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Andrea Adelson
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ESPN Staff Writer- Journalist of ACC
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010
- Graduate from the University of Florida.
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Sam Khan Jr.
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ESPN Staff Writer- Texas A & M Covers and SEC.
- Joined ESPN in 2012
- Graduate from the University of Houston.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Nobody chose Texas A & M to beat Clemson, not when the Tigers came to Kyle Field with second place and a defensive line that is the envy of college football.
Yet when the Aggies recovered the ball with 4:03 to play, a palpable buzz invaded the air and 104,794 screaming fans stood up, waving white towels. Clemson had stopped on two drives in the fourth quarter, while Texas A & M quarterback Kellen Mond hit afterwards, straightening each time, delivering big games on the Tigers defense.
What happened next can only be described as a wild, emotional and unexpected finale, punctuated by a disputed call, a ballistic coach on the sidelines, a further chance for A & M, a peak grip and good other things. Clemson won 28-26 and the way this game is over will not be forgotten anytime soon.
4:03 left, fourth quarter – Texas A & M, trailing 28 to 20, takes possession of his account 15
Mond hits a Kendrick Rogers bound for a 30-meter gain to start the drive. On the next game, Mond finds tight end Jace Sternberger for 28 yards and, quickly, the Aggies are in the Clemson territory. The Tigers call a timeout with 3:05 to assemble and three games later Mond finds receiver Quartney Davis, who catches the ball on a winding road at Clemson 15, turns, slips to 10, heads to the left-lane and bypasses a pair of Clemson defenders blocked by fellow comrade Camron Buckley.
The security of Clemson K & # 39; Von Wallace is in pursuit. Davis thinks of the goal zone. At 4, he begins to lean forward and extends his arms with the ball toward the pylon. Wallace catches Davis in 2 and hits the ball. He's flying out of bounds. Officials consider it a touchback. After a replay, the call remains. Clemson ball
Clemson S Wallace: "When [Davis] I caught the ball, I think: "Someone has to take the ball out of his hand because the goal zone is 5 meters away. So when he went wild, I thought, "It's my time to take the ball out." "
Clemson Coach, Dabo Swinney: "Give K" a little credit to Von Wallace, you know – that's what a champion's heart looks like – he gives all he's got and he knocks the ball So you know, it's a bang-bang game, and if you're on that side, a very difficult call … I thought it was going to be difficult to reverse. if they had called it otherwise, it would have been difficult, it was probably hard to reverse, but as I said, I'm just proud of my guy for screwing up buttocks and go over there and break it. "
Texas A & M coach Jimbo Fisher: "He was out of bounds [before the goal line]. … it's a hard call to make in my opinion. This should be called from the floor. … we can not complain about calls. It happens. That's the ball. They called him. It was not there. "
Defensive lineman Clemson Clelin Ferrell: "K & Von had fun not to drop a room.I know there is a lot of controversy, but hey, it happened.I do not think you could have been in their house. , so K & Von made a great effort to play and it worked.
Wallace: "Many people said that it was not [a touchback] because of the angle they had, but I had the impression that if it was a different angle, they would have clearly seen that it was a comeback. So I'm glad they made the right choice, regardless of the fans and everything. "
Defensive coordinator Clemson Brent Venables: "It was just a good lesson that you never give up on a game, and that can mean the difference between winning and losing."
Texas A & M quarterback Mond: "My job is to encourage everyone and to let everyone know that we are going to get the ball back – that's what happened."
"Difficult break, but hey, in the end, if the kid is hanging on the ball, you have no problem."
Dabo Swinney
Swinney: "I've had a few of them against me too, I've had good and bad, you live long enough, they'll even come out." A hard blow, certainly a difficult call. but hey, at the end of the day, if the kid hangs on the ball, you do not have a problem. "
1:12 left, fourth quarter – Texas A & M, 28-20
After the Davis tackle, Clemson went three times and a small kick gave possession of the Aggies to the 49 of the Tigers. Mond found Rogers for 10 yards, then the Tigers were scored for pass interference, moving the ball to 24.
Mond removes the ball, Ferrell runs around Texas A & M right tackle Dan Moore to take Mond's right shoulder. He receives only jersey, leaving Mond's shoulders exposed. Mond emerges from the pressure, climbs into the pocket, looks to the left, then scans until his second run, in the middle of the field, where – you guessed it – Rogers is covering up.
Mond shoots a ball, Wallace puts his hand on it and the ball is suspended, but Rogers secures him with both hands. Touchdown, Texas A & M.
Kansas won a road game for the first time since 2009. Kentucky ended a run of 31 defeats in Florida. Alabama and Georgia continued to roll and Khalil Tate and UNC continued to fall.
Clemson stood up to Texas A & M to keep his spot in the playoff race. Alabama is a no-brainer. Has Ohio State done enough to make our experts among the top four?
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Like the famous Rogers – he turns to the A & M bench and shouts "NOT IN OUR HOUSE!" Wallace is on the grass, hands on his helmet, frustrated at not having managed the interception.
Rogers: "I saw how the defense was playing, so I knew that if Kellen did the readings on the right, he would come to me." When I saw the ball tilting, I was a little worried, but I kept fighting for the ball … Super catch. "
Mond: "When Kendrick had that touchdown on the goal line, it was really a great feeling with the crowd when I went to Coach Fisher, just trying to talk to him about a game plan, to talk to him about it. one last piece to make it enter the end zone.This was one of the greatest feelings of the game. "
0:46 left, fourth quarter – Texas A & M plays for two
In the 28-26, the Aggies need a two-point conversion to tie the game. Mond takes a rifle snap, rolls to the right and the A & M receivers flood the right side of the end zone. But Christian Wilkins – one of four Tigers All-American defensive linemen – shoots a Keaton Sutherland flag, and Austin Bryant sues Mond on the A & M sideline.
Mond tries to throw him to Jhamon Ausbon, who is covered by two defenders of Clemson and – who else? – Wallace arrives with an interception.
Wallace: "I knew we needed a stop, no matter what it was: an interception, a [pass breakup], a bag, a tackle for loss, something. I knew my team was counting on me to make a game since I was the reason they scored in the first place. [Rogers] pick it up and mark it. So I felt that it was my duty to make this game. "
Venables: "[We] anticipated the sprint and did a good job. You are in the red zone, [so] you do not want to be behind the roads there, you use the sideline and the end zone as an extra defender, so K's Von does a good job slipping under the road, and Austin did a great job in anticipating the displacement of the pocket and had the pressure immediately. "
Wallace: "The blanket in which we were, I had to watch [Mond’s] the eyes. I know that he always wanted to deploy himself so he could throw it away, so I was ready for that, and he simply went through it. "
Mond: "We were here to finish, at least to equalize the game. I have to do better and give our team a chance."
But wait, there is still a kick to go. After failing in the two-point test, the Aggies line up for a kick out, but Clemson recovers, relieved by Swinney. The Tigers are 2-0.
Swinney: "[After the two-point conversion] I looked at the clock and I thought, "shit, we have a kick in the game". I hoped that it remained three seconds. I am like: "The game is not over? This game will never end. So now you're sitting there, 'OK, you have a kick on board. What can happen to others? It was probably the cleanest game of all night. And of course, properly, I think [Hunter] Renfrow finished it.
"But, oh, man, what a game."
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