Clemson vs. Louisville: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

It didn't always look pretty, but No. 11 Clemson did enough to walk away with its first road win of the season in a 20-17 Thursday night nail-biter over Louisville.

The Tigers survived thanks to a missed field goal that would have tied the game with less than three minutes remaining and a clutch sack on the Cardinals' final drive. In all, Clemson posted 401 yards of total offense to Louisville's 272, but two Tigers turnovers and a 100-yard kick return by the Cardinals kept Louisville well within striking distance throughout the evening.

Running back Wayne Gallman saved Clemson with 139 rushing yards and picked up the slack for star quarterback Deshaun Watson, who threw two interceptions.

Chris B. Brown of Smart Football and Grantland was not impressed with the victory:

However, the bottom line is Clemson got the win and now stands at 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. It surely beats Louisville's situation, as the Cardinals are 0-3 for the first time since 1984, per Dane Brugler of CBS Sports.

Coach Bobby Petrino pointed out one glaring issue following yet another loss, per Jeff Greer of the Courier-Journal:

Chris Vannini of CoachingSearch.com provided a silver lining for Clemson and some context to the win, while ESPN Stats & Info noted the final score was business as usual:

The Tigers struggled to establish consistency from the opening moments and only enjoyed a 7-3 lead at the end of a sluggish first half. Considering Clemson scored 49 points in its season opener and 41 points in its second game, the Cardinals defense deserved recognition for its performance in the opening 30 minutes.

Louisville held Watson to a mere 91 passing yards, one touchdown and a pick in that half and kept its offense in the game.

However, Clemson's defense was even more impressive in the early going, as Aaron Brenner of the Post and Courier highlighted in the second quarter:

The theme of defense continued into the third quarter when Shaq Wiggins picked off a Watson pass on Clemson's first possession of the second half. Matt Fortuna of ESPN highlighted how out of character the Tigers quarterback appeared on the road:

The Cardinals parlayed the turnover into a 58-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-7 lead after Jeremy Smith muscled the ball in from the 1-yard line. Manie Robinson of the Greenville News praised the way Louisville attacked after a lethargic first half:

The Tigers responded with a field goal to tie the game at 10 but completely seized the momentum on their following possession when they switched the left tackle with the left end and confused the defense. While the eligible tackle did not make a catch, Watson found Jordan Leggett with a 25-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field and let the air out of the Louisville crowd.

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports pointed out the Clemson offense finally looked like itself:

Louisville compounded the situation when quarterback Kyle Bolin threw an interception on its next drive, but it somehow managed to stay within seven early in the fourth quarter despite a glaring problem, as Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports acknowledged:

Clemson added another field goal to take a critical two-score lead at 20-10 with less than 10 minutes remaining. While the offense didn't get into the end zone, Gallman put the team on his back down the field. David Hale and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN were impressed:

Just when it looked like the Tigers were in complete control, Cardinals freshman Traveon Samuel exploded through a seam for a 100-yard kick return to trim the lead to 20-17. Considering how poorly Louisville's offense operated throughout the game, it was the one thing Clemson had to avoid after it built a two-score lead.

SportsCenter shared the highlight, and Greer gave Samuel a different name given the critical timing of the play:

Offensive woes or not, Louisville rotated Bolin and Lamar Jackson at quarterback (with Bolin taking most of the snaps) and marched into scoring position on its next drive, but it received a major break, as Greer pointed out:

The Cardinals' luck quickly ran out, though, as senior kicker John Wallace missed a 38-yard field goal. Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press reacted to the play:

On Clemson's subsequent drive, Watson failed to pick up a critical 3rd-and-6 on the ground (although the refs missed an obvious facemask penalty), and Louisville got one more chance. The Cardinals moved the ball inside the Clemson 40-yard line, but Bolin took a sack without any timeouts and was forced to throw a lackluster Hail Mary attempt after the majority of the clock ticked away between plays. 

It was a meltdown of a final sequence, and Clemson survived, 20-17.

What's Next?

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Louisville's next contest comes against cupcake Samford on Saturday, Sept. 26. The Cardinals need that win and a quick overall turnaround just to challenge for a bowl appearance this season since they must win six of their final nine contests to finish .500.

Louisville has five road games remaining, including a showdown at Florida State, and will face an uphill battle all season to reach a winning record after the lackluster start.

As for Clemson, it is off to an ideal 3-0 start with a marquee showdown against Notre Dame looming on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Tigers now have some time to heal any nagging injuries, and they can focus on that upcoming clash with a fellow College Football Playoff contender and fix some of the offensive issues that plagued them Thursday.

The mere fact the showdown with the Fighting Irish is at home should help the Tigers after they almost lost at Louisville. The crowd will be rocking, especially since its team is still undefeated following a scare.