Former Clemson stars Tee Higgins and Barrett Carter shined on Sunday in Week 9 of the NFL season.

Higgins and Carter teamed up to help lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a 34-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons in an international regular-season matchup at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Higgins provided red-zone dominance, while Carter came through with clutch defense.

Higgins was an unstoppable force inside the 10-yard line, hauling in two touchdown catches from Joe Burrow (a 4-yarder in the second quarter and an 8-yarder in the third quarter). He finished with five receptions for 32 yards and the two scores on six targets.

Meanwhile, Carter anchored the defense, tying for the team lead with 10 total tackles. He also forced a fumble and defended a pass, but his  biggest highlight of the contest came late in the fourth quarter when he made a stellar diving interception off Michael Penix Jr. to seal the victory.

Higgins and Carter are both enjoying outstanding 2026 campaigns.

Higgins entered Sunday’s game having recorded 43 receptions for 726 yards and four touchdowns through the first seven games, averaging 16.9 yards per catch and 103.7 receiving yards per contest. His 43 receptions entering Sunday were tied for the ninth most in the NFL, while his 726 receiving yards were good for second in the league.

Carter came into Sunday leading Cincinnati with 58 total tackles after the first seven games. He had also tallied 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three passes defended, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble.

Higgins continues to be a major part of the Bengals’ passing attack in 2026, which marks his seventh NFL season after being selected by Cincinnati in the second round (33rd overall pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Carter is now in his second NFL campaign and has established himself as a key cog in Cincinnati’s defense after being selected by the Bengals in the fourth round (119th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sunday’s victory marks the fourth consecutive win for the red-hot Bengals (6-2), who have now scored 30 or more points in four straight games for the first time since 1997.

Up next for Cincinnati is a home matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m., NBC) in Week 10.