CFP First Round Recap: No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #12 Clemson (10-4) | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| #5 Texas (12-2) | 7 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
Blue's fourth-quarter touchdown came after Clemson rallied from down 31-10 to 31-24 on Cade Klubnik's third touchdown pass.
Texas (12-2) advanced to the Jan. 1 Peach bowl to play Big 12 champion Arizona State.
"You can't win (the championship) if you don't win the first one," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "We did that."
Blue also scored on 38-yard cut-and-dash burst in the second quarter. On his second, he dove into the line, shook a tackler, and then outraced three more to the end zone with just 11 minutes left.
Blue missed a game this season with a nagging ankle injury and saw his carries reduced over several games because of fumble problems. He clutched the ball tightly to his chest when a defender tried to rip it away.
"It was a sign of relief after everything I've been going through," Blue said. "I stayed patient, I saw a crease and it was everything (open) from there."
Quintrevion Wisner added 110 yards rushing and two first-half touchdowns for Texas. Quinn Ewers passed for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Klubnik, who grew up in Austin, passed for 336 yards and rallied the Tigers (10-4) in the second half against a Texas defense that had given up just four passing touchdowns all season.
The runner-up in the Southeastern Conference, Texas is the only one of last season's four playoff teams to make the new 12-team field. Clemson won the ACC championship to make the playoff. The Tigers were the No. 12 seed in their first appearance since 2020 and seventh overall.
"It's not easy to get on this stage (again), and they earned it," Sarkisian said. "It think college football got this one right. This idea of a home playoff game with a 12-team format was pretty special."
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 08:14 | 7-0 | Clemson | Antonio Williams 22 yd pass from Cade Klubnik (Nolan Hauser kick) | 12-75 (06:46) |
| 1st | 02:04 | 7-7 | Texas | Quintrevion Wisner 3 yd rush (Bert Auburn kick) | 12-75 (06:10) |
| 2nd | 12:49 | 7-14 | Texas | Jaydon Blue 38 yd rush (Bert Auburn kick) | 5-65 (02:04) |
| 2nd | 07:26 | 7-21 | Texas | Quintrevion Wisner 16 yd rush (Bert Auburn kick) | 6-82 (02:57) |
| 2nd | 01:33 | 10-21 | Clemson | Nolan Hauser 32 yd FG | 7-40 (01:07) |
| 2nd | 00:28 | 10-28 | Texas | Gunnar Helm 19 yd pass from Quinn Ewers (Bert Auburn kick) | 7-65 (01:05) |
| 3rd | 08:10 | 10-31 | Texas | Bert Auburn 22 yd FG | 14-71 (06:50) |
| 3rd | 03:29 | 17-31 | Clemson | Jarvis Green 25 yd pass from Cade Klubnik (Nolan Hauser kick) | 4-55 (01:05) |
| 4th | 11:43 | 24-31 | Clemson | T.J. Moore 7 yd pass from Cade Klubnik (Nolan Hauser kick) | 10-64 (04:12) |
| 4th | 10:48 | 24-38 | Texa | Jaydon Blue 77 yd rush (Bert Auburn kick) | 2-83 (00:51) |
Team Statistics
| CLEM | TEX | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 26 |
| Rushing | 4 | 13 |
| Passing | 15 | 10 |
| Penalty | 1 | 3 |
| Rushes-Yards | 24-76 | 48-292 |
| Passing Yards | 336 | 202 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 26-43-1 | 17-24-1 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 67-412 | 72-494 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 1-9 | 1-0 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 2-33 | 1-17 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 4-35.5 | 1-42.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 2-0 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 2-14 | 3-29 |
| Penalties-Yards | 5-65 | 2-10 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 3-of-12 | 6-of-12 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 1-of-3 | 1-of-4 |
Individual Statistics
| CLEM | TEX | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Adam Randall, 4-44; Keith Adams Jr., 3-11; Phil Mafah, 2-9; Jarvis Green, 2-7; Cade Klubnik, 13-5. | Jaydon Blue, 14-146, 2 TD; Quintrevion Wisner, 15-110, 2 TD; Jerrick Gibson, 9-35; Ryan Wingo, 1-7; Arch Manning, 3-0; Quinn Ewers, 4- -3. |
| Passing | Cade Klubnik, 26-43-1, 336, 3 TD. | Quinn Ewers, 17-24-1, 202, 1 TD. |
