Clemson 14, Kentucky 13,

Dec. 31, 1993
– 1993 The Wildcats met the 24th-ranked Clemson Tigers in the 26th annual Peach Bowl and came within one minute of winning their sixth bowl in eight tries. But a Clemson TD in the closing seconds sent UK home with a 14-13 loss.

Kentucky took the opening kickoff and marched down the field to the Clemson two-yard line, where what appeared to be a QB Pookie Jones-to-WB Alfonzo Browning TD was instead a turnover when Browning fumbled the ball while attempting to extend it over the goal line.

Clemson took over on its own one and proceeded to march 99 yards for the game’s first score, a two-yard TD plunge by TB Emory Smith. The PAT gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Clemson ran the ball 15 times and attempted only three passes in the drive.

Kentucky was stopped again at the one-yard line before the Wildcats finally scored on Nicky Nickels’ 34-yard FG in the second period, making the score Clemson 7, Kentucky 3.

UK captured the lead early in the fourth quarter when Jones hit WR Mark Chatmon with a five-yard TD pass, making it UK 10, Clemson 7. Nickels added another FG, this one from 26 yards, to extend UK’s lead to 13-7. But after Dan Ariza’s 55-yard punt pinned the Tigers inside their own 18-yard line, QB Patrick Sapp hit Smith with a 57-yard screen pass to move Clemson into scoring position. With less than a minute remaining, LB Marty Moore intercepted a Sapp pass, but fumbled it back, giving Clemson a second chance. The Tigers capitalized when Sapp hit WR Henry Smith with the game-winning 21-yard TD pass. Kentucky got the ball back with less than 20 seconds remaining, but could move no farther than its own 40.

                 Kentucky  ClemsonFirst Downs            20     14Rush Attempts/  Net Rushing Yds. 34/139 46/119Passing C/A/I     16/32/0 8/16/3Net Passing Yards     154    129Offensive Plays        66     62Total Offense         293    248Fumbles/Lost          2/2    1/0Penalties/Yards      4/35  10/75Punts/Average      5/40.6 6/38.8Third Down Conv.     5/14   6/14Time of Possession  28:51  31:09

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