Texas vs. Clemson final score, results: Longhorns down Tigers to move onto next round of College Football Playoff

David Suggs

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Texas vs. Clemson final score, results: Longhorns down Tigers to move onto next round of College Football Playoff image

The 2024 College Football Playoff served up uncompetitive games galore across its first round. The third contest of the first round, Texas vs. Clemson, didn't quite live up to such billing.

The Longhorns walked out of their beloved Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium 38-24 victors over a weary but resilient Tigers side. With its win, Texas punched its ticket to the next round of the College Football Playoff —a date with Big 12 champion Arizona State at the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.

Clemson looked destined to suffer the same fate as Indiana and SMU after falling behind, 28-10, come the end of the first half. Steve Sarkisian's side was a buzzsaw in the game's opening moments, gashing the Tigers' rearguard on the ground to race out to an early lead. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and Co. didn't appear to have an answer.

STREAM: Watch Texas vs. Clemson live with Sling TV

A brief rally restored Tigers hopes. But Texas' might — and a rushing gauntlet that tallied nearly 300 yards on the ground — was too much to overcome.

The Sporting News tracked live scores, updates and highlights as the College Football Playoff begins from Austin, Texas. Check out all the action as it happened below.

SN's PLAYOFF HQ: Live CFP scores | Updated CFP bracket | Full CFP schedule

Texas vs. Clemson score

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Texas vs. Clemson live updates, results, highlights from 2024 College Football Playoff

(All times Eastern)

End of fourth quarter: Texas 38, Clemson 24

7:35 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! The Longhorns snuff Clemson's comeback efforts, sending the Tigers to the sideline after jarring the ball loose on fourth-and-six. Texas is moving on to the next round of the College Football Playoff!

7:15 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! The Tigers are stuffed on fourth-and-goal! Texas brings Clemson's comeback effort to a halt!

7:06 p.m.: Clemson has responded well to Texas' latest score, carving the Longhorns' defense up with relative ease. The Tigers are on the goal line.

6:59 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Blue returns the favor! The amber blur races 77 yards down the field to put some cushion into its advantage.

Texas 38, Clemson 24

6:51 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Clemson is one score away from leveling things at 31! Klubnik rifles a toss to T.J. Moore, who completes the catch on fourth and six.

Texas 31, Clemson 24

End of third quarter: Texas 31, Clemson 17

6:43 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Another burgeoning Texas drive ends prematurely, as Ewers and Silas Bolden prove unable to connect on fourth-and-short. Clemson has a chance to cut Texas' lead to a single score.

6:34 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Clemson finds the end zone via 22-yard pitch-and-catch between Klubnik and Jarvis Green. The Tigers worked down the field fairly easily, collecting 28 yards after Klubnik hit Jake Briningstool on second down. Only two touchdowns away...

Texas 31, Clemson 17

6:15 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Auburn springs into action, sinking his effort from short distance to open the second-half scoring for the Horns.

Texas 31, Clemson 10

6:12 p.m.: Texas has kept its foot on the neck of Clemson's front seven to start the second half. Just gallivanted down the field with relative ease — albeit the Longhorns were helped by a timely defensive pass interference call.

End of second quarter: Texas 28, Clemson 10

5:41 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Texas answers back with aplomb, with Ewers whipping an arrow to Gunnar Helm for the score.

Texas 28, Clemson 10

5:35 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Clemson cuts into Texas' lead via field goal, with Noah Hauser finding his target from 32 yards out.

Texas 21, Clemson 10

5:25 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Clemson collects another crucial stop, this time via interception. Ewers tossed a feather towards DeAndre Moore Jr. However, Moore was unable to reel in the effort, which instead landed in the grateful grasp of R.J. Mickens. Looked for a moment that he had raced back for a pick six. However, the call was overturned after a Clemson player was deemed to have committed an illegal block on the return.

5:16 p.m.: TURNOVER ON DOWNS! The Tigers hold firm, wrapping up Blue inches short of the first down marker. Major stop by Clemson's defense.

5:13 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! Klubnik is picked off after seeing his effort flicked up in the air. Colin Simmons corralled the unruly effort, ripping it out the sky and setting the Longhorns up just outside of the red zone.

5:06 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Texas adds another score to its collection, with Wisner trotting in from 16 yards out. All three of the Longhorns' scores have came via the rush thus far. Looks like it could be a long day for the Tigers' front seven.

Texas 21, Clemson 7

5:05 p.m.: Wondrous grab by Matthew Golden, who absorbed a crunching blow and still remained tethered to the ball. Just racked up 43 yards on the throw. Texas flips the field once more.

5:02 p.m.: The Tigers' drive came undone after a second down sack. Longhorns will get the ball back via punt.

