OT Thriller: No. 3 Clemson survives NC State, 24-17

 Deshaun Watson hit Artavis Scottwith 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime and Marcus Edmond finished it with an interception in the end zone as No. 3 Clemson beat North Carolina State 24-17 on Saturday.

The Tigers (7-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looked all but done in regulation, but Kyle Bambard's 33-yard field goal try as time experience was wide right.

Clemson took full advantage with Watson's strike to Scott. Then Edmond reached high to grab a long throw down the middle from NC State's Ryan Finley and Clemson had escaped with its path to the ACC title game and the College Football Playoffs still all clear.

It wasn't the prettiest game for Clemson, which gave up 397 yards and turned it over four times - including Watson's first-ever pick six - to the Wolfpack (4-2, 1-1).

Clemson took a big hit early on when running back Wayne Gallman came out, looking woozy and out of it as he headed to the locker room. Gallman, the team's leading rusher, did not return.

Receiver Hunter Renfrow, who had six catches in his first game since Sept. 10 because of a broken hand, was hurt in the fourth quarter and came out the rest of the way.

TAKEAWAY

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack look like a team on the rise, one of the few the past two season that has been able to take the Tigers down to the wire.

Clemson: The Tigers probably won't gain much support in the rankings with its tight victory at home. But in the end, it might not matter if they are standing on top of the league with a perfect record.

UP NEXT

North Carolina State: The Wolfpack head to No. 7 Louisville where they are 0-3 all time, including a 30-18 defeat two years ago.

Clemson: The Tigers get the week off before traveling to No. 14 Florida State on Oct. 29. Clemson has won just once (2006) in its past 12 visits to Tallahassee.

Watson and No. 3 Clemson take of care business at BC, 56-10

 Deshaun Watson threw four touchdown passes and helped clear the way for Wayne Gallman's 59-yard scoring run with a block and No. 3 Clemson beat Boston College 56-10 on Friday night.

Clemson (6-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) extended its conference winning streak to 12 games and its road winning streak to eight, which matches a school record set from 1978-79.

Boston College (3-3, 0-3) lost its 11th consecutive ACC game.

Clemson broke three plays of at least 50 yards in the first quarter, two for touchdowns and another that set up a score. Watson picked off a defender on the edge to help spring Gallman for the game's first touchdown. Watson's 59-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Leggett made it 21-0 late in the first half. That was all the Tigers needed.

TAKEAWAY

Clemson: Hard to expect an A-plus effort from the Tigers, who were coming off a draining, dramatic victory against Louisville and traveled north on short rest. There were plenty of Clemson fans in the sellout crowd of 44,500, but not much intensity in Alumni Stadium. Still, the Tigers took care of business and seemed to come out of the game healthy.

Boston College: The Eagles just can't match-up against this level of opposition. BC's best first-half drive covered 80 yards and got inside the Clemson 1. Twice on fourth-and-goal, quarterback Patrick Towles fumbled the snap because center Jim Cashman was knocked into the backfield by Tigers tackle Scott Pagano. The first one was wiped out by an offside penalty by Clemson, so Pagano did it again.

HOMECOMING

Clemson star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, from Springfield, Massachusetts, had four tackles, two for loss, including a sack, in his first college game in his home state.

UP NEXT

Clemson: The Tigers return home to face North Carolina State on Oct. 15.

Boston College: If the Eagles are going to break the ACC losing streak, the next game could be their best opportunity. Boston College hosts Syracuse on Oct. 22 in a matchup of one team that can't play offense (BC) and another that can't play defense (Syracuse).

Watson TDs lift No. 5 Clemson to 42-36 win over Louisville

 Deshaun Watson threw for five touchdowns, including two in the final seven minutes, as No. 5 Clemson rallied for a 42-36 victory over No. 3 Louisville after the Tigers lost an 18-point lead to Lamar Jackson and the high-flying Cardinals on Saturday night.

The Tigers (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looked like they had this one wrapped up before halftime, scoring four TDs in the second quarter to lead 28-10 at the break. Then "Action" Jackson got moving and the Cardinals (4-1, 2-1) scored on five consecutive possessions to take a 36-28 lead with 7:50 left.

