Clemson beat Cal by leaning on its ground game and defense: the Tigers rushed for 270 yards on 42 carries and held Cal to 41 yards in the fourth quarter. Clemson’s offense sustained possessions, but its passing game produced 108 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
Clemson held the ball for 34:07, converted 50% of third downs and went 2-for-2 on fourth down. A 17-play touchdown drive and a late fourth-quarter drive showed the offense’s ability to sustain possessions, although its EPA per play remained slightly negative at -0.04.
Clemson’s defense recorded 11 havoc plays in 56 snaps, along with two sacks, four tackles for loss and two interceptions. Cal completed none of its five passes thrown more than 20 yards, and its final four possessions ended in three punts and an interception.
