LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Clemson’s defense did not play its best game of the season by far.

In fact, there were times Friday, during the Tigers’ 20-19 win over No. 20 Louisville, they were run over by the Cardinals’ rushing attack. Running back Keyjaun Brown averaged 9.0 yards per carry and tallied 135 yards on 15 carries.

Louisville (7-3, 4-3 ACC) amassed 385 total yards and averaged 6.5 yards per play. Yet, the Cardinals scored just 19 points.

Part of the reason is because Louisville missed three kicks, including an extra point. Part of it, though, was because the defense, despite its struggles at times, held the Cardinals to four field goal attempts, including several big plays late in the game that led to two miss kicks, including potential game-winners in the final four minutes.

“We went out there and pushed them back,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

Louisville was driving for what looked like a game-leading field goal when it faced third down-and-nine from the Tigers’ 29-yard line. That is when linebacker Sammy Brown came off the left side and sacked quarterback Miller Moss for a six-yard loss.

“That sack right there was big time,” Swinney said. “It obviously pushed them back.”

The sack pushed the Cardinals back to the 35-yard line, making Cooper Ranvier’s kick a little more difficult. One of the nation’s most accurate kickers, pushed his kick wide left from 52 yards out, preserving the Tigers’ one-point lead with 4:06 to play.

“That was a little crazy but shout out to the defense. They went out there and stalled an electric offense at home multiple times,” Clemson running back Adam Randall said.

Clemson (5-5, 4-4 ACC) was not out of the woods, yet.

The Tigers went three-and-out on their ensuing possession and then disaster struck. The snap on Clemson’s punt attempt skipped to punter Jack Smith, who had to jump on the football at his own 23 with 2:29 to play.

Louisville was set up with great field position and needed just a field goal to win the game.

However, Clemson’s defense responded.

After a procedure penalty on Louisville pushed the ball back five yards to the 28, defensive end Will Heldt and linebacker Wade Woodaz tackled Brown for a 2-yard loss. On second down, with the ball now at the Clemson 30, backup running back Duke Watson got just a three-yard gain, moving the ball to the 27.

But the Cardinals (7-3, 4-3 ACC) were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play, which pushed the ball back to the Clemson 42. On third down-and-29, Miller Moss completed a 14-yard pass to Antonio Meeks that moved the ball to the 28.

However, backup kicker Nick Keller badly pushed his 46-yard field goal attempt to the left with 90 seconds remaining, which all but sealed the Tigers’ one-point victory.

“That is one of the craziest games I have been in,” Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell said. “This game was the definition of our season, but I am glad we got the win, though.”