Clemson will try to keep its postseason hopes alive when it travels to No. 20 Louisville on Friday night. The matchup pairs two teams seeking late-season ACC positioning. While Dabo Swinney's team won't repeat as conference champs, they can throw a wrench on which teams end up in Charlotte.
The Tigers (4-5, 3-4 ACC) enter needing to win two of their final three games to extend their streak of 20 straight bowl appearances. Clemson leans on improved quarterback play from Cade Klubnik and a defense that showed signs of rounding into form in last week’s 24-10 win over Florida State.
Klubnik has thrown for 2,136 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing nearly 68% of his passes. Clemson averages 288.4 passing yards per game, ranking 15th nationally, but continues to search for ground production behind Adam Randall (570 yards, six TDs). Defensively, the Tigers rank 20th in rushing defense (106.3 yards per game) and sit 18th nationally on third down, holding opponents to 32.5%.
Louisville (7-2, 4-2 ACC) dropped to No. 20 after a 29-26 loss to California but remains firmly in the ACC race. The Cardinals boast one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking 13th overall (296.8 yards allowed) and 22nd against the run. Penalties, however, have been an issue. Louisville is 109th nationally at 63.1 yards per game.
Cardinals quarterback Miller Moss leads a balanced offense but is looking to rebound after a 20-of-38 outing with one interception against Cal. Running back Isaac Brown (782 yards) and receiver Chris Bell (792 yards) headline an attack averaging 32.9 points per game.
Louisville beat Clemson for the first time last season, and Jeff Brohm’s team has shown resilience, responding to losses with extended win streaks. The Tigers, meanwhile, are trying to recreate last year’s closing surge, when they won four straight to end the regular season.
Kickoff under the Friday night lights is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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