Clemson wins ACC championship, automatic playoff berth on walk-off field goal to defeat SMU

Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard field goal as time expired lifted No. 17 Clemson to a 34-31 victory over No. 8 SMU in the ACC championship game.

With the victory, Clemson shook up the College Football Playoff standings by earning an automatic berth in the College Football Playoffs as conference champion.

SMU tied the game 31-31 with 16 seconds left in regulation with Kevin Jennings hitting Roderick Daniels Jr. on an out route for a 4-yard touchdown. The play was reviewed, but Daniels clearly dragged his right foot in bounds to make the catch.

On the ensuing kickoff, a 41-yard return by Austin Randall gave Clemson a chance to make a play to get within field goal range. Cade Klubnik’s 17-yard pass to Antonio Williams accomplished that goal.

Klubnik threw for four touchdowns and 262 yards, completing 24 of 41 passes. Bryant Wesco Jr. caught eight receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Briningstool also caught two touchdowns for Clemson.

Is SMU still a playoff team?

The Tigers’ victory raised a couple of questions ahead of Sunday’s selection.

Did Clemson earn a first-round bye with its win? At 10-3 and ranked below four other conference champions, that seems unlikely. There was speculation that SMU would get a bye by winning the ACC, but the Mustangs would have gone 12-1 and ranked above Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 15 and Mountain West champion Arizona State at No. 15. Boise State, at No. 10. But the committee probably didn’t just save the ACC champion a break.

And what about SMU? Did the loss knock them out of the playoffs despite an 11-2 record? Clemson’s win and Arizona State’s win in the Big 12 championship game occupy two spots that many speculated would go to No. 12 Alabama or No. 13 Miami.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney defended SMU in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Molly McGrath.

“That’s a playoff football team,” Swinney said as he pointed across the field. “SMU, they better be in the damn playoffs.”

Clemson took a big early lead

The Tigers took a 14-0 lead helped by SMU errors. A Kevin Jennings fumble on a sack gave Clemson the ball at the Mustangs’ 33-yard line. Two plays later, Klubnik hit Wesco for a 35-yard touchdown and the game’s opening score.

SMU scored three and was shut out on its next possession, but was called for a 15-yard personal foul when Davaughn Celestine’s helmet came off on a punt and he continued playing.

Between the penalty and Antonio Williams’ 21-yard return, the punt was essentially overturned and Clemson took control at the SMU 28-yard line. Four plays later, Klubnik connected with Briningstool for a 5-yard touchdown pass.

SMU got on the board with its third possession, capping a 75-yard drive with a 24-yard scoring run by Jennings. However, Clemson responded with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Wesco. Clemson led 24-7 at the half.

SMU came back from a 17-point deficit in the second half.

The Mustangs scored on their first drive of the second half with Jennings completing four passes for 65 yards, including a 10-yard throw to Brashard Smith. That cut Clemson’s lead to 24-14. However, the Tigers put together two long drives that consumed nearly 10 minutes, the second of which resulted in a touchdown on a 5-yard reception by Briningstool.

SMU came back and again cut the margin to 10, ending a seven-play drive with a 20-yard touchdown reception by Matthew Hibner. After the defense forced Clemson into three-and-outs on consecutive possessions, the Mustangs got within one score on Collin Rogers’ 46-yard field goal.

Jennings threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, completing 31 of 50 passes. Daniels had eight receptions for 97 yards and a score, added to Hibner’s five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. Brashard Smith led SMU in rushing with 113 yards on 24 carries.

At the beginning of the week. SMU coach Rhett Lashlee argued that your team should be in the playoffwin or lose, and not be punished by having to play in a conference championship game.

He repeated that statement after the defeat.

“We just played a playoff game and we played pretty well,” Lashlee said. “Our team deserves an opportunity to be present.”