CLEMSON, S.C. — A Saturday afternoon meant to celebrate head coach Dabo Swinney’s 250th career game at Clemson turned into an offensive nightmare at Memorial Stadium, as Georgia Tech pulled off a 20-6 upset to snap a four-game losing streak.
Playing without four sidelined offensive starters and losing starting quarterback Tait Reynolds on its third offensive snap, Clemson (6-4, 4-3 ACC) failed to reach the end zone for the second consecutive week while Georgia Tech (3-7, 2-5 ACC) piled up 409 total yards.
Here are the biggest ups and downs from the Tigers‘ frustrating defeat:
The Ups
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Nolan Hauser’s Record-Breaking Leg: Placekicker Nolan Hauser accounted for all of Clemson’s scoring, drilling a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 47-yarder in the third quarter. The second make gave Hauser 28 field goals on the season, breaking Clemson’s single-season record, with his only blemish coming on a 52-yard miss wide left just before halftime. Hauser also averaged 47.8 yards across four punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line, while punter Jack Smith dropped all three of his punts inside the 20.
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Opportunistic Takeaways and Third-Down Stops: Clemson’s defense forced two turnovers and held Georgia Tech to 3-of-13 on third down to keep the game within reach into the fourth quarter. Safety Corey Myrick intercepted Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza at the Clemson 37 in the second quarter and led all defenders with seven tackles and two pass breakups in the opening half. Linebacker Sammy Brown later recovered a fourth-quarter fumble by Grady Adamson with 5:28 remaining to give the offense a late lifeline.
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Christopher Vizzina’s Second-Quarter Spark: After fifth-year quarterback Trent Pearman went 2-of-6 passing for 6 yards in immediate relief of Reynolds, senior Christopher Vizzina entered midway through the second quarter and completed his first four passes. Vizzina went 6-of-7 for 80 yards before halftime, highlighted by a 33-yard completion to Juju Preston on third-and-14, a 17-yard strike to tight end Christian Bentancur, and a 15-yard pickup to running back Jarvis Green. Preston finished with a team-high four receptions for 56 yards, and wide receiver Gordon Sellars III caught a 17-yard pass in his return to the lineup.
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Georgia Tech’s Ground Attack and Reshaped Defense: Under a reshaped coaching staff, Georgia Tech leaned on 271 rushing yards behind Justice Haynes (13 carries, 116 yards) and Adamson (19 carries, 87 yards), while defensive back Kealan Jones sealed the win with a fourth-quarter interception off Vizzina.
The Downs
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Tait Reynolds’ Early Exit: Already missing wide receiver Tyler Brown, running back Gideon Davidson, Harris Sewell, and Elyjah Thurmon, Clemson watched its offensive game plan unravel three plays into the contest. After completing a 3-yard pass to Olsen Patt-Henry and breaking loose for a 24-yard keeper on his first two snaps, Reynolds suffered an apparent left knee injury while sliding at the end of a scramble and went to the locker room before returning to the sideline in a knee brace without his helmet.
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Anemic Offense and Red-Zone Drought: Clemson managed just 228 total yards on 68 plays (3.4 yards per play), converted 5 of 17 third downs, went 0-for-2 on fourth down, and failed to score on its lone red-zone trip. Without Davidson, the Tigers ground out only 86 net rushing yards on 33 carries (2.6 yards per attempt), paced by Green’s 39 yards on 13 rushes and Jay Haynes’ 16 yards on two attempts.
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Five Fumbles and Second-Half Sacks: Clemson put the ball on the turf five times—two fumbles by Pearman and one apiece by Green, Vizzina, and Bryant Wesco Jr.—and only avoided disaster by recovering all five loose balls via Green, Pearman, Ashton Hampton, and Brayden Jacobs. Still, Vizzina’s 13-yard fumble loss on first-and-10 at the Georgia Tech 20 in the second quarter derailed Clemson’s best scoring threat of the half. After halftime, Vizzina absorbed three sacks—one each by Cayman Spaulding, Brayden Manley, and Taje McCoy—and threw the game-sealing interception with 4:50 left.
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Explosive Plays Allowed: While Clemson’s defense forced two turnovers, it surrendered 6.1 yards per play and gave up back-breaking gains at key moments. Mendoza connected with Jordan Allen for 24 and 37 yards on Georgia Tech’s opening touchdown drive and hit tight end Chris Corbo for a 50-yard gain with under a minute left in the first half to set up Aidan Birr’s second field goal. Early in the third quarter, Justice Haynes broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run that pushed the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 20-3 and put the upset out of reach.
Tait Reynolds Injury and Five Fumbles Define Clemson’s 20-6 Upset Loss