Clemson will enter its open week with plenty to fix after Miami handed the Tigers another lopsided loss against a top-five opponent.
Saturday’s 41-13 defeat at Memorial Stadium ended a three-game winning streak and dropped Clemson to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. The Tigers generated little on the ground, struggled to protect their quarterback and repeatedly hurt themselves with penalties.
Tait Reynolds provided some encouraging moments in an otherwise frustrating performance. The freshman completed 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards while absorbing pressure throughout the night. But with Clemson rushing for just 34 yards, the offense leaned heavily on a quarterback who was sacked six times.
The Tigers also surrendered nine tackles for loss and committed
10 penalties for 91 yards. Those mistakes made it difficult to sustain any progress against the fourth-ranked Hurricanes.
Still, Clemson had an opening early in the second half. After Ashton Hampton broke up a fourth-down pass to stop Miami’s first possession, the Tigers drove inside the Hurricanes’ 20-yard line. A fourth-down direct snap to Gideon Davidson came up short, ending the scoring opportunity.
That sequence helped swing the game firmly toward Miami. The Hurricanes followed with a touchdown drive lasting nearly eight minutes, then converted a Reynolds fumble into a field goal to build a 27-6 advantage.
A 55-yard catch and run by Bryant Wesco set up Davidson’s touchdown with 12:09 remaining, but Clemson could not build on it. Reynolds’ late interception return for a touchdown added to the final margin.
Former Clemson superstar running back goes on IR for New Orleans Saints
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Clemson also lost a potential first-quarter touchdown when replay overturned Corey Myrick’s 77-yard return following a hit on Darian Mensah. Miami kept the ball and eventually kicked a field goal.
The Tigers held the Hurricanes to 419 total yards, below their entering average of 588.8. That offered little consolation with Clemson unable to produce enough offense to keep pace.
Clemson next hosts Charleston Southern on Oct. 17.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson stands no chance, gets taken care of at home by ACC foe No. 4 Miami
