CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 17 Clemson Tigers celebrated a convincing victory over The Citadel, winning 51-14 on Saturday. This win marked their 39th consecutive victory against teams from the FCS division.
Clemson improved its record to 9-2 and secured its third win in a row. The team is still in the running for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and the College Football Playoff. After finishing ACC action with a 7-1 record, the Tigers need No. 11 Miami to lose next week against Syracuse to have a chance at the conference crown for the eighth time in ten seasons.
The Tigers’ offense was impressive from the start, resembling the powerful unit that averaged over 48 points during a mid-season six-game winning streak. Quarterback Cade Klubnik kicked things off by connecting with Antonio Williams for a 30-yard touchdown. Defensive tackle Payton Page then made headlines with a remarkable 57-yard interception return for a touchdown, marking Clemson’s first score from a lineman in four years and giving them a 14-0 lead.
The scoring didn’t stop there. All-American linebacker Barrett Carter, playing in what might be his next-to-last home game, added a 4-yard touchdown run, further extending Clemson’s lead.
The Citadel, now 5-7 and part of the FCS Southern Conference, experienced its 19th consecutive loss to Clemson dating back to 1932. Klubnik finished the game by completing 12 of 16 passes for 198 yards. He left the field after throwing his second touchdown pass to Williams, and the Tigers had secured a commanding 42-0 lead by that point.
Backup running back Jay Haynes had a standout performance, scoring on runs of 70 and 9 yards after starter Phil Mafah reached the milestone of 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
While The Citadel leads all FCS teams with nine victories over FBS opponents since 1978, they struggled to keep pace in this matchup, despite achieving a season-high of 288 rushing yards and managing to score their first touchdown against Clemson in four years.
With this victory, Clemson achieved nine wins for the 14th consecutive season, a streak only surpassed by Alabama’s current 16-season run. The Citadel’s season is now over, while Clemson prepares for its final regular season game against their rivals, South Carolina, next Saturday.
