No. 8 Clemson thwarts Troy's upset scare: Tigers rally at halftime to survive after falling in early hole

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Clemson survives upset scare

FINAL: No. 8 Clemson 27, Troy 16

Clemson erased a 13-point halftime deficit and dominated the final 30 minutes of play to escape what would have been a devastating upset loss to unranked Troy. The Tigers scored 24 unanswered points in the second half as the defense controlled the game and quarterback Cade Klubnik hit his stride after a brutal start.

Clemson's defense engineered two highlight-worthy interceptions in the second half. Defensive back Ricardo Jones ended Troy's first drive when he snagged a ball that bounced off of teammate Ashton Hampton's posterior. Clemson turned that into a 26-yard touchdown strike between quarterback Cade Klubnik and wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. -- Klubnik's first touchdown pass of the year.

One drive later, Clemson defensive back Ronan Hanafin snagged a ball that bounced out of a Troy wide receiver's hands. Clemson's defense forced three total turnovers in the second half, including a fourth-down stop near the start of the fourth quarter that officially swung the game in its favor.

Klubnik, who threw a pick-six in the first half, completed seven of his eight second-half pass attempts for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson opens ACC play next week against Georgia Tech.

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It looks like Clemson will escape

Late 4Q: No. 8 Clemson 27, Troy 16

Barring some late-night shenanigans, it looks as if Clemson will escape a potentially stunning upset. The Tigers have locked Troy down in the second half and the defense just forced the Trojans to punt on fourth-and-25 from Clemson's 41-yard line. Expect a heavy dose of Adam Randall as Clemson looks to run the clock out.

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Klubnik and Wesco connect again

Mid 4Q: No. 4 Clemson 27, Troy 16

Clemson can start feeling comfortable about its chances to avoid the upset. The Tigers just ballooned their lead to two possessions thanks to another connection between quarterback Cade Klubnik and wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. Klubnik lofted a well-placed ball to Wesco, who made a nice catch with a defender right behind him to secure the 34-yard score. Clemson can hold serve now with a defense that has now allowed a score in the second half.

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Troy tries to get cute

Early 4Q: No. 8 Clemson 20, Troy 16

And it did not work. Troy initially lined up for a fake field goal, but the attempt seemed disjointed from the start. Troy's coaches were frantically signaling and the left side of the line did not react once the ball was snapped. As a result, Clemson defensive back Avieon Terrell was able to rip past the line of scrimmage and tackle holder Evan Crenshaw for a big loss on fourth down.

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Clemson rallying in second half

End 3Q: No. 8 Clemson 20, Troy 16

Clemson's defense is starting to flex its muscles and, as a result, fortunes are starting to turn in the Tigers' favor. Clemson had two circus interceptions in the third quarter -- one courtesy of Ricardo Jones, who snagged a ball that bounced off of his teammate's posterior, and the other courtesy of Ronan Hanafin, who snatched a deflected ball out of the air -- that it was able to convert into 10 points.

Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik also recovered from his brutal first half performance to deliver his first passing touchdown of the season. He connected with star wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. for 26 yards one play after Jones' interception.

Clemson isn't out of the danger zone yet, though. It's still a one score game and Troy will have the ball in Tiger territory once the fourth quarter begins after the Trojans converted on a third-and-14.

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Clemson defense taking over

Early 3Q: No. 8 Clemson 20, Troy 16

Clemson is getting some bounces going its way now. The Tigers just had their second deflection turned into an interception. Troy quarterback Goose Crowder tried to throw a strike but it was slightly behind the intended wide receiver. The ball bounced from his hands and into the waiting arms of Clemson defensive back Ronan Hanafin, who snatched it out of the air for another Clemson interception. Now the Tigers have the ball in the red zone with a chance to extend their lead.

Clemson was able to turn its advantageous field position into a 30-yard field goal from kicker Nolan Hauser. Troy is still within shouting distance, but momentum is starting to turn well away from the Trojans.

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Clemson turns defense into offense

Early 3Q: No. 8 Clemson 17, Troy 16

How quickly a game can flip. Clemson looked dead in the water entering halftime. Now, less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Tigers have their first lead of the game thanks to some complementary football. Clemson's defense gave the offense prime scoring position when defensive back Ricardo Jones intercepted a pass that deflected off of teammate Ashton Hampton's rear end.

One play later, Clemson quarterback Kade Klubnik faked a hand off to running back Adam Randall and delivered the ball to a wide open Bryant Wesco Jr., who secured the catch and waltzed into the end zone. That was Klubnik's first passing touchdown of the season.

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Clemson scores much-needed touchdown

Early 3Q: Troy 16, No. 8 Clemson 10

That's the Clemson offense that we expected entering the game. In need of some rhythm, Clemson decided to focus on its ground game to open the second half. The Tigers rode running backs Adam Randall and Gideon Davidson on an 8-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Randall. Randall also had a 30-yard run earlier in the drive for Clemson's most explosive offensive play of the game.

Clemson may have found something with its obvious advantage along the line of scrimmage. Randall could be in for a heavy workload.

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