Artavis Scott began Clemson's comeback with a 77-yard kickoff return and Watson found Mike Williams for a 20-yard scoring pass two plays later. Clemson forced Louisville to punt for the only time in the second half and Watson guided the game-winning drive, ending on a 31-yard TD catch byJordan Leggett.

Jackson had one last surge, leading Louisville to Clemson's 9. But James Quick was knocked out of bounds by safetyVan Smith on fourth down with 33 seconds left to seal the win.

THE TAKEAWAY

Louisville: The Cardinals have climbed in the Top 25 and may wind up running the table without another loss in the regular season. Louisville will regret its slow first half in this one, which may have cost it an ACC title and possible national championship shot.

Clemson: Can anyone stop the Tigers from claiming the ACC Atlantic's spot in the league title game? Florida State's loss to North Carolina means the Tigers would have to lose at least twice for the Cardinals, Seminoles or anyone else in the Atlantic to have a chance. Clemson is 19-4 against its remaining ACC opponents the past five years, with three of the defeats coming to Florida State.

UP NEXT

LOUISVILLE: Gets next week off to regroup before returning to action with a Friday night game at home against Duke on Oct. 14.

CLEMSON: The Tigers have another short week, traveling to Boston College to play on Friday night.

No. 5 Clemson dominates first half, beats Georgia Tech 26-7

 The halftime stats were almost comical. Clemson looked as though it was going against the scout team, not a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school.

Finally, the sort of performance everyone has been expecting from the No. 5 Tigers.

Deshaun Watson threw for 304 yards, including a pair of touchdowns during a dominant first half that carried Clemson to a 26-7 victory over Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

After sluggish wins over Auburn and Troy, and a practice-like rout of FCS school South Carolina State that meant nothing, the Tigers (4-0, 1-0 ACC) won at Georgia Tech for the first time since 2003 to set up a huge showdown with No. 3 Louisville.

"We came in focused that first half," Watson said. "We just wanted to finish the deal."

Watson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams and a 9-yarder toJordan Leggett with just 4 seconds left before halftime to complete a stunningly lopsided showing that wasn't entirely reflected in the 23-0 lead. Wayne Gallman added a 1-yard TD run.

At halftime, Clemson was up 347-22 lead in total yards and 19-3 in first downs, having run 56 plays to only 21 for the home team. Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1) was outgained 442-124 overall.

"It's been a long time since we've won here," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "We'll take it."

This was a virtual repeat of last year's meeting at Clemson, where the Tigers raced to a 33-10 halftime lead on the way to a 43-24 victory. Both times, they totally dominated the line of scrimmage.

"They've done it to us two years in a row up front," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "They kicked our butts."

Clemson backed off over the final two quarters, and the Yellow Jackets avoided their first home shutout since 1957 when Dedrick Mills scored on a 2-yard run with 13:21 remaining.

Even when Georgia Tech came up with a big play, it wound up costing points. Lance Austin intercepted a pass in the end zone and tried to bring it out - only to be whacked inadvertently by teammate Corey Griffin, knocking the ball loose.

Austin fell on it in the end zone, but that was a safety for Clemson. It was a far cry from a prime-time game last season, when the defensive back returned a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play to give Georgia Tech a stunning victory of Florida State.

There wouldn't be an upset on this night.

THE TAKEAWAY

Clemson: Don't read too much into the sluggish showing in the second half. It was only natural that the Tigers let down a bit after dominating the first two quarters. For sure, this was just the sort of confidence-boosting performance that Clemson needed heading into their game against Louisville.

Georgia Tech: After opening with three straight wins over mediocre opposition, the Yellow Jackets don't seem to have made much improvement over last year's 3-9 debacle. Johnson's triple-option offense was totally manhandled and increasingly looks like a gimmick that other teams have figured out. Poor recruiting seems to have caught up with the Yellow Jackets when they face elite competition.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Clemson ran more plays in the first half than Georgia Tech did in the entire game (52). Even more troubling for the Yellow Jackets, 19 of their plays failed to gain or lost yards. The Tigers finished with 82 plays.

