After a 34-3 week one defeat at the hands of the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson’s football season seemed on shaky ground.
The Tigers were counted out multiple times during the year. A six-game win streak saw the team soar to 11th in the rankings, only to fall to Louisville in a 33-21 upset in Death Valley on November 2. The roller-coaster continued, with wins over Virginia Tech, Pitt and The Citadel placing Clemson right back in playoff talks.
The 17-14, final-minute loss to South Carolina felt like a crushing blow—until Clemson found new life when Syracuse pulled off a stunning 42-38 upset over No. 6 Miami later that afternoon. A walk-off field goal in another wild game sealed the Tigers’ spot with an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.
With all that transpired in the 2024 campaign, CU is now ready to show the nation what they’re made of, starting this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. against the Texas Longhorns.
“They’ve got a really good team and a really good defense,” tight end Jake Briningstool said. “They’re ranked top five in almost every category. It’ll be a big challenge for us, but we’re excited for it. We think we’ve got what it takes to be able to go out there and do what we do.”
Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley had high praise for the Texas defense, comparing it to the Cincinnati Bearcats defense he faced in 2021.
“I can’t remember the exact stat,” he said. ‘But I think..[when] I was at SMU and we played Cincinnati, it was the year Cincinnati went to the College Football Playoff, they had the Thorpe Award winner at one corner, and, oh by the way, Sauce Gardner was the other corner. One of their safeties was a high draft pick. That’s kind of what I see over there [with Texas]. It’s a really, really strong group. It’ll be a fun opportunity.
“A lot of us [players] could have left last year and gone on with our football careers,” Briningstool added. “But I think we all decided that we want to come back and win the ACC, win the league, and leave this program in a good spot. I think we did that. We won the ACC, we got a spot in the Playoff…[We’re] one of 12 teams that has the opportunity to play for a national championship. That obviously is a good thing, but this is [where] we expected to be at. For me personally, this is what I came back for, to play in these style of games against this type of opponent. I’m looking forward to it and I’m fired up.”
An added storyline for the matchup with the Longhorns is a reunion with former Tiger cornerback Andrew Mukuba, who has been a starter for Texas throughout his senior year. “I would say he’s a very instinctual player,” Clemson standout wide receiver Antonio Williams said. “He makes a lot of plays just roaming and doing whatever he wants off the ball. He’s also a good tackler. He’s going to be raking at the ball. Every chance he gets, he’s going to punch at it. He plays with a lot of fire, a lot of passion. I know him very well.”
Mukuba has tallied four interceptions in the 2024 season, snagging a pick most recently on November 23rd against Kentucky. He racked up 11 tackles in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia, including a forced fumble.
With the regular season in the rearview mirror, All-ACC teams were announced. Williams told reporters on Tuesday that he wasn’t expecting his name to be called as a member of the first team. “I can’t say I was really expecting it,” he said. “I was kind of surprised by it, just because I wasn’t really thinking about it the whole season. I know we’ve got some pretty good receivers in this conference, so just to be recognized up there with them, it’s an honor. I’m grateful and glad I could do it.”
