ATLANTA — Cade Klubnik wanted his Clemson teammates to remember something as they left the locker room at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s something he hopes they remember for years to come.
“I want those guys, the only thing they remember me as, is somebody that never quit on ’em,” Klubnik said. “I hope that they remember that right now, and I hope they remember that last year when we were sitting 4-4.”
Klubnik, a quarterback who never lost a high school game, has suffered more misery leading the Tigers than he’d like. Last season’s rocky start has been followed by another disastrous opener, pummeled 34-3 by No. 1 Georgia.
Clemson’s flaws were laid bare. The offense still lacks explosiveness. The defense could only hold back the Bulldogs’ playmakers for so long.
Last season’s woes seem to have bled into a new year, and Klubnik found himself offering what he could. A promise born out of increasingly familiar struggle.
“Never quit on them,” Klubnik said. “I told them when I show up on Monday, I’m going to show up with more energy than I ever had in my entire life. Show up like we haven’t even played a game yet.”
Can the Tigers reset after a miserable opener? Here are some takeaways.
Klubnik’s progress
The junior quarterback’s progression heading into Year 2 was a major point of curiosity. But the opener didn’t offer much clarity.
Klubnik made some great throws, including a 36-yard ball down the sideline to Antonio Williams on a first-half drive that should have produced points.
But, again, should have.
There were way too many mistakes, and Klubnik didn’t make them. A procedural penalty and a drop on Clemson’s first drive. Another procedural penalty negated a first-down throw to Williams on third-and-9, stalling the Tigers’ third series.
Catchable deep balls to Adam Randall and Cole Turner weren’t brought in. A perfectly thrown ball to Williams, in the end zone, was lost in the lights.
It was an 18-of-29 effort for 142 yards, which isn’t fantastic, but it was nearly mistake-free on Klubnik’s part if not for an acrobatic interception by future NFL safety Malaki Starks.
Fewer mistakes is, by itself, progress for Klubnik. He was far more poised than the player who debuted against Duke last season. But it’s too soon to make any grand proclamations about where his season is headed.
Wesco and Moore, M.I.A.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in fall camp it wasn’t an expectation for blue-chip freshman receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore to start. And, if they did, it would mean they were going to be pretty special.
Wesco was listed as an “or” starter on Clemson’s depth chart, but he didn’t see much action until the fourth quarter. He had one catch for five yards.
Moore had one reception for seven yards.
If Turner, Randall, and Troy Stellato were popping off big plays, the more limited role of Clemson’s much-hyped freshmen probably wouldn’t have been so noticeable. But considering Williams was the only receiver who really starred, Wesco and Moore’s absence was eye-catching.
“When they got in there, made some plays,” Swinney said. “Those guys will continue to roll in there. You’ll see ’em.”
But how much, and how soon? Because the Tigers’ passing game could seemingly use a boost.
Dirt Rut
The numbers were probably skewed, because penalties and missed opportunities got the Tigers behind schedule. And they fell behind on the scoreboard in the second half.
But it was somewhat surprising to see senior running back Phil Mafah finish with just 16 carries for 59 yards. Keith Adams Jr. only rushed once for six yards, and Jay Haynes lost a yard on his one attempt.
Not exactly ideal for Garrett Riley’s balanced “Dirt Raid” offense, which was hoping to receive a boost from Matt Luke’s tutelage of the offensive line.
Mafah picked up decent yardage but his longest gain was nine yards.
If the running game can’t amass more than 46 yards in a game — which includes minus-17 from Klubnik — then Riley’s Dirt Raid will struggle. Especially if big plays aren’t coming in the passing phase.
“I’d say we got a long season ahead,” Swinney said. “Georgia’s going to make a lot of people look bad. They made us look bad today. But I do think that we’ll get back to work on Monday. We’ll go get better.”
Defensive meltdown
Coaches always worry about tackling in openers.
And the Tigers were actually doing well early in that regard.
Cornerback Jeadyn Lukus, finally back in action after two injury-plagued seasons, made some nice stops on the perimeter. Georgia struggled to escape the Tigers’ front seven, as well, on outside runs.
But as the game wore on, Clemson’s defense lost its grip. Georgia went from 160 yards in the first half to 287 in the second. From 34 rush yards in the first two quarters to 135 in the second pair.
A stout defense seemingly vanished.
“We got to flush it and move on to the next one,” Swinney said. “We can’t sit around and just wallow in it forever. We got a long season ahead. We still got a chance. There’s not anything off the table for this team.”
It’s over
Just one game. Not the season.
As Swinney and Klubnik said, there’s an opportunity for a reboot against Appalachian State in the home opener. Win the ACC, and a playoff berth awaits.
Did the way Clemson played versus Georgia offer ample reason to think that might not happen? Yes, there are reasons for concern, especially offensively.
But the Tigers’ memory has to be short.
“Everybody can write everything they want to write right now, but it will all be written in November and December,” Swinney said. “So we got a lot of work to do. As competitors, that’s what we do. We get up and fight again on Monday.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-01 04:30:00
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