The Clemson Tigers pounded out a disheartening 15-play drive taking up almost eight minutes of fourth-quarter clock, culminating in a chip shot field goal. Georgia Tech’s game only works when it’s the team doing 70 yards of slugging, not the other way around. The time means more than the score at this point, as it’s still a two-point game, but Tech’s offense isn’t going to be able to score twice without a gift turnover of some sort.
Play after play, the Jacket defense knew what was coming, but couldn’t do a thing about it. That sentence covers the drive, the whole game, and much of the season.
Clemson is 13 yards away from outrushing Tech and is only a minute shy in the time of possession battle. Actually, scratch that. Tech’s first play from scrimmage: a long interception by Joshua Nesbitt, picked off by Clemson S Andre McDaniel.
Dabo Swinney, take a victory lap. Paul Johnson is two minutes away from being 3-1 against Tech’s ACC archrivals. Death Valley has broken out in the HEY HEY HEY GOOD BYE song, half of 2009 has been avenged, and Tech falls to 5-3. Clemson’s ACC hopes are still flickering, while the Jackets have to hope to steal at least one from among Miami, Virginia Tech, and Georgia to keep the program’s bowl streak alive. Yes, we still get to play Duke.