RARE CHEERS

The home crowd did get a chance to cheer a couple of times in the first half. It didn't have anything to do with the game.

New athletic director Todd Stansbury , a former Georgia Tech football player whose hiring was announced earlier in the day, was introduced during the first quarter. Another alum, pro golfer Matt Kuchar, received loud applause when he came out during a break wearing his Olympic bronze medal.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

After slipping a bit in the rankings off their first two wins, the Tigers should stay right where they are - maybe even move up a spot or two - when the Associated Press poll comes out next week.

UP NEXT

Clemson: When Louisville visits Death Valley on Oct. 1, it will have all the makings of a national playoff game. Assuming the Cardinals (3-0) get by Marshall on Saturday night, two unbeaten powerhouses will meet to establish the pecking order atop the ACC.

Georgia Tech: No. 15 Miami (3-0) and longtime nemesis Mark Richt visit Bobby Dodd Stadium on Oct. 1. Richt is in his first season as the Hurricanes coach after 15 years at Georgia, where he went 13-2 against the Yellow Jackets.

No. 5 Clemson routs SC State 59-0 in shortened game

Clemson scored early and often in the first half against South Carolina State, and both coaches decided to shorten Saturday's game in what turned into a 59-0 rout.

The game was such a mismatch that the fifth-ranked Tigers (3-0) scored two touchdowns in the first quarter with no time running off the clock. An NCAA rule allows for games to be shortened by time if the coaches agree.

Clemson led 45-0 at the half against the FCS Bulldogs (0-3), and the third- and fourth quarters were 12 minutes each instead of the usual 15 minutes.

Deshaun Watson threw three early TD passes to get the Tigers rolling.

Clemson, with three wins to open the season for the fifth time in the last six years - is 31-0 against FCS teams.

The lopsided score comes after Watson told fans he was sorry for the 30-24 win over Troy for any "negative energy" he brought to that game. This time, he was the 4-of-4 on the opening drive that ended with a 7-yard TD pass toRay-Ray McCloud.

Watson and McCloud also connected on a 36-yard scoring pass. Watson threw a 17-yard TD to Deon Cain in the second quarter before heading to the sideline.

The strangest sequence of the game involved a first-quarter gaffe by South Carolina State's Ahmaad Harris on a kickoff return after a Clemson TD. He flipped the ball to the official in the end zone before taking a knee to stop the action. Clemson's Denzel Johnson recovered the fumble - 14 points, no time off the clock.

Watson completed 12 of 15 passes for 152 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE: The Bulldogs will be grateful to return to their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after losing its first three games against FBS opponents by a combined 150-24 score.

CLEMSON: The Tigers were looking for offensive confidence and got some in the blowout win. However, things won't be so easy when Clemson starts ACC play on Thursday night at Georgia Tech. Watson and his offense, some who thought would be the most dynamic attack college football had seen in years, will need to prove their skills against bigger opponents if they hope to return to the College Football Playoffs.

UP NEXT

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE: Bulldogs open MEAC play, and face their first non-FBS opponent, at Florida A&M on Saturday.

CLEMSON: The Tigers also start conference play in the ACC at Georgia Tech on Thursday night. Clemson has lost its past five games in Atlanta with its last victory at Georgia Tech coming in 2003.

Clemson overcomes McCloud's ball flip to hold off Troy 30-24

With all the problems, mistakes and numerous errors it's hard to take a lot of positives from Clemson's 2-0 start.

Deshaun Watson threw three touchdowns as the second-ranked Tigers held off Troy 30-24 on Saturday in a game that will mostly be remembered for bad decision making by the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions.

Front and center is Ray-Ray McCloud's embarrassing mental gaffe when he flipped the ball on the 1-yard line as he was cruising into the end zone to celebrate a 75-yard punt return TD. McCloud went through with the flash, posing for the fans, and rolling around with teammates after Clemson's first punt return touchdown in three years. Moments later, replays showed McCloud never brought the ball across the goal line.

"You're going to leave this game thinking about" my mistake, McCloud said.

