Cade Klubnik spent over an hour in his car last Saturday, crying after Clemson’s loss to South Carolina, convinced his team’s hopes of making the College Football Playoff (CFP) had slipped away.

But just a few hours later, the tide turned dramatically.

Klubnik was soon celebrating with his roommates after Syracuse’s unexpected win over Miami, which eliminated the Hurricanes from the ACC Championship race, giving Clemson another shot.

The Tigers took full advantage of the opportunity.

Klubnik threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns, while Nolan Hauser sealed the victory with a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer, lifting No. 18 Clemson to a 34-31 win over No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship and securing their CFP spot, along with a chance at a first-round bye.

“It’s like when you’re playing outside with friends and your mom says it’s time to come in, but then she gives you five more minutes to play,” said Klubnik. “We got five more minutes to play football — and that’s how we approached tonight.”

Bryant Wesco was a standout, catching eight passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. The Tigers (10-3, No. 17 CFP) needed the victory to clinch a playoff spot. Jake Briningstool also added two short touchdown receptions as Clemson extended its dominance in ACC championship games under head coach Dabo Swinney, who improved to 9-1 in such contests.

Clemson has now won eight out of 10 ACC titles.

“What a way to win,” Swinney said. “To make the playoffs for the seventh time, the heart of our guys is incredible. We’ve been so close, but we found a way.”

SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 310 yards, three touchdowns, and added a rushing score for the Mustangs (11-2, No. 8 CFP). SMU, in its first year in the ACC after moving from the American Athletic Conference, was unbeaten in the regular season but suffered costly mistakes in the first half.

Swinney praised SMU’s resilience after they fought back from a 17-point deficit to tie the game.

“SMU is a playoff-caliber team. They better be in the playoffs,” Swinney said. “What a comeback by them.”

The Tigers set the tone early, with Clemson’s T.J. Parker forcing a fumble on the game’s opening series. Klubnik threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter, leading to a 21-7 lead. He finished the first quarter 8-for-10 for 120 yards, including touchdown throws of 45 and 35 yards to Wesco.

Despite the strong start, Clemson faced a tense second quarter. Klubnik fumbled the ball while evading pressure, but tight end Briningstool recovered it, setting up a field goal that put Clemson up 24-7 at halftime, its largest lead of the game.

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee acknowledged the early mistakes but praised his team for recovering in the second half.

The Mustangs fought back, narrowing the deficit to 31-24 after a 20-yard touchdown reception by Matthew Hibner and a 46-yard field goal by Collin Rogers. SMU’s defense forced another punt, and Jennings led a 79-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Roderick Daniels with 16 seconds left to tie the game.

“Jennings looked like a playoff quarterback,” Lashlee said, adding that the comeback showed the Mustangs’ resilience.

With overtime looming, Clemson’s Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Tigers’ 45-yard line. A 17-yard pass from Klubnik to Antonio Williams put Clemson in position for Hauser’s game-winning kick, which set an ACC Championship record for distance.

Swinney was unsure if Hauser had the leg for such a long kick but was impressed when the Charlotte native made it.

“Hauser will go down in Clemson history with that one,” Swinney said.

Takeaways:

-Clemson: The Tigers dominated the line of scrimmage, keeping constant pressure on Jennings and disrupting SMU’s offense throughout the game.

– SMU: Mistakes early on, including dropped passes, penalties, and turnovers, hurt the Mustangs. Their defensive backs struggled to keep pace with Clemson’s fast receivers.

Up Next:

Clemson now waits to see if it will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs, while SMU awaits its playoff fate.