Some major college football games were delayed over two hours on Saturday, and some are crediting the weather for helping to shift the momentum in some of the games.

Clemson comeback

In Clemson, South Carolina, the Tigers got their first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the season with what some are calling a big assist from Mother Nature.

Clemson trailed the North Carolina Tar Heels 17-15 with 8:11 left in the game and UNC appeared ready to extend its lead, with second and goal at the Tigers 7, when officials sent both teams to the locker room after lightning was detected in the area.

Many fans were frustrated by the delay because the skies looked clear, but NCAA rules say athletic events must be suspended immediately if lightning strikes within an 8-mile radius of the venue. A minimum of 30 minutes must pass since the last such lightning strike before play can resume.

It did eventually start to rain, though.

The weather delay lasted for two and a half hours. When players returned to the field, it was all Clemson.

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In front of a half-filled stadium after many fans elected not to return following the long delay, the Tigers’ defense stiffened and stuffed two Tar Heels runs near the goal line, forcing a field goal.

Clemson seized on the momentum, scoring 13 points unanswered, winning the game 28-20. It was the Tigers' third straight game delayed by weather.

More delays around the country

Meanwhile, in Tuscaloosa, No. 10 Alabama, kickoff between Florida State and Alabama was pushed back nearly two hours due to lightning in the area. Then, late in the second quarter, more lightning in the area prompted a pause in the action for about half an hour. At the time of the delay, Florida State was out to a surprising 21-13 lead. But after returning to the field, the Tide had already turned: Alabama's offense looked unstoppable after that, pulling off a 50-36 victory.

Kickoff for No. 11 BYU vs. Colorado State, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, was delayed well over an hour due to lightning in the area. Similarly, in Columbia, South Carolina, kickoff was delayed about 80 minutes for Mississippi State's SEC opener, a comeback win over South Carolina. In Tampa, USF's romp over Delaware State was delayed about half-an hour.

Record heat

Lightning delays weren't the only significant weather impacts in college football on Saturday, as N.C. State took on Vanderbilt.

It was a scorching hot day in Nashville, with pre-kickoff temperatures at a feels-like 98 degrees, on-field temperature at 150 degrees, and a record high of 100 degrees in Nashville.

Whether the weather contributed to the game's truly shocking ending was unclear.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.