Proud Clemson Dad Describes Moment, Emotions After Hauser’s Game-Winner
By: Robert MacRae December 12, 2024

Nolan Hauser will go down in Clemson lore after making one of the biggest kicks in school history last weekend.

The true freshman nailed a 56-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired in Saturday’s 34-31 victory over SMU, giving the Tigers the 2024 ACC title and an automatic spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

With his cannon of a leg and clutch kick, Hauser – a Clemson legacy – provided his family with a moment they will never forget and forever cherish.

Nolan’s father is former Clemson pitcher Scott Hauser, while his mother is former Clemson All-American soccer player Sheri Hauser. Nolan’s sister, Ella Hauser, was a letter-winner on the Tigers’ 2023 women’s soccer team.

In an interview with D1Baseball, Scott reflected on what it was like when his son booted the game-winner through the uprights at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

“I’ve got my daughter, my sister-in-law and Sheri’s girl friend is beside me, and I’m kind of there by myself. And at that point, I was like, ‘Oh, this is a long way.’ And anybody who’s watched Clemson football this year, we’ve had a lot of kicks blocked. And so this is going to be a low trajectory,” said Scott, who played on Clemson’s 1996 and 1997 baseball teams and was 6-2 as a pitcher on the ‘96 College World Series team.

“It’s 56 yards. It’s not one you’re going to get up immediately. It’s not an extra point. I don’t know. I think it took me two or three seconds after the ball went through that one of the other parents goes, ‘He did it!’ And then I just kind of lost it. I’m just kind of watching him. I lost him in the scrum, hoping he didn’t go down. I probably lost five or 10 minutes there. Totally, just completely blacked out.”

The 56-yard field goal is Nolan’s career-long and an ACC Championship Game record, while it marked the longest game-winning field goal as time expired in Clemson history, as well as the longest field goal in postseason play in school history.

The hometown kid, a Charlotte-area native, became the first FBS player ever to win a conference championship game by kicking a field goal of 50 or more yards as time expired.

Scott had to wait quite a while after the game ended before getting to greet his son, but he is certainly a proud dad and let Nolan know that when they were finally able to meet up afterward.

“We didn’t see him until they got out of the locker room,” Scott said. “So, it was probably 2:15 in the morning. And we’d been standing outside because they had to go through press. They did their, if they win, they dance. So, they had a lot going on in the locker room. And I think I just told him I was proud of him.”