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Clemson's Butt Fumble Perfectly Symbolizes Their Weird Season
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- Clemson's Butt Fumble Perfectly Symbolizes Their Weird Season
When Clemson and North Carolina faced off on Saturday, it was tough to know who to favor. A Dabo Swinney-led Clemson team that got itself waxed 51-10 by LSU in Week 1, or a Bill Belichick-led North Carolina team that has seen a mass exodus of staff for all kinds of reasons in recent days .
Perhaps the play that best symbolized the dysfunction on both sides in a football sense came with 1:41 left in the first quarter. Clemson was already down 14-3, and it didn't help when running back Jarvis Green fumbled the ball to North Carolina after running straight into the posterior of offensive lineman Brayden Jacobs.
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Yes, folks… it was a Butt Fumble.
Of course, when we refer to a Butt Fumble, we refer to the legendary turnover that New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez gave to Belichick's New England Patriots when he ran straight into the posterior of offensive lineman Brandon Moore — a loose ball that Patriots safety Steve Gregory returned for a touchdown in a 49-19 Thanksgiving Day rout by the Pats over the Jets.
Also of course, because both of these teams are struggling this season, the Tigers opened the second half with 9 unanswered points against the Tar Heels, and the game was surprisingly "competitive" heading into the fourth quarter at 17-15, North Carolina.
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In the end, Clemson seemed oddly energized by the Butt Fumble; they won the game 28-20 after a long lightning delay.
One thing's for sure, though: We stand in awe of Belichick's ability to bring Butt Fumbles from the rear to the fore.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
