No. 4 Clemson lost the battle of the Tigers in Week 1, as LSU marched into Memorial Stadium and stole a 17-10 victory. Clemson held a 10-3 lead at halftime, but Dabo Swinney’s offense was shut out in the final two quarters.
There is plenty of blame to go around for Clemson’s first loss in a home opener since 2003. What did Swinney think was their biggest issue? It was that their best player, quarterback Cade Klubnik, didn’t play well.
“Our biggest issue against LSU was that our best player [Cade Klubnik] didn’t play well,” Swinney told reporters on Tuesday, per WYFF. “(No.) 2 will respond, I promise you that.”
The senior signal-caller completed 19 of 38 passes for 230 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception vs. LSU. Clemson recorded just 261 yards of total offense, and converted three of 13 third downs. The Tigers were previously 59-3 when leading at home in the last decade, but LSU made more plays down the stretch when it mattered most.
Are LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik too short to be high first-round NFL Draft picks?
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This is hardly the first time Swinney has publicly put pressure on Klubnik. He has lamented the fact his quarterback sometimes tries to do too much. After a 24-14 win vs. Virginia Tech last season, Swinney told reporters that Klubnik’s play was “frustrating,” and even declared that all four sacks he took in the game were his fault, via Greenville News. With that being said, Swinney has always stuck by his quarterback.
Klubnik was the only FBS player to throw more than 35 touchdowns in 2024 and return to college. His 43 total touchdowns last season ranked third-most in the FBS behind No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward and new Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
The good thing about Clemson’s season-opening loss is that it’s not a death sentence. The Tigers do not have a daunting schedule this year, and there are plenty of opportunities for Klubnik to rebound — much like he did in 2024 following a Week 1 loss to Georgia.
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