Written by Chris Connolly at The State.com
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, and 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.
“We want to be 12-0 and you can’t win 12 until you win five. It was a great win. Louisville played their hearts out,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “At the end of the day, you either have the heart or you don’t. You have the will to win or you don’t. … This is 19 in a row at home and we’re moving on to the next one.”
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 halftime 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.
