LOUISVILLE, Ky. — They just keep coming for you.
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson spun around Austin Bryant, but Jabril Robinson followed. Then Tre Lamar. Christian Wilkins finally dragged Jackson down behind the line of scrimmage. That was the last play of the first quarter with the score tied at seven, and perhaps the last illusion the Cardinals had of removing the crown from the king of the ACC.
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Check that. King of the FBS. Too big, too fast, too smart, too much. No. 3 Clemson proved to be all of that in a 47-21 blowout against No. 14 Louisville at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Saturday. The defending Heisman Trophy winner couldn't solve this riddle with the exception of one 95-yard drive in the first half and a few cosmetic scores when it was too late.
"We had two goals tonight," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after the game. "One was to get the job done, and the other was to leave no doubt."
Done. No doubt. The Tigers reminded everyone — against the backdrop of College GameDay, the defending Heisman Trophy winner and the 55,558 in attendance for the "Blackout" — that the champ is here to stay. Keep in mind two years ago Clemson slipped past Louisville 20-17 on a Thursday night special and finished one yard ahead in a 42-36 at Death Valley last year.
This was different. This was a knockout punch on multiple levels.
"We accept the challenge," Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant said. "Night game, GameDay, everybody watching us in primetime. We love these types of games. That's why we come here, to play in these types of games."
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Bryant set the tone on a night in which he finished 22 of 32 passing for 316 yards with a score, along with 26 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns. That started on Clemson's opening drive when Bryant launched a 40-yard pass to Hunter Renfrow, who thought the play was a sack when he heard the crowd cheer.
Those were Clemson fans. Renfrow looked up, and the ball was on the money. Then the Tigers opted to for it on fourth-and-1 at the 11-yard line. C.J. Fuller burst up the middle for a first down. Bryant capped the drive with a touchdown. That's the kind of early statement that explains why Clemson has won 11 straight true road games.
Clemson knows what it's bringing to these games. It's a hashtag and a T-shirt these days. You better bring something to counter that.
The plays just kept coming. Bryant lofted a deep ball to a wide-open Ray-Ray McCloud with a 79-yard touchdown and staked Clemson to a 19-7 lead at halftime.
"He's a problem," Swinney said of Bryant in a nice way. "And we complemented him with our backs."
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Clemson rolled up 297 rushing yards and hit Louisville with play after big play behind a committee that features four running backs. The defense did the rest. Three-and-outs. Four-and-outs. The Tigers harassed Jackson, who finished with 391 total yards and three touchdowns — though most of that came after a 44-yard interception return by Dorian O'Daniel in the third quarter that ignited the blowout.
Oh, and Clemson didn't commit any turnovers. Night game, GameDay, primetime. That's how you own the stage.
"My exact words were, 'Turnovers have got to turn our way,'" Swinney said. "If we find a way to win the turnover margin, we're going to dominate an opponent."
Well, almost. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said Clemson "didn't finish the way they wanted" after a frantic fourth quarter in which both teams scored 14 points apiece. The Tigers, however, threw the last hammer when Travis Etienne bolted 81 yards for a touchdown, to the delight of the orange-and-purple contingent which occupied its slice of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium to the cheap seats while the rest of sections emptied out.
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Clemson made the biggest statement in Week 3 with a knockout punch of a divisional opponent. Alabama and Oklahoma made theirs in the first two weeks, but the Tigers reminded everybody they have depth on both sides of the ball. You could put those team in any order, but remember Clemson is 2-1 against the Crimson Tide and Sooners the last two years in the College Football Playoff.
The defensive and offensive lines are solid, and playmakers such as McCloud, Tavien Feaster and Adam Choice are developing around Bryant, who has led the Tigers to wins against ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. If Bryant plays like that, the the Tigers will repeat as champions.
"Kelly just proved he was himself," Renfrow said. "He wasn't trying to be Lamar. He wasn't trying to be Deshaun (Watson)."
Now, let Swinney hammer that home.
"Everyone is focusing on who's not here," Swinney said. "I'm never focused on who's not here. I'm focused on who's here and who's coming. If you want to be successful in college football, then that better be what your approach is."
The focus at Clemson is the same. You could hear the roars from the Tigers locker room — presumably Swinney dancing, screaming, getting his team's attention. It's a good night when 70 of 72 players get in the game. There will be more good nights in 2017, too, at the expense of opponents who think they are ready.
Louisville found out what the rest of the FBS could be in for.
The champ's here, all right, and Clemson's coming for you.
