By Will Vandervort.
7:04 p.m.
DeShawn Williams deflects the pass on fourth-and-one and the Clemson defense wins the game. Tigers win 23-17 overall Louisville. Wow! What an ending.
7 p.m.
Wow! They have them backed up and everything and then one play changes everything. Four tries to stop them here. There is 1:08 to play in the game.
6:57 p.m.
Lakip kicks a 21-yard field. The drive was 12 plays, 68 yards and took 5:24 off the clock. Now it is up to the defense to win the game.
6:44 p.m.
Clemson gets the ball back with 6:38 to play. They need to pick up some first downs and eat some clock. The Tigers have the ball at their own 28-yard line.
6:38 p.m.
There is 9:16 to play and it appears the 82,000 fans in Death Valley are very nervous right now.
6:34 p.m.
Petrino just made a bad call there I think as well. But great stop by the Clemson defense.
6:31 p.m.
Louisville gets an interception and is driving on the Tigers. Next touchdown by either team wins this game. I’m saying it right now.
6:20 p.m.
Lakip hits a 40-yard field that hits the goal post and bounces in. That was a 10-play drive, 55-yard drive that took 3:09. Clemson takes a 20-17 as the quarter comes to an end.
6:18 p.m.
Clemson picked up its first third down conversion of the game.
6:03 p.m.
That third down catch by Louisville was the first third down converted in this game. The Gardner hits Rogers for a touchdown on a post call. Louisville ties the game at 17-17.
6 p.m.
Louisville goes with Will Gardner for a spark at quarterback.
6:35 p.m.
That was a bad call by Dabo Swinney right there. There was no need to give Louisville momentum right there. They should have just should have punted the ball and force them to drive the ball.
5:54 p.m.
Right now Clemson is averaging 1.6 yards per run and Louisville is averaging 1.1
5:50 p.m.
To this point, Clemson has only one play over 24 yards.
5:48 p.m.
Clemson gets a 45-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 17-10 lead with 9:43 to play in the third quarter. That was the first drive in the game that ended in points for Clemson.
5:15 p.m.
Clemson pulled an NC State to end the half. Stoudt should have none better there. He should have thrown the ball away there. That might come back to haunt them in this game. Clemson leads 14-10 at the break.
4:59 p.m.
Clemson has 8 yards of total offense and leads 14-10, how?
4:54 p.m.
Beasley was credited with a sack on the previous play and now as the all-time record at Clemson with 29.
4:49 p.m.
Defensive end Tavaris Barnes recovers the fumble for a touchdown. It was a two-yard return. Garry Peters got the sack. Clemson takes the lead 14-10.
4:43 p.m.
Clemson goes three-and-out again. They get nothing after the turnover.
4:41 p.m.
Clemson finally gets a break as Louisville fumbles a punt and the Tigers have it at the Louisville 37
4:32 p.m.
Clemson goes three-and-out, again. Just one first down so far for the Tigers.
4:28 p.m.
Louisville takes 10-7 lead by the way.
4:27 p.m.
We are told it is a finger cast. Watson is out for the rest of the game.
4:26 p.m.
Watson has a cast on his right arm. Stayed tuned.
4:24 p.m.
By the way, Louisville outgained Clemson 83-5 in the first quarter, and knocked out their quarterback.
4:23 p.m.
That is the end of the first quarter. Clemson leads 7-3 but Louisville is threatening at the Clemson 2.
4:16 p.m.
Watson injured his right index finger it appears and they are taking him to the locker room.
4:12 p.m.
Clemson defense forces a three-and-out and the Cardinals use the turnover to convert a 41-yard field goal. Clemson 7, Louisville 3.
4:10 p.m.
Clemson has 2 yards after three possessions. Louisville has 42 yards.
4:08 p.m.
Louisville intercepts a Watson pass at the Clemson 25.
4:01 p.m.
Don’t forget to check out Hal’s recruiting notes from today. link
3:59 p.m.
Clemson goes three-and-out for a second time. Pinion punts the ball 57 yards with an 11-yard gain. Cardinals ball at their own 35.
3:53 p.m.
That was the first three-and-out of the year on the first possession. Pinion follows with a 52-yard punt. Louisville starts at the 16
3:50 p.m.
Louisville wide receivers have dropped two passes so far. Both were would have been first downs. Also, the Cardinals left tackle held Beasley by grabbing his ankle. That’s a new way of holding.
3:42 p.m.
Humphries goes 72 yards for a touchdown on a punt return. That is the first punt return by a Clemson player since CJ Spiller went 77 yards against BC in September of 2009.
3:39 p.m.
Boulware started at weakside backer
3:36 p.m.
Louisville’s Parker will not play.
3:35 p.m.
Louisville has won the toss and they will receive
3:34 p.m.
Clemson’s captains Anthony, Humphries, Vic Beasley and Kalon Davis
3:29 p.m.
During warmups, Louisville’s defensive backs came up to Clemson’s wide receivers and started getting in their face and talking trash.
3:13 p.m.
These uniforms for Louisville make them look like Texas Tech. They have back helmets with a Red Cardinal with white jersey and paints with black numbers.
2:54 p.m.
It appears Spencer Region is Clemson’s third string center going into this game. Deshaun Watson was taking shotgun snaps from Region. Webster of course is the second team center with Guillermo out.
2 p.m.
I just spoke with one of the beat writers who cover the Cardinals and they are under the impression that freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon will start the game today over Will Gardner.
As for wide receiver DeVante Parker is questionable and will be a game time decision. They told me he is healthy enough to play, but the issue is whether or not he is in football shape. He thinks Parker will play.
We watch Parker on the field warming up and he looked fine.
1:44 p.m.
This is the first time in 19 games Louisville has not been favored to win a game. Clemson is a 9.5 point favorite heading into the game.
1:39 p.m.
Clemson injury report
Out
Oliver Jones, OT, torn ACL
Zac Brooks, RB, foot
Tyshon Dye, RB, Achilles
Joe Gore, OT, appendix
Travis Blanks, SAF, Knee
Jay Guillermo, OL, Foot
Charone Peake, leg
Martin Jenkins, CB, Foot
Doubtful
Tony Steward, LB, Hamstring
Cleared to play
Ben Boulware, LB, Concussion
Cole Stoudt, QB, Shoulder
12:39 p.m.
Each of the next three Clemson opponents in Memorial Stadium will be making their first trip to Clemson for a football game. Louisville is Saturday’s opponent and this will be the first meeting anywhere between the two schools.
Clemson and Louisville were members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association between 1914-22, but never faced each other.
In two weeks Syracuse will come to Clemson for the first time. The Tigers and Orange have played twice on the gridiron, once in the 1996 Gator Bowl and last year at Syracuse, but never at Clemson. Then, on November 22, Georgia State and Clemson will play for the first time.
Louisville is the 54th different team to come to Memorial Stadium and the Tigers are 39-13-1 against those teams when the visitor is making its first appearance. But, it has been especially difficult to beat Clemson in that first meeting since 1978. In the last 37 years Clemson is 23-2 against teams making their first appearance in Memorial Stadium.
The only teams to win their first game here since 1998 are Marshall (13-10 winners over Clemson in 1999 in Tommy Bowden’s first game as Clemson coach) and Miami (FL) (36-30 wins over Clemson in 2005 in triple overtime, the longest game in Clemson history.
12:31 p.m.
There will be more people at Tiger Walk today than what Louisville saw in the Carrier Dome last week.
12:25 p.m.
It’s my first post of the day as TCI is the press box at Death Valley. We will update you throughout the day as the Tigers host Louisville in a key ACC Atlantic Division match up.