Clemson football gets all good grades in ACC championship game victory over UNC

Todd Shanesy, Greenville News
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CHARLOTTE – Clemson football had one of its strongest performances and highest grades of the season in Saturday's ACC Championship.

The Tigers bounced back from a poor showing against rival South Carolina with a 39-10 rout of North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday.

Clemson (11-2) won a berth in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 against an SEC opponent in Miami.

It gets a grade card that will keep the Tigers smiling into the Christmas break.

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Here's how we graded Clemson's performance

Offense: B+

Clemson freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik was 20-of-24 for 279 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers' passing game hadn't really looked like that all season. Their running game never got going, though. Will Shipley and Phil Mafah had only nine carries combined for 28 yards. Nobody besides Klubnik had a run of more than 7 yards.

Defense: A-

North Carolina put together some multi-play drives, four of them with at least 10 plays and one that was 17. But Clemson kept the Tar Heels out of the end zone. UNC quarterback Drake Maye had 16 incompletions, two interceptions and was sacked four times. UNC's best runner, Elijah Green, averaged 3.1 yards per carry.

Special teams: A

Clemson kicker B.T. Potter matched a career-best with a 52-yard field goal to set an ACC championship game record. The Tigers' defense smothered a field goal try by UNC and Nate Wiggins blocked it. Aidan Swanson averaged 44.7 on punts and didn't have any bad ones.

Coaching: B+

Clemson defensive coaches did a good job of putting pressure on Maye with blitzes and sometimes a four-man rush. On offense, the coaches had decided to give Klubnik a chance in the first half regardless of how starter DJ Uiagalelei was doing. North Carolina coaches weren't ready for what Klubnik gave the offense.

Todd Shanesy covers Clemson for the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football gets all good grades in ACC championship game victory