College Football

No. 9 Clemson's playoff hopes likely end with loss to unranked NC State

Updated Sep. 25, 2021 11:30 p.m. ET

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Clemson has been a staple of the College Football Playoff. This year, it looks like someone else will get a chance to crack that honored group.

That's because the No. 9 Tigers, who have participated in the four-team CFP every year except its inaugural run in the 2014-15 season, suffered their second loss of the season on Saturday, and it was not a good one.

Losing to a mighty Georgia team in your season-opener is one thing; losing to 27-21 in OT to an unranked North Carolina State squad is another thing entirely. And since this is Clemson's second loss of the season, the prospects of a return to the CFP for a seventh straight time appear highly unlikely.

For more up-to-date news on all things Clemson, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

How did it happen?

For starters, the Wolfpack controlled the action, running 96 plays to the Tigers' 49 and converting 11 of 21 third downs. 

The Pack also kept Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei under wraps for much of the game. The sophomore, in his first season as the full-time starter in place of superstar Trevor Lawrence, completed just 12 of 26 passes (46.2%) for 111 yards. He did throw two touchdown passes to go with his single interception, and he was sacked twice. 

While Uiagalelei struggled, he was actually just about the only bright spot in the Clemson offense. As a group, the Tigers had just 214 total yards, with the QB supplying 111 of that through the air, plus another 63 rushing yards on nine carries. Their next best rusher was Will Shipley, who gained 36 yards on 11 carries.

The Tigers did take an early 7-0 lead when Uiagalelei hit Justyn Ross on a 32-yard strike in the first quarter.

But things went dry from there, and Clemson needed a 5-yard touchdown run by Shipley with less than three minutes to go to tie it at 14-14.

The Wolfpack then had a chance to win it in regulation, but Christopher Dunn's 39-yard field goal attempt as time expired sailed wide. Dunn, for the record, missed all three of his FG tries.

Once in overtime, the teams traded TDs before NC State took a 27-21 lead on a beautiful 22-yard toss from Devin Leary to Devin Carter.

Uiagalelei attempted to respond, but his desperation heave on fourth-and-5 fell harmlessly to the turf, and the Wolfpack faithful celebrated by storming the field.

Clemson's 36-game winning streak against unranked teams came to an end, and the Wolfpack beat the Tigers for the first time since 2011.

Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney said after the game that his offense deserved to be criticized.

"The criticism is warranted because that’s where we are right now," he said. "That’s what we displayed. With the way we’ve performed, you’re going to get criticism and you’re going to get comments and things like that.

"You know what? That comes with the territory because the expectation and the standard at Clemson and who we are, we’re not meeting it. It’s just that simple."

Sweeney and Clemson have done an amazing job building those expectations. Now, it looks like the Tigers could be due for a reassessment, even if it's only temporary.

For more up-to-date news on all things college football, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

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College Football

Clemson Tigers

North Carolina State Wolfpack

DJ Uiagalelei

Will Shipley

Justyn Ross