Look: Clemson football fans rushed field before game was over vs. UNC

Clemson football’s upset win over North Carolina on Saturday came with some late game confusion and two premature Gatherings at the Paw.

With less than 10 seconds remaining in the Tigers’ 31-20 win over No. 22 UNC, fans started to rush the field at Memorial Stadium without realizing Clemson had called a timeout with three seconds to go.

Assistant coaches and players on the Clemson sideline implored fans to get back on the sidelines and appeared to have things under control until a public address announcer imploring fans, many of whom had already spilled onto the sidelines, to clap for seniors on Senior Day brought dozens back onto the field.

Referees gave Clemson a 15-yard team penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the second premature field rush. Clemson knelt the ball on the final snap of the game before the clock hit 0:00.

“”We were trying to get our seniors in there for one more snap,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “Our fans weren’t cooperating”

Swinney said he hadn’t seen fans prematurely rush the field like they did Saturday during his Clemson career, but he understood the confusion with his team calling a last-second timeout in order to get some senior players on the field for one last night.

Swinney also praised Clemson fans for the atmosphere they created against UNC, with the Tar Heels committing five false starts on offense. That was the most by an opponent in Death Valley this season.

Clemson fans traditionally run the field after every home game, win or loss, to participate in the Gathering at the Paw, a longtime tradition dating back to the 1940s that was formalized in the early 2000s.

Clemson moved to 7-4 and 4-4 in the ACC with its win over the Tar Heels.

Next Clemson game

Who: Clemson (7-4, 4-4 ACC) at South Carolina (5-6, 3-5 SEC)

When: 7:30 p.m. next Saturday

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia

TV: SEC Network

Line: Clemson by 7.5