the earlier shanked PAT, and Clemson’s fate was literally hanging on the other team’s specialist.
You don’t apologize for wins, especially on the road. But you also can’t pretend this wasn’t dangerously close to another “how did they lose that one?” postgame show.
A win that masks lingering flaws
This was a gut-check, culture win. It was also a neon sign that the same issues remain:
- Third-down play calling and execution are still a mess.
- The offense goes ice cold for long stretches.
- The defense gives up chunk runs at the worst times.
Clemson earned every bit of joy from a one-point stunner in Louisville. But if this team wants to turn a late-season surge into something more than a fun Friday night, the Tigers can’t keep relying on opponent mistakes and one hot running back to bail them out.
For now, though? A win is a win—and in this season, Clemson will take all the “Good” it can get, no matter how much Bad and Ugly comes with it.
Extended thinking