Cade Klubnik's clear mindset has guided him to the Palmetto Bowl

Cade Klubnik takes the field for his second start in the rivalry.

by Grayson Mann - Correspondent - Nov 27, 2024, 1:21 PM

Cade Klubnik remembers the last time South Carolina came to town.

The junior hadn’t emerged as Clemson’s starter yet, leaving the freshman just watching as the Gamecocks beat the Tigers for the first time since 2013.

One item still entrenched in his thoughts is the mixed emotions that came his way that rushed into his headspace following the game.

He remembers the emotion of the senior class, knowing that loss was their final home game in their Clemson careers. As a competitor, he wanted to get out there and do what he could to help avoid the upset.

He knew it wasn’t his time. Much has changed in two years.

Clemson might’ve beaten South Carolina in Columbia last November, but returning home, the stakes have absolutely been heightened. Once again, the Gamecocks stand in the way of a shot at the playoff.

Plenty of items are being brought to the table, stuffing Saturday’s game with new expectations and setting up one of the most significant games in Death Valley in ages. It might be easy to get caught in that emotion. Klubnik has prepared to meet the moment with a state of calm.

For the junior signal-caller, Friday is spent envisioning each intricate detail that will play out on Saturday: warmups, his pregame routine, kickoff, and the TV timeouts.

Quite literally, no detail gets past him. That meticulous attention to detail has allowed Klubnik to see the game in a much calmer light.

That calm state of mind has recently been his greatest asset, as he made some of his best career plays on the road when Clemson needed it most. He cites his tranquility on the sideline before he scrambled 50 yards against Pittsburgh as one of those moments where he trusted everything he’s worked on into simple breaths.

“Definitely just breathing through it and kind of taking a few moments,” Klubnik said. “I mean, I just remember sitting on the bench before the two-minute drive, just taking a few minutes, just closing my eyes and just kind of envisioning what I went in, just praying through it, but just breathing through it and just getting to a calm state of mind.”

Much of this work has gone through meeting with sports psychologists and putting together a routine that has given him exactly what he needs every Saturday.

Would that same freshman walking off the field against South Carolina have this same steady heart rate he finds himself with now?

“I think so, but not as well as I have now because that's something I've worked on a lot. And just the mental side of the game is something that I've definitely worked on a lot in terms of just being able to,” Klubnik said. “Going in the two-minute drive against Pitt, I felt like I was just chilling. I felt like I was just relaxed, which I've worked on a lot with sports psychology and a lot this off-season. That's a whole other discussion, but I being able to just take a big moment and breathe through it and focus on the task at hand, what's actually my job? What do I actually need to do? And just being able to kind of silence everything out, just take a deep breath and go.”

The task at hand might be centered around Saturday, but on a week like this, the duties go beyond the performance on gameday. Klubnik certainly understands that plenty of younger players haven’t experienced the rush of this rivalry. He has taken it upon himself to apply his calm state of mind and give the team that steady mental anchor.

He knows that players will be looking to him for guidance more than ever, and he is more than aware of that responsibility.

As he gets ready to visualize how the stage will be set for Saturday, he certainly will envision a sea of orange in Death Valley, as amped as it has been in recent memory. He might also witness some nerves from some players, taking in the Palmetto Bowl for the first time.

As the game draws closer and the playoff implications continue to heighten, Klubnik has his eyes solely set on the Gamecocks.

“Yeah, my eyes are set on Saturday, and going to play the best I can,” Klubnik said. “I’m going to try to have the best Wednesday practice I can today and go to the best I can today and then go attack tomorrow, go attack Friday, and then go attack Saturday. And that's what my eyes are set on.”

The implications of the rivalry and national stakes will loom over the 80,000 in attendance.

As Klubnik takes his first steps onto the field Saturday, one thought will be sharp on his mind: Just breathe.