Episode Details

Clemson Postgame Live notes from Edward “Tiger Paw” Craven (TPC) and Jordan Bowman after No. 4 Miami’s 41-13 win at Death Valley on Oct. 3, 2026. Clemson falls to 3-2 (2-1 ACC). Miami is 5-0 (3-0). Jordan was audio-only with a stomach bug.

Final

Miami 41, Clemson 13. Second straight blowout in a big game after the LSU opener. Hosts called it unacceptable and not the program standard. Crowd listed at 80,463.

Box that framed the show: Tait Reynolds 29-of-44 for 295 yards, no TD, 1 INT, sacked six times. Bryant Wesco Jr. 9 catches, 152 yards (career high). Tyler Brown 10 for 76. Gideon Davidson 2-yard TD. Rushing: 55 yards on 31 carries (0 in the first half). Miami: Darian Mensah 18-of-27, 227 yards, 1 TD pass, plus a 34-yard TD run. Mark Fletcher Jr. two rushing TDs. Cooper Barkate 5-98 and a 61-yard TD on Miami’s first snap. Damon Wilson II 2.5 sacks.

Tone

Both hosts were angry and not surprised. Preview framing had already dropped to “can we keep it competitive into the fourth?” They said that drop in expectations is the story before the play-by-play. Clemson used to look forward to these games. Now they dread how bad the embarrassment will be.

What they liked

• Passing game was the most functional it has been all year. Reynolds made throws under pressure (escape to Tyler Brown, rollout comeback to T.J. Moore). No quit. Hosts still say he should not be starting as a freshman.
• Wesco’s night was wasted. Skill talent (Wesco, Brown, T.J. Moore, tight ends) is not the problem.
• Defense gave them a chance. Held Miami to points, not a track meet, in the first half (17-6 at the break after two Hauser field goals). Ashton Hampton PBU on a Malachi Toney slant for a second-half turnover on downs. Back end limited explosives after Barkate’s 61-yarder. Toney roughly 40 receiving yards plus a 19-yard end-around. Barkate’s other four catches were about 31 yards. Tom Allen is maximizing the roster. Corey Myrick, London Merritt, Elliott Washington, DeVarick Woods, Andy Burburija (coverage sack) got shout-outs. Rush discipline on Mensah was mostly good.
• Culture is better than 2025. Hosts do not see guys mailing it in. Locker room is digging in. Results are not matching the effort.
• Team is better than Week 1 vs. LSU. That is a low bar.

What they hammered

Offense imploded on itself. Drives died on timeouts, false starts, sacks, and bad calls, not Miami’s scheme. “As soon as Clemson got momentum, you could predict they’d muck it up.”

Sequence they kept coming back to:

• Opening kick return (CJ) to about the plus-40. Timeout before the first offensive snap because the scripted play was not in. Punt.
• Next drive down the field, then a sack and a punt instead of points.
• End of the half: defense forced consecutive Miami punts, Clemson inside the 5, false start, then Colin Sadler beaten in protection. Field goal instead of a TD. 17-6 felt like a loss. 17-10 would have felt like a game.
• Second half: Hampton stop, offense reaches the 18 on 3rd-and-2. Chris Denson QB draw. Then a direct snap to Gideon Davidson up the middle. Both stuffed. Hosts called them the two worst red-zone calls they have seen. Miami answered with a TD. Game over.
• Next drive: Reynolds fumble under pressure (No. 99 punch-out), Miami ball deep, field goal only because the defense still bowed up.

Offensive line is the root. Veterans did not show up (Harris Sewell high snaps and bad counts, Sadler repeatedly beaten). Young right side (Grant Wise, Gavin Blanchard) was overmatched vs. Damon Wilson and Ahmad Moten. Hosts were relieved Marquise Lightfoot did not play the whole game. Wake Forest protected better against a healthier version of this front. Six sacks and 55 rush yards are the receipt.

Portal argument, repeated from the All-In Show: money was there. Inquiries were “hal