Clemson football had a very disappointing end to its season on Friday night. The Tigers earned an invite to the Orange Bowl as ACC champions, but they certainly didn't look like champions in the 31-14 loss to Tennessee. Although, that score may not tell the full story.

If one were to look at the stats for this game, one would think that Clemson won handily. The Tigers had over 100 yards more than the Volunteers, had 14 more first downs, and had possession for over 36 minutes. Clemson also played a much cleaner game, with four penalties for 45 yards compared to Tennessee's nine for 110 yards.

So, what went wrong for the Tigers? Well, they couldn't take advantage of their opportunities. Clemson had two turnovers, went 0-for-3 on fourth down and missed three field goals in the game. If the Tigers could have come away with points on at least some of those drives, they likely win this game.

With that said, here are the three Clemson players most to blame for the Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee.

3. The offensive line

So, we're going to cheat a bit here and name an entire unit here instead of just one player. The offensive line let the Tigers down on Friday night, as freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik was running for his life every other play. The line allowed four sacks on the night, but it sure felt like a lot more.

The line was also not great at creating holes in the running game either. Despite finishing with 164 rushing yards, the Tigers averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, well below their season average of 4.6 yards. Running back Will Shipley, who averaged 5.6 yards per carry this season, had just 4.2 yards per carry on Friday.

The offensive line has actually been a bit of a problem all season for Clemson. The unit allowed 28 sacks this season, which ranks toward the middle of the pack in the FBS. If the Tigers want to return to being a national title contender, the offensive line must take a big step forward.

2. QB Cade Klubnik

Yes, Klubnik didn't have the protection a young quarterback needs to succeed, but that doesn't excuse his performance. In all, Klubnik completed 30-of-54 passes for 320 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also added 51 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushing attempts.

Klubnik finished the night with a quarterback rating of just 48.5, well below DJ Uiagalelei's rating of 64.4 this season. Now that Uiagalelei has transferred to Oregon State, the starting quarterback job is Klubnik's for the foreseeable future. The highly-touted freshman will likely play better in the future, but this was a rough first start.

1. K B.T. Potter

Potter set the Clemson school record with his 73rd made field goal of his career on Friday night. That's where the positives for his Orange Bowl performance end. Potter is normally one of the nation's most reliable kickers, but he was nowhere close to that on Friday night.

Potter went 2-for-5 on field goals in the Orange Bowl, connecting from 31 and 40 yards out while missing from 42, 49 and 55. The Tigers' kicker had missed just three field goals all season entering this game, and missed on three consecutive drives in the first half alone, which put Clemson in a steep hole. The Tigers also failed on a fake field goal attempt on their first drive, which isn't Potter's fault but is worth mentioning.

Potter is leaving big shoes to fill, and whoever takes his place will surely look up to him as they take the role. However, they will probably want to ignore this game when looking at his performances.