Clemson Football picked right up where it left off two weeks ago and, in the process, joined an elite college football club.
Following the Tigers’ 66-20 rout of Appalachian State, fans and pundits alike were left wondering whether that explosion was a one-off aberration or had Dabo Swinney’s team finally begun to realize their true potential. After a bye week, Clemson left little doubt by thrashing N.C. State at Death Valley in a game that was never as close as the 59-35 final score. In the process, Clemson football won its 800th game in school history, becoming just the 14th program ever to accomplish that feat.
Cade Klubnik was sensational. For the second straight game, the Tigers’ junior quarterback was calm, poised, decisive, and surgical in picking apart the Wolfpack’s beleaguered defense. Cade finished 16 of 24 passing for 209 yards and three touchdowns. On the first drive of the game, Klubnik found an opening and jaunted 55 yards to the house.
The rout was on before some fans had found their seats.
The receiving corps impressed again, too. Antonio Williams and T.J. Moore were able to get continuous separation, and in what was learned would be his final game for the next month due to impending foot surgery, Adam Randall had a career day with five catches for 69 yards and his first career touchdown to lead the Clemson football receiving output.
And then there was the offensive line. It has been the backbone of the offense for the Tigers, and Clemson reaped the benefits once again. The running game was equally as prolific as the air attack, with the Tigers putting up 269 yards on the ground. Phil Mafah had another huge afternoon with 107 yards on seven touches. Klubnik added 70 more on four totes, and Jay Haynes and Cole Turner also added rushing touchdowns.
It was equal opportunity destruction on a large scale.
Clemson racked up a grand total of 523 yards; 254 through the air and 269 on the ground. Nolan Hauser had a great day in the kicking game, too. The true freshman converted on all eight of his point after tries and also connected on a field goal. He has been perfect on the first 20 kicks of his college career.
Defensively, the Tigers were solid, too. The front seven continuously hounded and harassed the Pack’s freshman quarterback C.J. Bailey. Bailey did complete his first eight passes but was hit multiple times and fumbled the ball back to Clemson. A Bailey interception in the third quarter was returned by Ashton Hampton for a touchdown. It was a tremendous all-around effort, but…
If there was one spot for critique, it is the second, third, and fourth levels of the Tigers’ defense. While the starters excited with a score of 59-14, the reserves saw N.C. State continue battling, scoring 21 fourth quarter points, and making the final tally look far more respectable than it actually was.
But seriously, nobody can be too picky when a program that had been stuck in neutral for the better part of three seasons, and who has often looked lost offensively, has put up 66 and 59 points respectively in two weeks. Or when its maligned quarterback has proven everyone wrong two weeks in a row. Just like the Appalachian State game, Clemson was up 28-0 in the first quarter. The Tigers led 42-7 at the half. It was a rear end kicking of epic proportions.
I think Clemson fans could get used to this (again).
Any way you slice, dice, or analyze things, Saturday’s win was another massive step in the right direction for a Clemson program who Dabo Swinney urged fans to buy stock in not so long ago. It may just be time to break out those credit cards. Clemson football is trending up quickly.
It has been fun to watch.
