CLEMSON, S.C. — The beginning of the Tait Reynolds era at Clemson looked anything but promising.
The freshman quarterback and the Tigers’ offense struggled to find their rhythm early Saturday, while North Carolina controlled the line of scrimmage and built a two-touchdown lead.
But Clemson refused to fold.
Trailing by 14 points in the second half, the Tigers gradually turned the momentum, rallied behind their defense and running game, and scored the final 13 points of the afternoon to defeat North Carolina 28-20 at Memorial Stadium.
The victory extended Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s dominance over the Tar Heels, improving his record against North Carolina to 8-1 and giving him eight consecutive victories over the program.
For Reynolds, it marked the beginning of his tenure as Clemson’s starting quarterback — and it came with plenty of adversity.
North Carolina entered the game 2-0 and looking to establish itself as a legitimate contender, while Clemson was attempting to make a statement in the first conference game of the season for both teams.
The Tar Heels’ defense had been impressive through the opening weeks, with head coach Bill Belichick directing that side of the football. North Carolina was also without top defender Melkart Abou Jaoude.
Despite the absence, the Tar Heels came out aggressive.
North Carolina Controls the Opening Half
Clemson received the opening kickoff, but the Tigers’ first possession lasted only three plays and produced three yards.
North Carolina immediately took advantage.
Starting near midfield, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. helped move the Tar Heels down the field with his legs and his arm. A rollout, a quarterback scramble and a series of efficient completions moved North Carolina into the red zone.
Running back Demon June finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle.
North Carolina had the early advantage.
Clemson responded with its best offensive possession to that point. Gideon Davidson opened the drive with a 9-yard sweep, and the Tigers moved the chains before two consecutive North Carolina defensive penalties provided Clemson with 20 additional yards.
The Tigers, however, couldn’t finish the drive in the end zone and settled for a field goal.
North Carolina still led 7-3 with 6:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tar Heels then went right back to work.
Edwards scrambled for yardage before connecting with Mason Humphrey for a 17-yard gain. On third down, Edwards escaped pressure and found Jelani Thurman over the middle to keep the drive alive.
Then came another big play.
Facing third-and-six from the Clemson 15-yard line, Edwards found running back Benjamin Hall in the flat. Hall turned the short pass into a 15-yard touchdown, extending the North Carolina lead to 14-3 with 2:05 remaining in the quarter.
Clemson’s problems continued when running back Jarvis Green fumbled at the Tigers’ 25-yard line.
The Tar Heels had an opportunity to take complete control, but Clemson’s defense held.
An intentional-grounding penalty helped push North Carolina into a fourth-down situation, and kicker Aeron Burrell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt.
Clemson survived.
Tar Heels Maintain Control Before Halftime
North Carolina continued to control the football in the second quarter.
The Tar Heels put together a methodical 13-play, 61-yard drive that consumed valuable clock and relied heavily on the running game.
North Carolina rushed for 52 yards on the possession before settling for a field goal, extending its advantage to 17-3 with 8:36 remaining in the first half.
Clemson’s offense continued to struggle.
The Tigers gave up a sack on third down with 7:10 left, but the offense finally began to show signs of life late in the half.
Starting at its own 34-yard line, Clemson converted two third downs and moved into North Carolina territory with an opportunity to cut into the deficit before halftime.
The Tigers reached the 3-yard line, but Reynolds couldn’t find the end zone.
With Clemson having used all three timeouts, Reynolds was forced to throw the ball away on third-and-goal, allowing the Tigers to settle for another field goal.
North Carolina went into halftime leading 17-6.
The statistics reflected the Tar Heels’ control.
North Carolina had rushed for 122 yards compared with Clemson’s 51, while Clemson struggled to sustain drives.
Still, the Tigers remained within striking distance.
Clemson Finally Finds Its Offensive Rhythm
North Carolina opened the second half with the football, and Hall immediately broke through the Clemson defense for a 19-yard run.
The drive eventually stalled, however, and the Tar Heels were forced to punt.
Clemson’s next possession ended in disaster.
