PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Cade Klubnik sprinted 50 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:16 left and No. 20 (CFP) Clemson fended off Pittsburgh 24-20 on Saturday.

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The Tigers (8-2, 7-1 ACC) had done little on the ground all day before the junior quarterback tucked the ball away and sped past a handful of stunned defenders to keep Clemson’s outside hopes of reaching the ACC championship game alive .

Klubnik finished with 288 yards and two touchdown passes through the air and added 41 yards on the ground, with almost all of the positive yards coming on his zigzag through the Pitt secondary just 20 seconds after the Panthers took the lead on a 47-yard run. field goal Ben Sauls.

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Antonio Williams caught 13 passes for 149 yards and two scores for the Tigers, who need No. 12 Miami to lose one of its final two games or No. 14 SMU to drop its final two games to reach the ACC title game Reach Charlotte on December 7. .

Nate Yarnellstarting with the injured Eli Holsteinthrew for 350 yards, including a game-tying touchdown to Gavin Bartholomew with 7:05 to go. The last of Yarnell’s 55 pass attempts was picked off by Clemson Khalil Barnes at the goal line as time expired.

Desmond Reid had 176 yards for the Panthers (7-3, 3-3), who outscored Clemson 438-346 and dominated the second half until Klubnik took advantage of Pitt’s relentless pressure by stepping into the pocket and finding enough space to run.

TAKEAWAY

Clemson: The Tigers aren’t the juggernaut they were at the start of the decade and Klubnik’s season likely won’t end with him becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist, but he provided a signature moment that helped Clemson survive on a day when the Tigers had gained all eight meters of lead. the ground until their final attacking click.

Pitt: The Panthers played with passion, if not precision. It just wasn’t enough to prevent them from suffering a third straight loss after a 7-0 start. The pre-snap problems that haunted Pitt resurfaced recently, most notably early in the fourth quarter, when a first-and-goal from the Clemson 5 turned into a short field goal by Sauls after an illegal formation, delay of play and foul goals. penalty kicks start.

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IMPLICATIONS OF THE POLL

Don’t expect the Tigers to rise too much in the AP Top 25 or in the College Football Playoff rankings after struggling to do much of anything in the final 30 minutes against Pitt.

NEXT

Clemson: will host The Citadel next Saturday.

Pitt: travels to No. 22 Louisville next Saturday.

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