For moments, it looked like a corner had been turned. A resilient Clemson team, led by a quarterback finding his rhythm, traded blows with a tough SMU squad. But in the end, big plays and a brutal, clock-killing final drive from the Mustangs sent 78,669 fans home from Memorial Stadium disappointed, as the Tigers fell 35-24, dropping their record to a stunning 3-4.
It was a game of explosive plays and frustrating inconsistency. A shootout where one team made the critical plays in the fourth quarter, and the other was left searching for answers. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from a pivotal home loss.