Clemson Tigers vs Louisville Cardinals Box Score on Sep 16, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 17, 2017

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kelly Bryant passed for 283 yards and a touchdown and ran for two scores as No. 3 Clemson rolled past No. 14 Louisville 47-21 Saturday night at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

Clemson (3-0, 1-0 ACC) improved to 4-0 against Louisville (2-1, 0-1) since the Cardinals joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014.

While Clemson's offense had its way with Louisville, amassing 613 yards, it was the Tigers' defense that set the tone.

Clemson held Louisville to 433 total yards -- 181 yards below its average -- and kept reigning Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson under wraps for the most part. Jackson entered the game accounting for 505 yards per game; he was held to 381 yards by the Tigers, with 202 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter.

Clemson led 19-7 at half, but really appeared to take command when linebacker Dorian O'Daniel intercepted a Jackson pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown with 8:57 left in the third quarter, pushing the Tigers' advantage to 26-7. Bryant added a 1-yard scoring run with 2:16 left in the quarter and Clemson began substituting liberally in the final quarter.

Clemson, the defending national champion, flashed its offense as well by accumulating 297 yards rushing. Junior running back Adam Choice had a 39-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter and sophomore Tavien Feaster had 92 yards on 10 carries.

But the biggest play of the night for Clemson came when freshman running back Travis Etienne, who had 98 yards on only six carries, broke down the left sideline for an 81-yard touchdown run that ranks as the longest since C.J. Spiller had an 83-yard run against Auburn in 2007.

Jackson threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter -- a 36-yard strike to Jaylen Smith and an 8-yarder to Dez Fitzpatrick.

Clemson opened the game by driving 79 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown on its first possession of the game. Bryant completed three passes for 46 yards, including a 40-yarder to Hunter Renfrow, before capping the drive with an 8-yard scoring burst up the middle.

It marked the 12th time in 34 games under co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott that Clemson has scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game.

Louisville responded on its ensuing possession, marching 95 yards in six plays to tie the game at 7-7. Jackson had 55 yards rushing on the drive before tossing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Charles Standberry with 4:22 left in the first quarter.

Clemson's Greg Huegel, who missed a 42-yard field goal early in the second quarter, converted from 31 yards with 6:57 left in the first half to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead.

The Tigers extended their lead to 16-7 a few minutes later when Bryant connected with a wide-open Ray-Ray McCloud for a 79-yard touchdown. The PAT was blocked.

Huegel added a 49-yard field goal 28 seconds before the half to put Clemson ahead, 19-7.

NOTES: QB Kelly Bryant's 79-yard touchdown pass to Ray-Ray McCloud in the second quarter was the longest scoring play by Clemson since a 96-yard pass from Tajh Boyd to Sammy Watkins on Nov. 2, 2013 at Virginia. ... PK Greg Huegel's 49-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the first half was the longest of his career. ... McCloud had a career-high 115 yards receiving in the first half. ... Louisville QB Lamar Jackson became the ACC's career rushing leader among quarterbacks when his 30-yard run in the first quarter gave him 2,822 yards. ... Louisville is 0-3 all-time when playing a defending national champion. ... WR Jaylen Smith, who entered the game averaging 8.5 catches and 150 yards per game, had two receptions for 26 yards in the first half.