WATCH: Cheez-It Bowl has tragic ending for Brock Purdy, Iowa State
If you need a minute to catch your breath after watching the ending to the Cheez-It Bowl, do it. You’ve earned it.
Iowa State had 4th and 2 on its own 36-yard line with 42 seconds left. The Cyclones’ season was on the line as they trailed 20-13. Quarterback Brock Purdy scrambled for a first down, but as he cut back toward the middle of the field, he fumbled.
He recovered — but it was short of the line to gain. Clemson got the ball with 33 seconds left and simply had to take a knee. The Tigers survived.
For Purdy, it’s a tough ending to a four-year career in Ames. He went 23 for 39 for 204 yards and a touchdown, but had a costly pick-six which proved to be the difference in the game.
The victory was Clemson’s 10th of the season, marking the 11th straight 10-win season for Dabo Swinney and Co.
WATCH: Brock Purdy poor decision leads to insane pick-six for Clemson
At one point, the Cheez-It Bowl was a 6-3 game. But it got weird pretty fast late in the third quarter between Clemson and Iowa State.
Iowa State quarterback 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.
Clemson took a 6-3 lead into halftime and finally found the end zone with 4:54 left in the third quarter. In fact, the Tigers took 16 plays and 7:39 to score, using plenty of clock. The pick-six came 53 seconds later and made it a 20-3 Clemson lead.
But then, with 2:27 left in the third, Tigers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw an interception of his own to give Iowa State the ball right back. The Cyclones settled for a field goal to cut the Clemson lead to 20-6 with 1:23 left in the third quarter.