ESPN's cameras spent a considerable amount of time on a group of Virginia Tech students teaming up to eat a giant turkey leg.
And for a while it didn't seem like a terrible programming decision, because there was more artistry in the clumsy (and probably intoxicated) eating than both teams were showing on the field.
But that was just for a half.
BECOME A SUBSCRIBER AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.com!
There was still meat on the bone, and Clemson devoured it.
The injury-ravaged Tigers went to Blacksburg hoping to find themselves, and to show that this team is different from recent vintage.
Only time will give us a definitive answer on that.
But Cade Klubnik and the defense, both maligned after an embarrassing home loss to Louisville, showed some undoubtedly good signs in a 24-14 victory over the Hokies (5-5, 3-3).
No. 23 Clemson showed that as long as a game doesn't come down to field goals it should be in good shape with Klubnik's improvisational talents and the defense's ability to control the line of scrimmage.
After giving up what felt like a million rushing yards to Louisville, and after getting scorched publicly by their head coach, the defense pitched a shutout until Virginia Tech scored a garbage-time touchdown with 1:43 left in the game.
Louisville ran for 210 yards and averaged 7.78 per carry. Virginia Tech ran for 40 yards and 1.9 per attempt against a defense missing Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart.
That's a good sign.
After the offense couldn't get out of its own way for most of the Louisville game and then for two quarters Saturday, Klubnik provided the spark.
When the Tigers took the field to start the second half down 7-0, people were beginning to wonder if this was the Klubnik of 2023.
But Klubnik moved the chains with his legs on that opening drive, converting a third-and-9. He ran again for 13 two plays later, and then he lofted a ball that Cole Turner rose and snatched out of the air for a 29-yard touchdown.
Finally, everything felt more manageable with the score tied.
After the defense pushed the Hokies back and forced a three-and-out, the offense had the ball at midfield.
Things were still very much tenuous: Klubnik didn't see a corner blitzing from his right when he looked to throw to his left, and the defensive back jarred the ball loose.
Ryan Linthicum managed to save the Tigers from disaster by getting on the ball.
Phil Mafah ran for 6 yards on second-and-13, and then Clemson called a timeout to come up with something for third-and-7.
What happened next wasn't what Garretty Riley drew up.
Tech sent another corner blitz, this one from the left, and Mansoor Delane had a direct line to Klubnik.
Klubnik somehow spun out of it. Then he somehow kept his feet as he escaped to the right.
Then he looked up and saw the most beautiful sight of all for a quarterback: A receiver, TJ Moore, all alone downfield after the defensive back in charge of him (Dorian Strong) let his eyes get caught on all that stuff happening in the backfield.
Klubnik threw on the run. The ball sailed into Moore's arms. Moore scored, and a 14-7 lead felt like something so much bigger.
Klubnik threw for 211 yards with three touchdowns and an interception on a 16-of-34 clip while running for 30 net yards on 15 attempts. Mafah ran for 128 hard-earned yards on 26 carries.
Later in the third, the Hokies threatened to tie the score when Kyron Drones finally hit on something by hitting Da'Quan Felton for 30 down the right sideline just beyond the grasp of freshman Ashton Hampton.
The Hokies decided to pick on Hampton again on the very next play.
Bad move.
Hampton responded with a pick of his own, swiping the ball away from Felton with his left hand for a spectacular interception that brought an eruption on the visiting sideline.
The offense then went 93 yards in 10 plays to make it a two-touchdown game when Jake Briningstool took in an underneath pass from Klubnik and bulled in for a 12-yard touchdown.
And after yet another blocked field goal brought a catastrophe in the second quarter with a 77-yard touchdown return by Quentin Reddish, the Tigers showed they could actually protect well enough for Nolan Hauser to connect on a 34-yard try with five minutes left.
Those three points ended up mattering quite a lot after the Hokies scored their touchdown late.
Drones completed just 9 of 20 passes for 115 yards before he was pulled in favor of Collin Schlee. The Hokies converted just two third downs on 14 attempts and had 58 total plays to 80 for Clemson.
The Tigers' defense was sparked by Sammy Brown, who started at middle linebacker as Wes Goodwin moved to more aggression with pressures and run blitzes.
Brown led the team in tackles with eight, and 2.5 for loss.
Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone message board!
The second-half turnaround allowed Clemson and its fans to breathe a little easier as the record improved to 7-2 and 6-1 in the ACC with next week's trip to No. 18 Pittsburgh looming.
Georgia Tech's upending of Miami earlier in the day probably helped brighten the mood, too.
Clemson needed a get-right game.
BECOME A SUBSCRIBER AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.com!
It needed to take care of the meat on that bone.
Mission accomplished.
SHOP daily DEALS on Clemson apparel/gear at The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!
