Everyone thought that this year’s Clemson Tigers football team had changed its stripes, and it was hard to argue otherwise given the statistics. Since their Week 1 blowout loss to Georgia, 34-3, in Atlanta, the Tigers had gone on a roll, winning six straight, all by wide margins. However, in Week 10, in a pivotal ACC matchup against Louisville, the Tigers failed to live up to their latest hype.
Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) entered Saturday night's game as a 10.5-point favorite over Louisville (6-3, 4-2 ACC). While the Cardinals were not expected to be pushovers, the idea of them taking a game from the Tigers at night on their home turf seemed inconceivable. Yet, when it was all said and done, Louisville walked out of Death Valley with a 33-21 win that never felt competitive.
By halftime, Louisville had already secured a 17-7 lead. It was by no means insurmountable, especially for a Clemson offense that had been on fire recently, led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Cade Klubnik. But the offense never got up to speed, which is where we begin in assessing who is most to blame for the Tigers loss to Louisville.
Cade Klubnik's Heisman campaign likely done after Louisville performance
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has been under scrutiny since last season, when he and the Tigers fell well short of expectations. The pressure only increased after he and the team laid an egg against Georgia to start this season. But then, he suddenly became one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country, delivering with both his arm and legs. Those six games afterward put him squarely in the Heisman race. However, failing to lead the Tigers to victory over Louisville likely knocks him out of contention now.
Klubnik and the Clemson offense couldn’t get anything going on Saturday night, even against a Louisville defense that was allowing 27.3 points per game. They couldn’t even match that. Clemson scored just seven points in the first quarter and didn’t find the end zone again until six minutes remained in regulation, adding another score shortly after—both in garbage time.
Klubnik finished the game completing 33-of-56 passes (58.9%) for 228 yards and one touchdown, with an additional 43 yards rushing. It was his first game since Georgia where he didn’t throw multiple touchdowns.
Dabo Swinney goes for it on own side of field, Phil Mafah can't convert
It’s difficult to place much blame on Clemson running back Phil Mafah for his performance against Louisville. After all, he was the bell cow for the Tigers, rushing for 171 yards on 33 carries and scoring two touchdowns (both in the fourth quarter). However, late in the third quarter, with the Tigers down by 16, coach Dabo Swinney made the decision to go for it on fourth down at their own 34-yard line.
The result was Mafah taking a one-yard loss, and the Cardinals extended their lead by three points four plays later. This call could be debated either way, but it seemed there was enough time left in the game to avoid taking such a risk on their own side of the field. Sixteen points wasn’t an insurmountable deficit. On the other hand, the offense had been stagnant all evening. It’s a toss-up, but even Swinney admitted after the game that it was poorly executed and coached by his staff.
“We did not play our best game tonight, and we did not deserve to win,” Swinney said, per ESPN. “We looked like a very poorly coached team tonight. That’s on me.”
Clemson defense couldn't stop Isaac Brown
Excluding their game against Louisville, Clemson had surrendered just 41 points across three of their last four games. Now, in their last two, they've given up 52. Of course, those three opponents (Stanford, Florida State, and Wake Forest) have a combined seven wins and aren’t exactly offensive juggernauts.
This year’s Clemson defense hasn’t exactly excelled against the run either, allowing nearly 150 yards on the ground in every game except three and giving up nine rushing touchdowns overall. Against Louisville, they allowed over 200 rushing yards (210) for the second time this season.
Freshman Isaac Brown was unstoppable Saturday night, running all over Clemson. He had 20 carries for a career-high 151 yards and a clinching fourth-quarter touchdown, pretty much running Clemson out of the College Football Playoff race.
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