UNC falls to No. 9 Clemson in ACC Championship

CHARLOTTE, NC — No. 9 ranked Clemson defeated the No. 23 UNC Tar Heels 39-10 to take home the ACC Championship title for the seventh time in the last eight years.

Clemson backup quarterback Cade Klubnik replaced DJ Uiagalelei in the first quarter, leading the Tigers to victory. Klubnik completed 20 of his 24 passes, throwing for a career-high 279 yards and two total touchdowns.

Uiagalelei was benched after struggling from the start, after going 2-of-5 for 10 yards on two drives that ended in three-and-outs. His status as the starter was a topic of constant conversation throughout the week after he struggled in a 31-30 loss to South Carolina. Uiagalelei’s play has been inconsistent for a sizable chunk of the season and had been benched for Klubnik already once this season.

Tar Heels star quarterback Drake Maye had trouble getting on the board tonight as his receivers struggled to get open on the Tigers’ defensive backs. In particular, Clemson’s Nate Wiggins had a huge night deflecting two passes in the endzone, returning a Maye interception 98 yards for a touchdown, and blocking a UNC field goal midway through the second.

Stay tuned for more post-game updates to this story.