Clemson football makes history with Cheez-It Bowl win
Sure, it wasn’t pretty, but the Clemson Tigers managed to get their 10th win of the 2021 season tonight in their 20-13 Cheez-it Bowl win over Iowa State. In doing so, the Tigers became just the third program in FBS history with double-digit wins in 11 straight seasons.
The win was not only historic for the Clemson program, but the ACC conference, as the win stopped the ACC’s 13-game losing streak in bowl games.
In the Cheez-It Bowl, the Tigers were certainly helped by the bizarre pick- six by Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy. It’ll go down as one of the strangest pick-sixes in college football history.
Brock Purdy went to throw a pass, but it got tipped. Purdy tried to tip it again, but ended up knocking it right into the hands of Clemson’s Mario Goodrich, who took it to the house for a pick-six.
Just watch it.
The pick six was a game-changing play that ended up being the difference in the game. Purdy had a forgettable performance, as he also fumbled on a fourth down play that helped to seal the win for the Tigers.
Will Shipley gives Clemson fans a glimpse of the future
Will Shipley was one of the most highly rated running back prospects in Clemson football history and he finished off his freshman campaign tonight in style. He had over 100 all-purpose yards against Iowa State and one touchdown on the ground. It’s just a small taste of what’s to come for Clemson fans.
It’ll be amazing to see what he can do behind a decent offensive line, as the Tigers’ offensive line has shuffled a number of combinations throughout the 2021 season. He drew rave reviews from Clemson’s coaches the second he set foot on campus. It’ll be fun to watch his career blossom in the coming years.
150 wins for Dabo Swinney
It was also Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s 150th win of his college football career, not an easy mark to reach at any school. He’s got a ways to go if he wants to crack the top 100 winningest coaches in college football, but there’s no disputing what Swinnney has done at Clemson is remarkably impressive.
His next biggest challenge at the school will be winning without his old offensive and defensive coordinators, who left for head coaching jobs at Virginia (Tony Elliott) and Oklahoma (Brent Venables) respectively.
Many Clemson fans hope that Swinney can take the program back to the same elite level, when the team would make appearances in the College Football Playoff and the national championship. Help is on the way in former Westlake (Austin, Texas) signal-caller Cade Klubnik. He’s one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in Texas high school football history and he led his team to three state championships. Klubnik arrives at Clemson on Jan. 9.
It’s going to be fascinating story to watch unfold in the spring and fall. Many people expect him to compete for the starting quarterback job for the Tigers next fall.