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Nov 01, 2025

Game Notes: Duke 46, Clemson 45

  • Clemson scored a season-high 45 points, its most since scoring 51 against The Citadel in November 2024 and its most against a power conference opponent since scoring 48 against Virginia in October 2024. Clemson dropped to 134-1 all-time when scoring 45 points in a game.
  • The combined 91 points were the most by both teams in a Clemson game since the 94 scored in Clemson’s 59-35 win vs. NC State in 2024. It was the first time both teams scored 45 or more points in a Clemson game since Clemson’s 51-45 double-overtime win at Wake Forest in 2022.
  • Clemson recorded a season-high 560 yards of offense. It was Clemson’s most since a 562-yard effort against The Citadel in November 2024 and its most against a conference opponent since a 566-yard performance against Wake Forest in October 2024.
  • The 500-yard game was Clemson’s 81st of Dabo Swinney’s head coaching tenure.
  • Clemson’s 560 yards were its second-most in a Clemson loss all-time, trailing only its 630 yards against Pitt in 2016. Clemson is now 61-3 all-time when recording 550 or more yards in a game.
  • Clemson averaged a season-high 7.8 yards per play, its most since averaging 9.5 yards against The Citadel in November 2024.
  • The teams combined for 999 yards of total offense, including 746 combined passing yards. The 746 passing yards were the most combined passing yards in a Clemson game since the Sugar Bowl to end the 2020 season vs. Ohio State (785).
  • Clemson threw for 385 yards, its second-most of the season. 
  • Clemson has now thrown for 300 or more passing yards in three straight home games for the first time since 2020 against Syracuse, Boston College and Pitt. Entering the game against Duke, Clemson had thrown for 363 yards against Syracuse and 317 yards against SMU in its previous two home games.
  • Neither team committed a turnover prior to Clemson’s game-ending desperation lateral play. Had Clemson not turned the ball over on the play, it would have been Clemson’s first game in which neither team turned the ball over since November 2024 against Louisville.
  • Clemson recorded a 28-22 edge in first downs and is now 140-12 when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.
  • Clemson dropped to 40-15 in one-possession games since the start of the 2011 season. Clemson’s .727 winning percentage in games decided by eight points or fewer is still the highest winning percentage in the country in that span.
  • Clemson scored in a 302nd consecutive game to tie the 1997-2021 Texas Tech Red Raiders for the 12th-longest streak of consecutive games without being shut out in FBS history.
  • Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 27-of-36 passes for a career-high 385 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. 
  • Klubnik’s 385 passing yards were the 18th-most in a game in school history and were the most by a Clemson quarterback since Trevor Lawrence’s 400 yards against Ohio State in the final game of the 2020 season.
  • On his eighth completion of the game, Klubnik (819) joined Tajh Boyd (901), Charlie Whitehurst (817) and Deshaun Watson (814) as the only quarterbacks in school history to complete 800 career passes. He moved past Whitehurst into second in school history in the category.
  • During the game, Klubnik (9,995) passed Charlie Whitehurst (9,763) for the fourth-most career yards of total offense (yards gained and/or thrown) in Clemson history.
  • With his ninth career 300-yard passing game, Klubnik passed Charlie Whitehurst (eight from 2002-05) for sole possession of the fourth-most career 300-yard passing games in Clemson history.
  • Clemson has now produced a 300-yard passer in back-to-back games for the first time since Klubnik’s back-to-back 300-yard passing games against Wake Forest and Virginia in October 2024.
  • With Klubnik’s performance following Christopher Vizzina’s 317-yard passing effort against SMU, Clemson has now received consecutive 300-yard passing games from two different passers for the first time since 2020 (Trevor Lawrence and DJ Uiagalelei).
  • On his final rush of the game, Klubnik (900) passed Ken Pengitore (898 from 1971-73) to move into 10th on Clemson’s leaderboard for career rushing yards by a quarterback since Clemson transitioned from the single wing in 1953.
  • Wide receiver Antonio Williams caught 10 passes for a season-high 142 yards and a receiving touchdown and rushed three times for 22 yards and a rushing touchdown.
  • The game was Williams’ second 100-yard receiving performance of his career, joining his 149-yard game at Pitt in November 2024.
  • Clemson has now produced a 100-yard receiver in four consecutive games for the first time since 2016 (five players spanning four games against NC State, Florida State, Syracuse and Pitt). 
