There's a belief out there, certainly not totally unfounded, that bowl games don't mean a whole lot anymore.
The playoff, the transfer portal and opt-outs have watered down a lot of it.
But don't tell Dabo Swinney and Clemson that this Gator Bowl against Kentucky wasn't important.
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The Tigers did everything it took -- including a late touchdown drive led by Cade Klubnik -- to beat the Wildcats 38-35.
"These bowl games that supposedly don't mean nothing," Swinney said. "Man these guys are out here playing their butts off."
Clemson did precisely that in a fourth quarter that featured 42 combined points, a Gator Bowl record.
Clemson scored 28 of them, a feat that didn't seem possible for much of this game.
Three of them came on a 52-yard field goal by Jonathan Weitz that hit the crossbar and bounced over with 4:20 left.
Seven of those points came in a situation that was Clemson's undoing in three of its losses this year: The ball in Klubnik's hands, and the offense seemingly incapable of moving the ball to the end zone on the final drive.
This last possession seemed bleak with the Tigers facing third-and-18 at midfield after a hurried Klubnik drew an intentional-grounding penalty trying to throw the ball away.
But Klubnik found Antonio Williams down the right side for 16 yards, and the Tigers moved the chains on the next play with a Phil Mafah run.
After throws to Williams and Jake Briningstool put the ball at the 3, Clemson called timeout with 21 seconds left.
The Tigers had one timeout left, so that gave them an opportunity to play it safe by running it. Mafah went behind right guard and Briningstool helped pull him into the end zone for Mafah's fourth touchdown of the day, putting Clemson up with 17 seconds left. Klubnik threw to Josh Sapp for the two-point conversion to put Clemson up three.
The game was sealed in poetic fashion, as freshman Shelton Lewis atoned for some nightmarish moments earlier by stepping in front of Devin Leary's pass.
Clemson closed its season with five consecutive victories after a 4-4 start. The streak of 10-win seasons is gone, but 9-4 is pretty swell considering this team's psyche after back-to-back losses to Miami and N.C. State.
Kentucky piled up big plays, including bursts of 72, 60, 58 and 43 yards.
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But the Wildcats also turned the ball over four times to just one for Clemson, including three turnovers on 10 plays in the fourth quarter.
That was the difference as Clemson closed the season by beating two teams from the SEC.
Klubnik finished 30-for-41 passing for 264 yards and an interception. Leary totaled 306 yards on just 16 completions (28 attempts) and two touchdowns, but he tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble.
After Will Shipley's 60-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, Clemson had started four consecutive drives inside Kentucky territory.
Shipley suffered what appeared a serious injury after cartwheeling on the sideline on the return.
Clemson's defense was missing Jeremiah Trotter, Nate Wiggins, Andrew Mukuba and Ruke Orhorhoro, and the Tigers missed their stars. Kentucky averaged 7.8 yards per play to just 4.6 for Clemson, though the Tigers had 24 first downs to 12 for the Wildcats.
Kentucky averaged 19.8 yards per completion. Clemson had the ball for more than 48 minutes, to 30:23 for the Wildcats.
Klubnik was sacked eight times, but offensive coordinator Garrett Riley was able to dink and dunk down the field after the Tigers took over at their 32 with 2:34 on the clock.
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