CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 1 Clemson emphatically secured its spot in the College Football Playoff with a 38-3 victory over No. 7 Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night.
The Tigers (12-1) came in on top of the playoff rankings and should remain that way when the four-team field is announced today after leaving little doubt last season’s national champs are looking to win back to back CFP titles.
Kelly Bryant set a championship game record by completing his first 15 passes – he surpassed his friend and former teammate, Deshaun Watson (13) – and finished with 252 passing yards and a 27-yard touchdown pass to Deon Cain to help the Tigers win their third straight ACC crown.
Bryant also had one of Clemson’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Tigers’ defense made it stand up against a Hurricanes team that has been spurred on to its turnaround season by a glitzy, bling-covered “Turnover Chain” – jewelry worn by any Miami player after picking off a pass or recovering a fumble.
Instead, it was the Tigers who won the turnover battle (3-1) and held Miami to its fewest points and yards of the season to spoil the Hurricanes’ first appearance in the contest since the one-time powerhouse joined the league in 2004.
Clemson’s Travis Etienne opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown before Bryant’s twisting, 11-yard run for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. It was essentially over after that for the Hurricanes (10-2), who have lost two straight after rising to No. 2 in the CFP rankings two weeks ago.
Miami fell apart in the third quarter, with a pair of Malik Rosier interceptions leading to 10 points for the Tigers.
The Hurricanes, who had averaged 440 yards during the regular season, finished with 214 yards. They broke the shutout on Michael Badgley’s 29-yard field goal with 3:29 to go.