To his credit, the sophomore didn't hang his head and go cower in a corner. McCloud finished with seven catches and a career best 86 yards receiving.

Still, many will not only see Clemson's mistakes in this game, but on the season as well.

The Tigers (2-0) were out of synch on offense and could not break away from the Trojans (1-1) until the fourth quarter. Watson hit beefy defensive lineman Christian Wilkins for a 1-yard score in Clemson's jumbo goal line package, then connected with Deon Cain on a 23-yard TD pass for a 27-10 lead.

Troy rallied with two touchdowns in the last five minutes, the second one with 44 seconds to go. But Cain grabbed the on-side kick attempt and Clemson ran out the clock on a second straight victory that was too close for most of the crowd at Death Valley.

"Everybody wants to see us score 50 points, 60 points and everybody wants it now," Watson said. "We're not going to do that. First we've got to execute and find our rhythm."

The Tigers couldn't get out of their own way much against Troy - most notably on McCloud's dynamic, 75-yard punt return right before halftime that should have been a Tigers' touchdown but turned into a Troy touchback.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told McCloud it was a great run, but he needed to grow up, get back out there and do his best for Clemson.

"When he told me to grow up, that's what I had to do," McCloud said.

Watson also did enough to get the win with 292 yards passing, but didn't do much to enhance his Heisman Trophy chances.

His performance did bolster Troy's confidence.

"That's the Heisman front-runner, you know what I'm saying," Brandon Silvers, Troy's quarterback, said in praise of the Trojan defense.

THE TAKEAWAY

TROY: The Trojans strong defensive effort on Clemson's high-powered offense - they intercepted Watson twice - will served them well when the Sun Belt Conference season begins against New Mexico State in two weeks.

CLEMSON: The Tigers put up another sloppy offensive showing for much of Saturday and could be poised for a fall from No. 2 in the Top 25. Clemson needs to find its gear soon before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins at Georgia Tech on Sept. 22.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

CLEMSON: Get ready for a late-summer slide for the Tigers. The offense has not looked like the unit that matched up with Alabama in January and that was expected to be even better with the return of injured 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams. The Tigers' 19-13 win at Auburn last week could be excused as a team going through early season growing pains at a difficult Southeastern Conference venue. It's a little harder to explain this performance.

KEY NUMBERS

TROY: The Trojans out-rushed Clemson 141-122 and did it by limited the Tigers' two 1,000-yard rushers last year in Watson and Wayne Gallman to a combined 89 yards.

CLEMSON: Watson had two interceptions in a game for the just the fourth time in his college career. The 6-foot-2 junior has won all four of those contests, however.

INJURY REPORT

CLEMSON: Starting linebacker Ben Boulware was on the ground in pain in the fourth quarter and walking around on crutches. But coach Dabo Swinney said Boulware got his right ankle rolled up on and the injury does not appear to be serious.

UP NEXT

TROY: The Trojans continue their non conference schedule when they take on Southern Mississippi next week, the first regular-season meeting between the schools since 1977. Troy lost to the Golden Eagles 30-27 in the 2008 New Orleans Bowl.

CLEMSON: The Tigers play their final pre-Atlantic Coast Conference contest with FCS opponent South Carolina State. Don't expect that to be a tight game: Clemson has won the three career meetings by a combined score of 179-20.

No. 2 Clemson, Watson survive 19-13 scare against Auburn

Clemson's Dabo Swinney kept his kicker on the sideline and put the game in star quarterback Deshaun Watson's hands.

The decision worked in the second-ranked Tigers' 19-13 win over Auburn on Saturday night, but not without a few more anxious moments in an opener filled with them.

Swinney opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the 17 instead of kicking a field goal, and Wayne Gallman was stopped short by Tray Matthews - a failed call that could have backfired.

"We just didn't want to take a shot at the field goal right there," he said. "We felt like as good as we had played defensively, with them having no timeouts, it was going to be very difficult for them to go score."

Greg Huegel's extra-point attempt earlier in the quarter had hit the upright. Gallman had been knocked out of bounds on the previous play, stopping the clock to help leave Auburn more time.