| Receiving | T.J. Moore, 9-116, 1 TD; Jake Briningstool, 4-69; Antonio Williams, 4-66, 1 TD; Bryant Wesco Jr., 3-30; Jarvis Green, 2-35, 1 TD; Phil Mafah, 2-15; Keith Adams Jr., 1-4; Adam Randall, 1-1; Clark Sanderson, 0-0. | Gunnar Helm, 6-77, 1 TD; Matthew Golden, 2-49; Jaydon Blue, 2-31; Ryan Wingo, 2-23; DeAndre Moore Jr., 2-13; Quintrevion Wisner, 2-0; Silas Bolden, 1-9. |
| Punting | Aidan Swanson, 4-142, 35.5. | Michael Kern, 1-42, 42.0. |
| Returns | Punt: Antonio Williams, 1-9; Kickoff: Adam Randall, 2-33; Intercept: R.J. Mickens, 1-6. | Punt: Silas Bolden, 1-0; Kickoff: Matthew Golden, 1-17; Intercept: Colin Simmons, 1- -2. |
| Field Goals | Nolan Hauser, 1-1 (32 Good). | Bert Auburn, 1-1 (22 Good). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) | Sammy Brown (6-4-10, 0, 1-1); R.J. Mickens (5-3-8, 0, 0.5-1); Wade Woodaz (2-6-8, 0, 1-6); Payton Page (4-3-7, 0, 0); Avieon Terrell (5-1-6, 0, 0); Barrett Carter (3-3-6, 0, 0); Peter Woods (3-2-5, 0, 0.5-1); Khalil Barnes (3-2-5, 0, 0); DeMonte Capehart (1-4-5, 0, 0.5-0); Ashton Hampton (1-3-4, 0, 0); T.J. Parker (2-1-3, 0, 0.5-1); Tré Williams (2-0-2, 2-14, 2-14); Vic Burley (0-2-2, 0, 0); Cade Denhoff (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jeadyn Lukus (1-0-1, 0, 0); Adam Randall (1-0-1, 0, 0); Ricardo Jones (1-0-1, 0, 0); Jahiem Lawson (0-1-1, 0, 0); A.J. Hoffler (0-1-1, 0, 0); Stephiylan Green (0-0-0, 0, 0). | Anthony Hill Jr. (7-2-9, 0, 0); Malik Muhammad (5-0-5, 0, 0); Liona Lefau (3-2-5, 0, 0); Jaylon Guilbeau (4-0-4, 0, 1-1); Ethan Burke (3-1-4, 1-10, 1.5-12); Alfred Collins (2-2-4, 0, 0.5-1); Jahdae Barron (3-0-3, 0, 0); Jelani McDonald (2-1-3, 0, 0); Andrew Mukuba (1-2-3, 0, 0); Barryn Sorrell (1-2-3, 1-5 1.5-5); Morice Blackwell Jr. (2-0-2, 0, 0); Michael Taaffe (1-1-2, 0, 0); Trey Moore (1-1-2, 0, 0); Bill Norton (1-1-2, 1-14 1.5-15); Ty'Anthony Smith (1-0-1, 0, 0); Ryan Niblett (1-0-1, 0, 0); Gavin Holmes (1-0-1, 0, 0); Colin Simmons (0-1-1, 0, 0.5-1); Vernon Broughton (0-1-1, 0, 0.5-2); David Gbenda (0-1-1, 0, 0). |
Starters & Reserves
Texas Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| WR | 0 | Antonio Williams |
| WR | 1 | T.J. Moore |
| WR | 12 | Bryant Wesco Jr. |
| QB | 2 | Cade Klubnik |
| LB | 53 | Joseph Roberto II |
| OL | 64 | Walker Park |
| RB | 7 | Phil Mafah |
| OL | 71 | Tristan Leigh |
| OL | 74 | Marcus Tate |
| OL | 78 | Blake Miller |
| TE | 9 | Jake Briningstool |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| LB | 0 | Barrett Carter |
| CB | 10 | Jeadyn Lukus |
| DL | 11 | Peter Woods |
| DE | 15 | Jahiem Lawson |
| LB | 17 | Wade Woodaz |
| S | 18 | Kylon Griffin |
| CB | 20 | Avieon Terrell |
| DE | 3 | T.J. Parker |
| LB | 47 | Sammy Brown |
| DT | 55 | Payton Page |
| S | 9 | R.J. Mickens |
Texas Reserves
19 - DeMonte Capehart, 19 - Keith Adams Jr., 20 - Clark Sanderson, 21 - Jarvis Green, 23 - Ashton Hampton, 25 - Ricardo Jones, 38 - Robert Gunn III, 39 - Aidan Swanson, 44 - Banks Pope, 44 - Cade Denhoff, 45 - Philip Florenzo, 45 - Vic Burley, 58 - Holden Caspersen, 7 - Khalil Barnes, 8 - Tré Williams, 8 - Adam Randall, 81 - Nolan Hauser, 88 - Clay Swinney, 90 - Stephiylan Green, 99 - A.J. Hoffler.
Clemson Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| WR | 0 | DeAndre Moore Jr. |
| WR | 2 | Matthew Golden |
| RB | 26 | Quintrevion Wisner |
| QB | 3 | Quinn Ewers |
| WR | 5 | Ryan Wingo |
| OL | 52 | DJ Campbell |
| OL | 56 | Cameron Williams |
| OL | 65 | Jake Majors |
| OL | 76 | Hayden Conner |
| OL | 78 | Kelvin Banks Jr. |
| TE | 85 | Gunnar Helm |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| LB | 0 | Anthony Hill Jr. |
| DB | 16 | Michael Taaffe |
| LB | 18 | Liona Lefau |
| DB | 3 | Jaylon Guilbeau |
| DB | 4 | Andrew Mukuba |
| DL | 45 | Vernon Broughton |
| DB | 5 | Malik Muhammad |
| DB | 7 | Jahdae Barron |
| DL | 8 | Trey Moore |
| DL | 88 | Barryn Sorrell |
| DL | 95 | Alfred Collins |
Clemson Reserves
11 - Colin Simmons, 11 - Silas Bolden, 15 - Will Stone, 15 - Bill Norton, 16 - Arch Manning, 21 - Ryan Niblett, 23 - Jordon Johnson-Rubell, 23 - Jaydon Blue, 24 - Warren Roberson, 25 - Jelani McDonald, 26 - Ty'Anthony Smith, 33 - David Gbenda, 37 - Morice Blackwell Jr., 39 - Michael Kern, 45 - Bert Auburn, 54 - Cole Hutson, 58 - Lance St. Louis, 6 - Kobe Black, 67 - Malik Agbo, 74 - Trevor Goosby, 75 - Jaydon Chatman, 81 - Juan Davis, 83 - Spencer Shannon, 9 - Gavin Holmes, 9 - Jerrick Gibson, 91 - Ethan Burke, 92 - Colton Vasek, 99 - Jermayne Lole.
