AUSTIN, Texas – It was not the way he envisioned his final game in a Clemson uniform going, but linebacker Barrett Carter took it in stride.
The Tigers, the No. 12 seed, gave up 492 total yards to No. 5 seed Texas in a 38-24 loss at Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. The defense had perhaps its worse game of the season.
And though Carter tallied six tackles and broke up two passes, he had several plays he missed, as did his defensive teammates.
But none of that matters now. Carter played his final game for the Tigers, and though he was sad and disappointed he did not deliver another national championship to Clemson, he was very thankful for his four years at Clemson.
“I want to say a big thank you to all for giving us this platform,” he said. “The media has a negative connotation, gets scrutinized, like whatever. You all truly give us a platform like no other. Despite the loss, despite all the hard times throughout the last four years here, I just want to thank you all.
“I hope our fans are seeing this too. I want to thank Clemson. Just a lot of trials and tribulations the past four years, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of hard times where it would have been easy to write us off and give up on us, but you all never did. I know that times are hard.”