4:56 p.m.: Clemson comes back with a vengeance! Adam Randall takes the handoff, hits the hole and rambles 41 yards down the field, making a defender vanish en route to his destination. Impressive carry for the Tigers wide receiver, who has increasingly been deputized in the backfield due to Mafah's injury.

4:51 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Texas' rushing attack continues to flex its might. After gashing Clemson's front seven for rushes of 12, seven and seven yards on consecutive plays, Jaydon Blue dropped the hammer — a 38-yard waltz to pay dirt.

Texas 14, Clemson 7

4:47 p.m.: Texas gets the ball back via punt. Unfortunately for Swinney's staff, the punt wasn't all that effective. The Longhorns will be licking their chops after fielding the 31-yard leaflet.

End of first quarter: Clemson 7, Texas 7

4:44 p.m.: After Klubnik went down with a sack on first down, the Tigers were behind the eight ball. A 13-yard catch and run by Phil Mafah brought Clemson one yard short of the marker as the first quarter limped to its conclusion. However, it looks like Swinney might opt to punt the ball away with the ball still deep inside Tigers territory.

4:34 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Wisner bursts through the tackles and bounces off a would-be tackler to open the scoring for Texas. Impressive response by Sarkisian's squad there.

Clemson 7, Texas 7

4:33 p.m.: Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian's aggression pays off. After falling short on third-and-two, Sark brought the offense back out on the field deep inside Tigers territory. The decision worked a treat: Jerrick Gibson nabbed four yards to keep the drive alive and move the Longhorns to the cusp of the end zone.

4:31 p.m.: Clemson's defense faltered after dropping Ewers behind the line of scrimmage on first down. A screen pass to Ryan Wingo on second down cut into the Longhorns' yardage deficit. Quintrevion Wisner followed it up with a graceful dash along the right sideline to move the chains.

4:29 p.m.: Texas crosses into Clemson territory after a series of short and intermediate tosses of its own.

4:23 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Klubnik finds star wideout Antonio Williams on the drag route, who discarded his marker to trot into open pasture for the score.

Clemson 7, Texas 0

4:17 p.m.: The Tigers are dicing the Longhorns' zone coverage in their opening possession. Have worked their way down the field with a stream of short and intermediate routes. It's been death by a thousand paper cuts for Texas' secondary at present.

4:15 p.m.: Solid start for Klubnik and Co. thus far. The junior hurler evaded Texas' pass rush and slalomed beyond the marker for the first down on third-and-short.

4:10 p.m.: We're off from DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium! Cade Klubnik will lead the Tigers out on the first offensive drive of the game.

3:50 p.m.: Texas looks set to be missing one of its most explosive offensive weapons. Isaiah Bond is currently outfitted in street clothes, a telltale sign he'll be missing in action today. He had been felled by a high ankle sprain he suffered in the SEC Championship game.

3:30 p.m.: Look at who is at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for today's big game: Matthew McConaughey, the Longhorns' highest-profile fan. Looks like he might be fraternizing with the enemy, as well; cameras caught the award-winning actor and Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney chopping it up before today's contest.

MORE TEXAS-CLEMSON NEWS:

Texas vs. Clemson start time

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 21
  • Time: 4:00 p.m. ET

Texas and Clemson will face off in the second game of Saturday's College Football Playoff triple-header, with both sides set to lock horns with one another at 4 p.m. ET.

What channel is Texas vs. Clemson on today?

  • TV Channel: TNT
  • Streaming: Max, Sling

TNT will carry coverage of Texas and Clemson's matchup in the College Football Playoff opening round this weekend, the second of two CFP games the Ted Turner-founded network has under its banner. Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek will be on the call, while Taylor McGregor and Laura Rutledge will offer musings from the sidelines.

Cord-cutters can find the action on Max or Sling.

College Football Playoff schedule 2024

Here is a look at the entire schedule for this year's College Football Playoff:

DateRoundMatchupTimeTV Channel
Dec. 20First RoundNo. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Indiana8:00 p.m. ETABC, ESPN
Dec. 21First RoundNo. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 SMU12:00 p.m. ETTNT
Dec. 21First RoundNo. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Clemson4:00 p.m. ETTNT
Dec. 21First RoundNo. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Clemson8:00 p.m. ETABC, ESPN
Dec. 31Quarterfinals (Fiesta Bowl)No. 3 Boise State vs. TBD7:30 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 1Quarterfinals (Peach Bowl)No. 4 Arizona State vs. TBD1:00 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 1Quarterfinals (Rose Bowl)No. 1 Oregon vs. TBD5:00 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 1Quarterfinals (Sugar Bowl)No. 2 Georgia vs. TBD8:45 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 9Semifinals (Orange Bowl)TBD vs. TBD7:30 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 10Semifinals (Cotton Bowl)TBD vs. TBD7:30 p.m. ETESPN
Jan. 20CFP National ChampionshipTBD vs. TBD7:30 p.m. ETESPN

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David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.