American International College shocked Clemson 54-21 in a game that showcased the depth and athleticism of the program.

The two teams battled in a close one for a while, with the score 14-7 AIC just before halftime. But after a long period of trying to break the Clemson defense, AIC flyhalf Jihad Khabir raced through a half-gap and then passed out to Christian Adams, who finished off the try.

With Lui Sitama making big runs from fullback, and Jacob Ponder and Adrian Ray aggressive in the centers, it was only a matter of time before Khabir, Adams, and Deshae Edwards on the other wing, would explode.

This they did. Khabir blazed through from 40 maters, cutting back against the Clemson D. Clemson replied, but the AIC backs started to roll, and as they did they fed off the large pro-AIC fan contingent. Khabir started to cut them up, and AIC eventually rolled in the final minutes.

Clemson did not play badly. Jason Damm was a monster at No. 8 and throughout most of the game they defended well, not letting every break become a try and not giving up on plays. They scored three tries, but AIC's power was evident in the final minutes, as they ran in three tries in the closing quarter. The AIC forwards were central to the effort. Their speed to the breakdown forced penalties against Clemson, and also ensured that line breaks became tries. AIC forwards would be forgiven for expecting some of those breaks to lead to tries, and think they didn't have to chase.

But they understood the quality of Clemson and chased those runners hard. It paid off.

The ECRC fared very well in the ACRC Bowl Series in Charlotte, NC. UMass, Boston College, and AIC logged wins against the top two teams from the ACRL and the #3 team from the SCRC.