Cade Klubnik broke two tackles and scrambled up the field for a 50-yard go-ahead touchdown as No. 20 Clemson kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive by escaping Pittsburgh with a 24-20 road victory on Saturday.
Pitt used a 13-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead with 1:36 remaining after a 47-yard field goal from Ben Sauls capped off an eight-play, 26-yard drive that burned nearly three minutes off the clock.
Clemson (8-2, 7-1 ACC) needed three plays to move back in front. Klubnik dropped back to pass and took off at midfield zig-zagging and then sprinting up the field for the longest touchdown of the game.
The Panthers (7-3, 3-3) had 76 seconds and two timeouts to respond, but their potential game-winning drive ended on fourth-and-1 at the Clemson 26-yard line when Nate Yarnell’s pass was intercepted by Khalil Barnes.
Klubnik completed 27 of 41 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished as Clemson’s leading rusher on the day with a net 41 yards after he was sacked eight times. Antonio Williams hauled in 13 of Klubnik’s passes for 149 yards and both of Clemson’s scores through the air.
Yarnell, starting in place of an injured Eli Holstein for Pitt, completed 34-of-54 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown. Panthers tight end Gavin Bartholomew had the TD reception during Pitt’s fourth-quarter comeback.
Pitt’s offense was also boosted by running back Desmond Reid, who piled up 176 yards of total offense on 24 touches, that included 10 receptions for 108 yards.
Clemson had a 17-7 lead at the end of the first half after Klubnik’s 28-yard score with Williams early in the second quarter and after Nolan Hauser kicked a 51-yard field goal.
Pitt had the ball for about nine minutes longer than Clemson, but turned the ball over twice and had 13 penalties for 100 yards.
–Field Level Media
