Clemson tops Louisville as clash of titans is decided by one yard

CLEMSON In a game that featured 1,075 yards of offense, three feet ended up being the difference.

Clemson defensive back Marcus Edmond knocked Louisville receiver James Quick out of bounds at the Tigers 3-yard line after an 11-yard gain on fourth-and-12 with less than a minute remaining as Clemson held on to knock off previously unbeaten Louisville 42-36 Saturday night at Death Valley.

Deshaun Watson connected with Jordan Leggett for a 31-yard touchdown pass with 3:14 remaining on Clemson’s previous drive to give the Tigers the lead after Louisville rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit.

The win, coupled with Florida State’s loss Saturday afternoon, puts Clemson in the driver’s seat in the ACC Atlantic Division.

The Tigers controlled the first half thanks to a stellar performance by Watson and a dominant effort on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Clemson led 28-10 at the break as the Tigers offense exploded for four touchdowns in the second quarter after both teams struggled offensively for the first 15 minutes.

Watson passed for 189 yards and three touchdowns in the second quarter and Wayne Gallman added a 24-yard touchdown run, while the Tigers defense bottled up Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The sophomore, who entered the game averaging more than 465 yards of offense and with 25 total touchdowns, was held to 138 yards and no touchdowns in the first half before he got it going the last two quarters.

Jackson led Louisville on six consecutive scoring drives from late in the second quarter until early in the fourth, before the Tigers held Louisville scoreless on the last two possessions of the game.

Jackson finished with 457 total yards and three total touchdowns with an interception. He ran the ball 31 times for 162 yards, and completed 27 of 44 passes for 295 yards.

Watson, Clemson’s Heisman Trophy candidate, passed for 306 yards with five touchdowns and three picks. He added 14 carries for 91 yards.

The Clemson defense was led by senior Ben Boulware, who finished with 18 tackles, including three tackles for loss.

TURNING POINT

Louisville had outscored Clemson 26-0 in the second half and led 36-28 when Artavis Scott returned a kickoff 77 yards to the Louisville 23 to set up a Mike Williams’ 20-yard touchdown catch from Deshaun Watson two plays later. The Tigers’ 2-point conversion attempt failed but Clemson regained momentum.

NEXT

Who: Clemson at Boston College

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Chestnut Hill, Mass.

TV: ESPN

This story was originally published October 2, 2016 at 1:26 AM with the headline "Clemson tops Louisville as clash of titans is decided by one yard."