When Pittsburgh came to Death Valley in 2016, the Panthers ran the shovel pass to the tight end, according to Clemson linebacker James Skalski, a hundred times that afternoon.
Pitt exposed the Tigers that day. So much so, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables vowed to never let it happen again. So, when Georgia Tech called the infamous play Saturday night during its crucial fourth-and-goal situation at the Clemson 2-yard line, Skalski knew exactly what was happening.
“I remember we drilled that play forever, and that was years ago,” said Skalski who was a freshman at Clemson during that 2016 Pitt game.