Louisville had a chance to win the game at the gun, but their Hail Mary attempt fell into the hands of a Clemson defender and the No. 11 Tigers escaped, 20-17. John Wallace missed a 38-yard field goal that would've tied the game on the Cardinals' prior drive, as well.
Clemson vs. Louisville final score, with 3 things to know from the Tigers’ 20-17 win
It was an ugly game, but the Tigers can head home with a win.
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It was a sloppy game for both teams. Both Deshaun Watson and Kyle Bolin threw two picks each, and when they weren't, there were a lot of errant passes and bogged down run lanes. Wayne Gallman had a nice game for Clemson, rushing for 139 yards on 24 carries, but conversely, Louisville only had 56 rushing yards as a team, not including sack yardage.
In the end, the only thing that really matters for the Tigers is that they won a road conference game, which is never easy. For Louisville, they now sit at 0-3, but certainly are a tougher team than their record would seem to indicate. Whether they can rebound and get to bowl eligibility remains to be seen.
Three things to know
1. Deshaun Watson is human. Billed as a potential Heisman candidate entering the season, Watson didn't play like one on Thursday night. He threw a pair of picks, and missed some key throws down the stretch. He's still only a sophomore and his talent is undeniable, but games like this remind you he's not a finished product yet.
2. Some clarity at quarterback for Louisville? Kyle Bolin took the vast majority of the snaps for the Cards, and while he was far from spectacular, he looked pretty competent for stretches. And that might be good enough for him to keep the job for a while.
3. That was a mess. It was a short turnaround for both teams this week, and it showed. There were mistakes all over the place, and the game suffered as a result. Now, if you don’t mind, let us never speak of this again.
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