Dizzying finish in Florida: Clemson rallies to beat Kentucky in Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl was drunk, and Clemson football indulged.
The result was an unforgettable win.
The Tigers ended their 2023 season with a 38-35 triumph over Kentucky on Friday in an absolutely, positively ridiculous college football game that featured 42 combined points in the fourth quarter and too many can’t-miss plays to count.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik led a game-winning drive of 12 plays and 68 yards to put the team in position for the victory and running back Phil Mafah scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the game with 17 seconds remaining to put Clemson up 36-35.
After Clemson’s successful two-point conversion to go up three (a Klubnik pass to tight end Josh Sapp), Kentucky couldn’t equalize in the final 17 seconds and Clemson’s true freshman DB Shelton Lewis ended the game with an interception.
Klubnik finished 30 of 41 for 264 yards, Mafah had 11 carries for 74 yards and all four of the team’s offensive touchdowns and the defense had four turnovers ... all in the fourth quarter.
Clemson trailed 21-10 entering the final period but took the lead after forcing three consecutive turnovers and going on a 17-0 offensive run, scored 28 points and eventually grinded out a ridiculous win at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, home of the NFL’s Jaguars. Clemson finishes the season 9-4 (its worst record since 2010) but also ends 2023 on a five-game winning streak after a 4-4 start.
Kentucky dropped to 7-6.
“Unbelievable game … one of those where nobody deserves to lose,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We found a way. And these guys, they finished, they finished.”
“The foundational things that we built this program on were on full display tonight. These guys strained and put their heart into what they were doing. And just it was awesome to see.”
Game recap
After over a month off from playing, Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s offense looked out of sorts and lacked the sort of pop plays Riley was brought in to manufacture but have been absent most of the year.
Kentucky led 7-3 after the first quarter, and during those 15 minutes star UK running back Ray Davis nearly outgained Clemson in total yards … with 48. The Tigers mustered only 58 yards on offense, with Klubnik going 8-12 for only 33 yards.
Clemson’s best drive of the half came midway through the second quarter, when Klubnik dropped dimes of 14 yards and 28 yards to set up a 1-yard touchdown for Phil Mafah and give the team a 10-7 lead.
That touchdown, though, came after three punts. And was followed by three more. And was the team’s first offensive touchdown since Nov. 18 against North Carolina.
It was an uninspired effort for an offense that was, for the most part, healthy, with talented wide receiver Antonio Williams joining the usual cast of skill position players including running backs Will Shipley and Mafah, receiver Tyler Brown and tight end Jake Briningstool.
Kentucky, with veteran quarterback Leary, was far more composed at every level offensively and capitalized on Clemson’s youth and lack of depth at multiple spots.
UK gashed Clemson’s depleted defense (which was down three NFL Draft opt-outs in LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., CB Nate Wiggins and DT Ruke Orhorhoro and one transfer in S Andrew Mukuba) for runs of 43 and 22 yards and passes of 58 and 27 yards in the first half on two touchdown-scoring drives.
Then all-purpose Kentucky star Barion Brown, who already had a rushing touchdown, broke the game open with a Gator Bowl-record 102-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the second half and go up 21-10.
That ended up being the only score of the third quarter as Kentucky got busy in the Clemson backfield (the Tigers allowed a season high in sacks) and the Clemson offense cobbled together a lengthy scoring drive.
The Tigers were at one point backed up into a third-and- 23 but converted a fourth-and-5 on a 14-play, 70-yard drive that spanned 6:35 and ended with Mafah’s second 1-yard touchdown of the day to start the fourth quarter.
Down 21-16, Clemson made an analytical play and went for two. But Klubnik’s pass failed. He was, once again, under a ton of pressure from Kentucky’s defensive line.
And that trend continued in a critical late-game sequence in which Clemson strip-sacked Leary to get the ball back to the offense on UK’s 25 — only for Kentucky to hit Klubnik as he threw and intercept him in the end zone the very next snap. Klubnik was also injured on that play and limped off the field.
Clemson’s every-game starter returned, though, after briefly entering the injury while star linebacker Barrett Carter picked off Leary (Clemson’s second straight turnover forced). The Tigers had to settle for another field goal (28 yards from Weitz) after allowing a seventh sack of Klubnik.
Improbably, the Tigers defense kept delivering, forcing a third straight turnover by recovering a Kentucky fumble. Mafah rumbled in from 29 yards on the next snap and Klubnik’s two-point pass to Brown made it 27-21 Tigers.
Kentucky roared back ahead, 28-27, on Leary’s 60-yard strike to Brown (who scored via rush, kickoff return and reception Friday). In a wild quarter, that was followed by a 52-yard Weitz field goal that just snuck over the post after hitting the crossbar (30-28 Clemson) and short Davis rushing touchdown (35-30 Kentucky).
And Mafah’s touchdown, the game-winner.
“4-4 at a place like Clemson creates creates a lot of noise, a lot of narratives, a lot of doubt, leadership challenges, all those things,” Swinney said. “But these guys, they chose to continue to believe.”
Added Klubnik: “We’ve been through so much this year. Just what a way to end it. It was awesome. So awesome.”
Clemson football 2024 schedule
Dates and times for ACC games TBA
- Aug. 31: vs. Georgia in Atlanta (neutral site)
- Sept. 7: vs. Appalachian State
- Nov. 23: vs. The Citadel
- Nov. 30: vs. South Carolina
- Home ACC games: Louisville, NC State, Virginia, Stanford
- Away ACC games: Pitt, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Florida State
This story was originally published December 29, 2023 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Dizzying finish in Florida: Clemson rallies to beat Kentucky in Gator Bowl."
