Stats & Storylines: Clemson gets swagger and ACC Championship back

Cade Klubnik's emergence against UNC has a much rosier picture for the future of the Clemson offense.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Mon Dec 05 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

I was not confident about Clemson’s prospects playing for the ACC Championship in Charlotte and their first two drives exemplified exactly why. Clemson’s first drive was a quick three-and-out in which they threw three passes. Two were incomplete due to inaccurate throws and the other gained just two yards. The next drive progressed just five yards before ending in a punt. After the coaching staff declined to make a QB change even in the grimmest of circumstances against South Carolina, I doubted they’d pull the trigger in this moment, but they did.

After inserting Klubnik, Clemson scored on all four remaining possessions of the half, went into halftime with a 24-10 lead, and then broke it completely open in the third quarter. They secured a 39-10 victory and with it won their seventh ACC championship in eight years. Not only is the ACC Championship back in Clemson, but so is the swagger of an elite football program. There are a ton of positive developments to unpack from this one so let’s dive in.

Cade Klubnik: 20/24 (83.3%), 279 yards, 1 TD, 30 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 19 receiving yards

Klubnik came in during the Tigers’ third offensive series and did more than just provide a spark. He’s a gunslinger and sometimes makes you hold your breath, but the entire offense looked transformed with him leading the way. Daring passes opened up receivers and kept the offense moving despite Clemson not getting much traction in the running game. A connection with TE Davis Allen in the back corner of the end zone exemplified the aggressive nature of the Tigers’ new signal caller. With Klubnik’s success on his initial drive, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney gave him another opportunity, and when he led them to another touchdown, it became a passing of the torch moment.

Klubnik’s speed opened up the playbook for offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. Outside runs with the QB and even a 19-yard reception with Klubnik as the receiver were entertaining new wrinkles from the offense. His throwing accuracy while scrambling extended plays and brought back the style of offense Clemson fans were spoiled by in the Trevor Lawrence years. It all made for the most enjoyable ACC Championship since 2011.

DJ Uiagalelei: 2/5 (40.0%), 10 yards

“I’m proud of DJ, and the leader he is, just the man of character that he is. The reality is we would not have won the Atlantic without him and wouldn’t have been here tonight without him. And we wouldn’t have won ACC Championship tonight without Klubnik.” – Coach Swinney

On the first play from scrimmage, Uiagalelei left an easy throw well short and it puttered onto the turf. Right away, something seemed off. After two drives, it was clear that the struggles from the prior week had carried over.

The DJ Uiagalelei era will be an interesting one to unpack. He was superb in two games as a freshman and then struggled immensely as a sophomore. For the first half of this season, his turnaround was a big storyline. Uiagalelei’s 371 passing yards and 5 TDs carried Clemson to a win at Wake Forest. Unfortunately, ever since the Syracuse game, his play regressed severely. According to PFF, his three worst performances (Syracuse, Notre Dame, and South Carolina) came in Clemson’s final five games.

When Coach Swinney was asked if he regretted not using Klubnik against South Carolina, he said “not really,” but he also added that “hindsight is 20-20.” Had that change happened half a game sooner, there’s a very good chance that Clemson is 12-1 and preparing for the College Football Playoff.

Cole Turner: 3 receptions, 101 yards

Clemson finally had their first 100-yard receiver in a game and it was… Cole Turner. The redshirting freshman only had one reception on the season as he could only play in a maximum of four games and still count the season as a redshirt year. His speed gave Clemson a true deep threat and the 68-yard catch was the Tigers’ longest of the year.

Even without key receiver Beaux Collins, the wide receivers looked their best since the Wake Forest game. Brannon Spector had an explosive 43-yard reception. Joseph Ngata had five catches and Antonio Williams added three.

As the game was wrapping up and the TV commentators begin talking about the future for Clemson, they noted that they still need to add a wide receiver through the transfer portal. With EJ Williams transferring and opening up a spot, that certainly seems right as one good game doesn’t erase a season of struggles from wide receivers.

Ali Jennings III (Old Dominion), MJ Wright (Fordham), and Grant Dubose (Charlotte) are all upperclassmen wide receivers in the portal who had more yards and a higher PFF grade than any Clemson receiver this year. Obviously, there are a lot of character and fit questions that coaches have to inspect closely, but there are options that could push this team back up to National Championship caliber.

Nate Wiggins: 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 passes broken up, 1 FG block

Nate Wiggins had one of the best performances from a Tiger cornerback in ages. He had two passes he batted away, he blocked a field goal, and his interception returned 98 yards for a TD essentially sealed the win for the Tigers.

Red Zone Defense: 1 UNC TD in 5 trips to the red zone

After scoring on their first trip to the red zone, North Carolina came away with just three points on their remaining four opportunities in the red zone. They finished with 386 total yards (1 more than Clemson), but a blocked field goal, pick-six, and turnover on downs in the red zone left them with only 10 points.

The Future is Now:

Uiagalelei was all class in his postgame interview with David Hood. He seems like a consummate teammate and an embodiment of the Clemson culture. Despite that, Klubnik gives the Tigers the best chance to win and will start the Orange Bowl. We have now entered the Klubnik era of Clemson football. Some expect Uiagalelei to transfer to a Pac-12 school like Oregon, UCLA, or Arizona State. Given the way he handled things, he should be someone that Tiger fans root for from afar if that comes to fruition.

Clemson will head to the Orange Bowl and face the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee was the hot topic for much of this season, but like Clemson, a late-season loss to South Carolina knocked them out of the playoff. They lost their star QB Hendon Hooker to injury in that game and then lost their offensive coordinator to USF. While their offense has been formidable, their defense had some issues all season. It is a juicy matchup that gives Clemson a chance to show their new-look offense can score points with the best of them. A top-10 win to conclude the year would send the Tigers into the offseason with loads of hype and excitement.

Next season, Clemson brings back Klubnik, RBs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah, TE Jake Briningstool, four starters on the offensive line, and a few WRs with upside. The defense will lose some pieces on the defensive line, but the linebackers and secondary will bring back a lot of talent. Clemson could be improved next season, especially if they boost their group of pass catchers, and will have a favorable schedule with the two toughest opponents (FSU and Notre Dame) coming to Clemson.