Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he expected a tough, hard-fought game.
Swinney and the sixth-ranked Tigers got one from N.C. State.
The defending national champions put together a strong second half Saturday to win 38-31 at Carter-Finley Stadium, but the Tigers had to battle to the final seconds. It wasn’t until K’Von Wallace picked off a fourth-down pass by the Pack’s Ryan Finley’s inside the Clemson 10-yard line that the game was decided.
“It was an unbelievable ballgame,” Swinney said. “I thought N.C. State played a heck of a game, especially in the first half when they kicked our butt.