COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ Clemson's 2018 recruiting class may very well go down as one of the best in school history, but it was the veterans, most notably senior quarterback Kelly Bryant, that stepped up Saturday night at Texas A&M.
Bryant was 12-for-17 passing for 205 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 54 yards and a score as Clemson held on for a 28-26 victory in front of more than 100,000 fans at Kyle Field.
The Aggies put together a furious second-half rally, fighting back from a 28-13 deficit to come within a two-point conversion of sending the game to overtime in the final minute.
But senior Mark Fields intercepted Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond in the end zone to keep the Tigers ahead. Fellow senior Hunter Renfrow secured the victory by recovering the ensuing on-side kick.
Clemson passed what will likely be its toughest road test of the season with the victory while winning its fourth consecutive road game against an SEC opponent.
Bryant split time with freshman sensation Trevor Lawrence for most of the first three quarters and Lawrence was in the game for the first two possessions of the second half. But after back-to-back three-and-outs it was Bryant that was called upon during crunch time.
Bryant led Clemson on back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter to push the lead to 28-13. In the second half alone he was 7-for-9 passing for 121 yards. He added 63 yards on the ground.
