Snap judgments as Clemson tops Iowa State, finishes off 10-win season

ORLANDO — In what was an up-and-down year filled with plenty of highs and lows, Clemson still ended up making history.

The Tigers held off Iowa State for a 20-13 victory Wednesday night in the Cheez-It Bowl to earn their 10th win of the season.

Clemson has now won at least 10 games for 11 consecutive years, joining Florida State and Alabama as the only programs to ever accomplish that feat. The Tigers ended the season with six straight victories and won eight of their final nine games after opening the season 2-2.

“You just know it’s going to come down to a possession. They’re a scrappy team,” Dabo Swinney said of Iowa State. “But man, the credit belongs to our players. I’m just really proud of this team. To be sitting here 10-3 after starting 2-2, it’s just incredible. And it just speaks to the leadership and the character and young men in our program.”

Clemson earned the win the same way it earned most of its victories this year — by playing dominant defense and doing just enough offensively.

The Tigers scored only one offensive touchdown, but that’s all they needed as Mario Goodrich scored on a pick-six and B.T. Potter connected on a pair of field goals.

Here are some snap judgments from the win:

Defense leads way

Clemson’s only offensive touchdown came in the third quarter when Will Shipley scored from 12 yards out, but that was OK as the defense played great all night. Wes Goodwin’s debut as defensive coordinator was a strong one as the Cyclones finished with only 270 yards of offense.

The performance was even more impressive due to the fact that Clemson played most of the game without star linebacker James Skalski. Andrew Booth Jr. was also banged up in the second half, while Trenton Simpson saw limited playing time.

“We had two weeks of good preparation when we were at Clemson and here,” Goodrich said. “I just feel like all the guys bought in. They really respect [Wes] and Coach Conn.”

Big offseason upcoming for Clemson offense

Something is still just not quite right with the Clemson offense. It was unfair to expect much of a change from the end of the regular season to now, but there needs to be some real improvement this offseason. Dropped passes were again an issue, as were bad throws and bad decisions. The play calling was also very conservative, and the tempo was lacking, too.

Clemson had 315 yards of offense, with only 103 total yards in the second half.

Great ending for Mario Goodrich

Mario Goodrich made his final game as a Clemson Tiger a memorable one. The senior cornerback had a pick-six in the third quarter to give Clemson a 20-3 lead and sealed the victory by stripping Brock Purdy in the final seconds. With Iowa State facing a fourth-and-2 from its own 36, Purdy picked up 5 yards and the first down. But Goodrich stripped him before he went down and the ball tumbled backwards. Purdy recovered his fumble but was short of the line to gain, clinching the victory for the Tigers.

Goodrich was named the game’s MVP, ending his college career in memorable fashion.

“Really proud of Mario,” Swinney said. “Nobody deserves it more than this guy. He’s been amazing.”