"Unbelievable," Swinney said. "And now we're fighting for our life there at the end."

Watson passed for 248 yards, including 174 to Mike Williams in his return from a neck injury in last season's opener. Gallman carried 30 times for 123 yards.

Clemson dominated the stat sheet in the first half - with a 233-38 advantage in total yards - but led only 10-3 and both scores came after defensive penalties on third-down plays.

"That is one of the best teams in college football," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "Holding those guys to 19 points was really unbelievable as far as the effort."

Clemson struggled to put the opener away even though Auburn produced little offense for much of the game while swapping three quarterbacks in and out. Finally, Watson hit former walk-on receiver Hunter Renfrow in the back of the end zone on third and goal from the 16 with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.

That was a lifetime in this game.

Ben Boulware's subsequent goal line interception only provided a temporary reprieve for a team that made the national championship game last season and is among the favorites to win it this time. Auburn finally got a touchdown with 3:22 left on a 9-yard direct snap run by Kerryon Johnson, and Clemson's failed fourth-down try deep in Auburn territory set up another shot with 40 seconds and 85 yards to go.

Sean White drove the offense to the Clemson 40, but two desperation heaves into the end zone fell incomplete, with the second getting batted around.

THE TAKEAWAY

CLEMSON: If Watson didn't exactly pick right up from his 478-yard bonanza in the national championship game against Alabama, he was still good enough. And Williams provides Clemson's offense with yet another threat.

AUBURN: Auburn's offensive problems continued from last season, with three quarterbacks attempting passes on the first six plays. The defense made some big stops and held Clemson to 6 of 17 on third downs. Daniel Carlson's 53-yard field goal was the Auburn-record sixth of 50-plus yards.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Barring a dominant win by No. 4 Florida State over No. 11 Mississippi on Monday night, Clemson seems likely to stay put right behind Alabama. No. 3 Oklahoma was upset by 15th-ranked Houston earlier in the day. The close score does make it a question mark, though.

QUOTABLE

Watson: "We knew they were going to be good. We knew we weren't going to come in here and blow these guys out."

UP NEXT

Auburn: hosts Arkansas State, where Malzahn was head coach in 2012, on Saturday.

Clemson: like Auburn, hosts a Sun Belt Conference team on Saturday when Troy visits.

Clemson Tigers Season Preview

Off ensive priorities included replacing three members of the line and adjusting to the staff change of having off ensive co-coordinators with Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott fi lling those roles...Th at arrangement worked fi ne in the Tigers’ Russell Athletic Bowl domination of Oklahoma, and the return of QB Deshaun Watson and big-play WRs Artavis Scott (76 catches) and Mike Williams (57 catches, 18.1 avg.) should make that transition easier...Scott and Williams head a talented receiver corps that includes WRs Germone Hopper, Charone Peake and freshman Trevion Th ompson; as well as TEs Jordan Leggett and Stanton Seckinger...Watson completed 68 percent of his passes with an effi ciency rating (188.57) which would have led the nation had he played in enough games to qualify...In his spring absence, junior Nick Schuessler impressed in his bid for the backup QB role...Watson will have a talented running back corps to work with led by Wayne Gallman (789 yards) and including Tyshon Dye, C.J. Davidson and Zac Brooks...C Ryan Norton is the only returning starter on a rebuilt line that includes Gs Eric MacLain and Tyrone Crowder and T Joe Gore and possibly true freshman Mitch Hyatt...Defense is where some heavy lift ing will need to occur...Th ere is talent available with seven returning lettermen up front, including DEs Shaq Lawson (11.0 TFLs) and Kevin Dodd, and DTs D.J. Reader and Carlos Watkins as well as fi ve returning lettermen at linebacker... Ben Boulware (40 tackles), Korrin Wiggins (34 tackles) and B.J. Goodson (25 tackles) came out of spring as starters with Dorian O’Daniel (28 tackles) and T. J. Burrell pushing for playing time...Alexander and S Jayron Kearse key a secondary that includes SS Jadar Johnson and CB Cordrea Tankersly.