Reynolds threw an interception, giving North Carolina the ball back.
But the Tar Heels couldn’t capitalize.
Inside their own 10-yard line, June fumbled, giving Clemson possession and a chance to make up for the earlier turnover.
The Tigers could only manage a field goal, but the deficit had been reduced to 17-9 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Then Reynolds finally delivered the big play Clemson needed.
The freshman connected with Bryant Wesco Jr. on a quick slant that turned into a 41-yard gain — Clemson’s biggest offensive play of the afternoon.
The Tigers kept attacking.
Later in the drive, Reynolds found tight end Christian Bentancur for a 27-yard touchdown, bringing Clemson within two points.
The Tigers attempted a two-point conversion, but the trick play failed when Wesco’s pass attempt into the end zone fell incomplete.
Still, the momentum had clearly shifted.
With 4:21 remaining in the third quarter, North Carolina’s lead had been reduced to 17-15.
Clemson then converted a crucial fourth-and-one from its own 25-yard line to keep its possession alive as the third quarter came to an end.
The comeback was underway.
Clemson Takes Control in the Fourth
North Carolina eventually forced Clemson to punt, giving the Tar Heels another opportunity to create separation.
Instead, the Tigers’ defense continued to hold.
North Carolina leaned heavily on Hall and June and eventually reached the Clemson 10-yard line. The Tar Heels failed to convert on third down but kept the drive alive with a fourth-and-one conversion.
Then the weather intervened.
A weather delay temporarily stopped the game in the fourth quarter.
When play resumed, Clemson’s defense held North Carolina to a field goal.
The Tar Heels had added three points, but the Tigers were still within one possession.
And then Clemson’s offense finally seized control.
Reynolds and the Tigers needed only four plays to travel 68 yards.
The drive ended with Gideon Davidson breaking loose for an 8-yard touchdown run.
For the first time all afternoon, Clemson had the lead.
Clemson 21, North Carolina 20.
The Tigers had completed the comeback.
Defense Finishes the Job
North Carolina still had time.
With 2:15 remaining, the Tar Heels had possession at midfield and needed a touchdown to regain the lead.
Edwards dropped back and took a shot down the field on fourth down.
The pass sailed over his intended target.
Clemson took over with 1:54 remaining and an opportunity to put the game away.
North Carolina used its remaining timeouts, but Clemson continued to run the football.
On third-and-11, the Tigers called an end-around for senior receiver Tyler Brown.
Brown initially appeared as though he might throw the football, but he pulled the ball down, found an opening and exploded through the middle of the field.
He went 34 yards for a touchdown.
Suddenly, Clemson had turned a 17-3 deficit into a 28-20 lead.
North Carolina had no timeouts remaining.
The Tar Heels attempted one final push, but Edwards’ afternoon ended with a costly mistake.
With 32 seconds remaining, he threw an interception to Elliot Washington on an in-route over the middle. The pass was picked off in traffic, ending North Carolina’s final opportunity.
Clemson had completed the comeback.
A New Era Begins
The final statistics told the story of two very different halves for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels controlled much of the first half, particularly on the ground.
But after halftime, the offense couldn’t finish drives.
North Carolina’s seven second-half possessions resulted in three punts, three turnovers and only three points.
Clemson, meanwhile, gradually found its footing.
Reynolds endured the struggles of his first start but delivered several critical plays when the Tigers needed them most. Wesco’s 41-yard reception and Bentancur’s touchdown helped ignite the comeback, while Davidson and Brown provided the decisive fourth-quarter plays.
For Clemson, the victory was about more than simply escaping with a conference win.
It marked the beginning of the Tait Reynolds era at quarterback.
And after falling behind 17-3, Reynolds and the Tigers showed the resilience necessary to turn the game around.
North Carolina came to Death Valley looking to prove its fast start was legitimate.
Instead, Clemson once again found a way to defeat the Tar Heels.
For Swinney, it was victory No. 8 in a row against North Carolina.
For Clemson, it was a comeback win.
And for Reynolds, it was the first chapter of what the Tigers hope will be a long and successful career under center.
