RALEIGH, N.C. — Hazy title prospects on the horizon have often teased the championship-thirsty Tigers as nothing more than mirages. After a 43-23 rout at N.C. State on Saturday, they have become tantalizingly real for No. 24 Clemson.

The Tigers can capture their first ACC Atlantic title with a win against Virginia next week. Such a scenario sets up a rematch against Georgia Tech for the ACC championship. Clemson has not won an ACC title since 1991.

“We’ve been wandering in the desert a long time,” Swinney said. “We are starting to create a mentality, an expectation and standard of excellence.”

Had Virginia won Saturday, Clemson would have clinched the division. Brandon Maye said the Tigers “would have had to pull the buses over” to celebrate on route I-85. Swinney said he’d be “dancing a jig on” the side of the interstate offering “a YouTube moment.”

Instead, the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 ACC) have to wait ’til at least Saturday as Boston College held on for a 14-10 win in Charlottesville.

Still, Maye said Clemson’s victory is further proof the “culture has changed” at Clemson.

There is reason to believe this is indeed a different Clemson team. For evidence examine third-down success.

In their first six games, the Tigers converted just 30 of 100 third-down chances (30 percent). Since the Wake Forest win, Clemson has converted 26 of 40 third downs (65 percent), including 6 of 10 against the Wolfpack.

The Tigers say the stat is tangible proof of no longer being “one play away,” but rather making the play.

Last season the Tigers converted 29 percent of third downs. Since 2004, the Tigers have never converted better than 42 percent of third downs for a season.

Billy Napier notes the metric is in part responsible for the offense morphing from weak to powerful, scoring at least 38 points in their fifth straight game Saturday The third downs are what Swinney called “outcome-changing” plays.

Plays the Tigers failed to execute against TCU and Georgia Tech.

Ten games into the season, Kyle Parker is more confident. He’s stepping up in the pocket to examine the field. He’s more competent performing procedural calls at the line, especially in hostile road environments.

Swinney was especially impressed by Parker’s 16-yard completion to Michael Palmer on third-and-three early in the fourth quarter. With two defenders bearing down on him, Parker remained in the pocket, surveying his targets, hitting Palmer near the sideline.

On the next play, Parker hit Spiller on their trademark wheel route for a 34-yard touchdown to give Clemson a 36-17 lead with 10:05 to play.

“That was a great third down conversion,” Swinney said. “(Parker) took a hit, he bought time ... (Palmer) did a good job running his route.”

It was one of three impressive third-down makes, situations where Parker lacked poise earlier in the season.

Spots where the sure-handed Palmer — team bests of four catches and 50 yards — was ignored earlier in the year.

“Football is a game of perseverance,” Palmer said. “We’re not prone to letdowns and all that stuff. People keep waiting for us to have a letdown, we are not going to do that.”

A situation when passes were dropped instead of caught.

The second important third-down conversion came as Clemson struggled to another slow start in an early game.

On the second-quarter play, N.C. State rushed only four. Parker placed a ball accurately over a leaping linebacker and in front of the safeties to Palmer for a 22-yard gain.

The play extended the drive, setting up a Jacoby Ford 17-yard score. The Tigers led, 10-0.

Napier credits Palmer as one of the key voices in steadying the Tigers after a 2-3 start.

“Palmer, Thomas Austin, those guys are cold-blooded,” Napier said. “If guys are a little lackadaisical, they take care of it.”

The third-down success is allowing the offense to sustain drives, an element it lacked earlier in the season.

As N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien says, the unit has always been the “most explosive” in the ACC.

The Tigers displayed their firepower with another third-down strike.

Facing a third-and-11 late in the second quarter, the Clemson coaches identified a matchup they liked — Jacoby Ford in the slot against N.C. State’s split safeties — and Parker executed the play. Ford blew past a linebacker and between State’s two deep safeties to haul in a 47-yard gain, setting up a Parker to Palmer 5-yard touchdown.

Clemson took a 24-7 lead at half, and didn’t let down.

 

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