  • On his 10th reception, Williams (186) tied Hunter Renfrow (186 from 2015-18) for fifth on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career receptions.
  • With the performance, Williams (2,099) passed Deon Cain (2,040 from 2015-17) to enter the Top 15 in career receiving yards in school history during the contest.
  • Williams became the first Clemson player to record a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in a single game since Will Shipley against Florida State on Sept. 23, 2023.
  • Williams recorded a career-long 64-yard reception in the first quarter.
  • On the 64-yard gain, Williams (2,099) became the 17th player in Clemson history to record 2,000 career receiving yards. 
  • On the same drive, Williams recorded his second career rushing touchdown on a five-yard run around left end.
  • The rushing touchdown was Williams’ first since a 36-yard touchdown run against Virginia on Oct. 19, 2024.
  • Williams scored his second touchdown of the day on a four-yard pass from Klubnik in the second quarter. The touchdown came on Klubnik’s 800th career pass completion.
  • The receiving touchdown was Williams’ first of the season and first since last year’s College Football Playoff First Round game at Texas.
  • On his touchdown reception, Williams (18) entered the Top 10 in school history in career touchdown receptions, tying Glenn Smith (1949-51) and TE Jordan Leggett (2013-16) for ninth.
  • Running back Adam Randall rushed 16 times for 89 yards with a career-high two rushing touchdowns.
  • Randall became the first Clemson player to rush for multiple touchdowns in a game this season and the first Clemson player to do so since quarterback Cade Klubnik accomplished the feat against South Carolina in November 2024.
  • Both Randall touchdowns came on two-yard runs in the second quarter.
  • Wide receiver T.J. Moore scored a 75-yard touchdown on a screen in the fourth quarter among his two receptions for 92 yards.
  • Moore has now caught a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
  • The 75-yard play by Moore tied Clemson’s longest of the season, coincidentally also a 75-yard Antonio Wiliams pass to Moore at North Carolina.
  • Offensive lineman Blake Miller started his 49th consecutive game to tie Dalton Freeman’s school record for consecutive starts by a non-specialist (49 from 2009-12). Miller has started all 49 games played by Clemson since his arrival as a true freshman in 2022.
  • Defensive tackle Peter Woods scored his second rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard dive in the third quarter.
  • Woods became the first Clemson defensive lineman to rush for multiple touchdowns in a career since Christian Wilkins (two from 2015-18).
  • Woods recorded his second sack of the season in the second quarter.
  • Woods entered the game as the only player in the country with a sack and a rushing touchdown in a single game this season. He has now accomplished the feat twice.
  • Woods became the first player nationally in accessible Sports Reference data back to 2005 to record multiple games with a sack and a rushing touchdown.
  • Defensive end Jahiem Lawson (3.5) added to his single-season career high in sacks with a sack in the second quarter.
  • Safety Tyler Venables recorded his first career punt block in the third quarter.
  • The blocked punt by Venables was Clemson’s first since Jamal Anderson’s block against Stanford in September 2024.
  • Placekicker Nolan Hauser’s 22-yard field goal in the third quarter capped a 15-play scoring drive that lasted 7:59, Clemson’s longest drive by time of possession this season. 
  • Clemson dropped to 37-18-1 all-time against Duke. Clemson’s 37 wins against Duke are its seventh-most against a single opponent.
  • Clemson dropped to 20-5-1 all-time in home games against Duke. Duke is one of eight schools against which Clemson has 20 or more all-time home wins (Duke, Furman, North Carolina, NC State, Presbyterian, Virginia and Wake Forest).
  • The defeat concluded Clemson’s 15-game home winning streak against Duke dating to 1982.
  • Clemson played its first of five games in the month of November. Clemson will play five games in the month of November for the ninth time in school history (1911, 1918, 1929, 1933, 1957, 1958, 2008 and 2024). 
  • Clemson hosted its 101st Homecoming game on record since its first official Homecoming game in 1922. 
  • The game was played on the 17th anniversary of Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s first win, a 27-21 victory against Boston College on Nov. 1, 2008. Swinney now has 183 career wins and stands as the winningest coach in Clemson and ACC history.
  • Swinney dropped to 41-6 all-time against teams from the state of North Carolina. He is now 23-1 in home games against North Carolina-based programs.
  • Captains for the contest were defensive end Will Heldt, defensive end Jahiem Lawson, wide receiver Tristan Smith and wide receiver Antonio Williams.
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