One Tiger Who Gave Clemson Any Hope in Miami
By: Cameron Burnett October 22, 2023

Clemson’s loss to Miami was a thriller that spanned over four quarters and two overtimes, but without one Tiger, it never even gets that close.

Tight end Jake Briningstool entered Saturday night with 18 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers look pedestrian compared to the performance against the Hurricanes. He was the leading receiver for Clemson with five catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Late in the first half, quarterback Cade Klubnik and the offense began to threaten Miami in their territory. Deep shots were much more common from Garrett Riley and the offense Saturday, and Klubnik delivered a dime to Briningstool, who hauled in the 32-yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Tigers offense carried that momentum into the second half, and Briningstool took matters into his own hands. A two-play, 64-yard drive was led by Briningstool’s two catches. The latter was an acrobatic catch over a defender, and gave Clemson a 10-point lead.

Yes, it was a nightmare in Hard Rock Stadium, but the silver lining comes from the junior tight end carrying the Tigers offense for the majority of the contest. The last Clemson tight end to have this kind of a night was Jordan Leggett’s 122 yards against Florida State in 2016.

“He had a lot of matchup opportunity and he made some great plays. I knew he was in on that one…what a play that was. It’s good to see. That’s a real positive,” Swinney said.

As the Tigers pick up the pieces of what’s left after the loss, Briningstool is what’s most intact and he deserves more opportunity to impact the game.