Clemson Tigers Prepare for The Citadel in Return to Non-Conference Games

Now that ACC play is done, all the Clemson Tigers can do is play and wait to see if they can make it to the league title game.

Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers safety Khalil Barnes (7) celebrates his game clinching interception as time ran out with linebacker Dee Crayton (22) against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers have done all they can do. Now, it’s time to sit and wait.

The Tigers’ last-minute victory over Pitt on Saturday secured their ACC season with just one loss as they head into Saturday’s non-conference showdown with The Citadel at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

The contest is set for 3:30 p.m. eastern on the CW. Yes, that is correct. The CW.

The Tigers (8-2, 7-1 in ACC) have two games remaining, both of which are non-conference affairs. The other is the traditional season finale against South Carolina on Thanksgiving weekend.

Clemson will have one eye on the Bulldogs and one eye on the rest of the ACC. With two weeks left SMU remains undefeated in league action and Miami has one loss. The tiebreakers don’t favor the Tigers, so realistically they need either SMU to lose its final two conference games or Miami to lose one of its two remaining league games to ascend to the ACC title game in Charlotte.

Getting there and winning that game is the only way Clemson can guarantee itself a spot in the College Football Playoff. The good news is that because its league slate is done, it can’t do any more damage.

The Citadel (5-6, 3-5 in Southern) is out of the conference title and FCS playoff picture. The Bulldogs would love nothing more than to completely stun the Tigers at home.

Here is a preview of the game.

The Citadel at Clemson

Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

Time: 3:30 p.m., ET, Saturday

TV: CW

Radio: WCCP 105.5 FM (flagship)

Coaches: Clemson — Dabo Swinney (178-45 at Clemson, overall); The Citadel — Maurice Drayton (5-17 at The Citadel, overall).

Fun fact: Drayton played at The Citadel, got his coaching start there and has a long resume that includes stints in the NFL, CFL, the Finnish Maple League and AF2.

All-Times Series: Clemson leads series, 33-5-1.

Last meeting: Clemson 49, The Citadel 0 (2020).

Series notes: Clemson has won the last 18 meetings and The Citadel has not won a matchup since 1931 in Florence, S.C.

Last Week: Clemson beat Pitt, 24-20; The Citadel beat Wofford, 30-17.

About The Citadel: Clemson fans are going to look at this as a “money game” but for the Bulldogs this season represents great improvement under Drayton, their second-year head coach.

Last year The Citadel didn’t win a game. Not a single one. While a win on Saturday would get them to .500, it would also be an extraordinary leap for a program that hasn’t finished .500 since 2019 and hasn’t been to the FCS playoffs since 2016.

Drayton is attempting to build something at The Citadel. This season represents progress, no matter what happens on Saturday.

About Clemson: That Cade Klubnik touchdown run with 1:16 left in the game may go down in history, depending upon what happens the rest of the season. At the least, it will exist in the memory banks of Tigers fans for a long time.

That 50-yard touchdown run was epic in its timing. He said after the game that he was just looking to get out of bounds. But, sometimes opportunity presents itself. You get a seam and you go. That’s football.

Clemson would have been happy with a field goal and a tie to send the game to overtime at that point. But, the victory keeps them alive in the ACC title and gives them a chance for a 10-win regular season. The Tigers probably need an ACC title to reach the CFP. But Clemson has done all it can do. The rest is up to others.

Next Up: Clemson hosts South Carolina on Nov. 30. The Citadel’s season will be complete after facing Clemson.