There is literally no other way to put it. The game started off pretty good and the Tar Heels even had the lead, but after that blocked field goal attempt by the Tigers, it all went downhill for North Carolina.
Maye struggled throughout the game. One of his two interceptions was a 98-yard pick six by Clemson’s Cornerback Nate Wiggins, for example. He was 26 for 42 pass attempts (61% passer rating) and only threw for 258 yards and no touchdowns. He did run in a touchdown early in the first quarter, but that was the only offense North Carolina would see.
Clemson, on the other hand, had a stellar night. Playing under the lights at the Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, Clemson took control of the game shortly after the blocked punt by Nate Wiggins.
Coach Swinney ended up benching QB Uiagalelei, who was only 2 for 5 and 10 yards, and put in Klubnik to get things going for the Tigers. Uiagalelei failed to pick up a first down on their first two possessions, which lead to the roster adjustment.
Klubnik rewarded Coach Swinney for the opportunity by throwing 279 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown as the five-star quarterback from Austin, Texas went 20 for 24 and gave the Tigers a commanding 24-10 advantage at the half.
”You got a glimpse of our future at Clemson. I’m excited to see him continue to build on it and gain momentum going into next year.”
– Coach Dabo Swinney
North Carolina’s Maye should be back next year for the North Carolina Tar Heels. With Coach Mack Brown at the helm, we could see a rematch of the ACC Championship between these two teams next year.
Clemson is expected to play in the Orange Bowl, but North Carolina is still waiting to see which bowl game they will appear in.
No. 9 @ClemsonFB wins its EIGHTH ACC championship with the dub over UNC 🏆 pic.twitter.com/g1SJkTgJFo
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 4, 2022
A final from the Queen City.#CarolinaFootball 🏈 #UNCommon @WellsFargo#ACCFCG pic.twitter.com/h0JEhxYp7m
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) December 4, 2022
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tQFIZgFX2u
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 4, 2022
Sources: YouTube/ESPN | CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20221203_CLEM@UNC/ | AP News: https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-north-carolina-clemson-tigers-dabo-swinney-445ed6a127edcb29c367811713f1d2d7
Written by GatorTim16
Tim served in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from the University of Florida. He loves to write about sports, gaming, and shoots photography whenever he gets the chance.