CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — It took until nearly Thanksgiving to gain bowl eligibility, but Clemson finally notched its sixth win of the season on Saturday.
A preseason top-5 team didn’t expect to wait this long, but Antonio Williams caught two first-half touchdown passes from senior quarterback Cade Klubnik to lead the Tigers to a 45-10 victory over FCS-opponent Furman in the final 2025 game at Memorial Stadium.
“Not what we were shooting for coming into the season, but you’ve got to respond to where you are,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ve just got to see if we can keep building momentum.”
It’s the latest in the calendar Clemson has needed to become bowl eligible since 2008, but the Tigers (6-5) extended their postseason streak to 21.
“We didn’t want to be the group to mess that up,” Williams said.
Clemson went up 24-0 after Klubnik found Williams on a 35-yard scoring strike, their second connection of the day, with 14:15 left in the second quarter. Klubnik received an ovation from the crowd on Senior Day when he exited the game with 12:15 remaining.
“It was a really cool moment,” Klubnik said. “I feel like I’ve given everything I have for the last four years.”
Also in his final career home game, Williams had a 30-yard punt return, Clemson’s longest of the season, and set up the first touchdown when Klubnik found him open for a 21-yard score.
Tyler Brown made it 17-0 on a nifty 21-yard reverse run for a touchdown, and the Tigers tacked on three more touchdowns through backups.
“Balanced day and we got to play a lot of guys,” Swinney said. “I’m proud of their effort.”
Furman quarterback Trey Hedden was 22-of-38 passing with an interception and a touchdown. Clemson forced two turnovers and kept the Paladins (6-6) out of the end zone until the third quarter, when they got within three touchdowns.
“I was only disappointed in how we finished the game,” Furman coach Clay Hendrix said.
Get Back in There
Clemson found itself up just three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, forcing Swinney to put his starting defense back in the game to make sure it didn’t get any closer.
“They score right there and we’re in a dogfight,” Swinney said. “We had to get a stop.”
Freshman Shines
Clemson quarterback Chris Denson scored two touchdowns, rushed for a game-high 106 yards, and completed all four of his passes for 22 yards.
“That’s what he’s done in practice,” Swinney said. “First 100-yard (quarterback) rusher since Trevor (Lawrence) in 2019.”
The Takeaway
Furman: The Paladins weren’t expected to pull off any major upset, but they outgained Clemson in the third quarter and finished with 155 yards in the second half.
Clemson: Swinney pulled within one win of Joe Paterno and Urban Meyer for the fourth-most victories in the first 20 seasons as a head coach.
Up Next
Furman: Season ended at Clemson.
Clemson: Plays at in-state rival South Carolina next Saturday in the annual Palmetto Bowl.