Tigers Drop Back-And-Forth Game to Duke, 46-45

Clemson (3-5, 2-4 ACC) amassed 560 yards of total offense but lost to Duke (5-3, 4-1 ACC) 46-45 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday after allowing a touchdown and two-point conversion with 40 seconds remaining.

The Tigers had a seven-point lead following a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown by T.J. Clemson forced a punt on Duke's next drive but then punted back with 5:19 left, leaving Duke pinned at their own six-yard line. The Blue Devils advanced 94 yards on 11 plays over 4:39 minutes, converting two crucial fourth downs and completing a two-point conversion to take the lead.

Clemson's attempt at a game-winning drive fell short, handing the victory to Duke.

Key Player Performances

Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 27 of 36 passes for 385 yards and two touchdowns.
Antonio Williams led with 142 receiving yards on 10 catches, scoring one receiving and one rushing touchdown.
Adam Randall rushed for 89 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Defensive Highlights

Peter Woods and Jahiem Lawson each recorded a sack.
Linebacker Sammy Brown led the team with 10 tackles; Khalil Barnes had nine tackles.

Game Start

Duke took an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Darien Mensah connected with Que’Sean Brown on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 10:08 remaining in the first quarter.

"Clemson piled up 560 yards of total offense but allowed a touchdown and two-point conversion with 40 seconds to play in a 46-45 loss to Duke."

Summary: Despite strong offensive output, Clemson's defensive lapses in the final minutes led to a narrow defeat against Duke in a tightly contested ACC battle.

Clemson University Athletics — 2025-11-02