Dabo Swinney rejected the idea that Cade Klubnik performed poorly in Clemson’s 34-3 loss to Georgia over the weekend.
Swinney, while speaking with reporters on Monday, said the Tigers’ coaching staff doesn’t believe he was bad against the Bulldogs.
“Everybody thought he was bad? That’s the consensus?” Swinney asked. “OK, good, I didn’t think he was bad. The people in this building didn’t think he was bad.”
Dabo Swinney on Clemson QB Cade Klubnik: "Everybody thought he was bad? That's the consensus? OK, good. I didn't think he was bad. The people in this building didn't think he was bad"
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) September 3, 2024
Klubnik’s stat line against UGA reads like this: 18-of-29 for 142 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. He averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and had a big-time throw rate of just 3%, per Pro Football Focus.
By almost any statistical measure, it was a difficult game for Klubnik and the Clemson offense. However, an argument could be made that the failure wasn’t all on Klubnik’s shoulders. Clemson’s wide receiver room routinely let him down — dropping multiple passes and committing multiple costly penalties, especially in the first half.
There was some tangible growth in that Klubnik had an average depth of target of 10.5 yards. That’s quite good considering the level of defense he was going up against vs. Georgia. It’s also a higher ADOT than he had in any 2023 contest with the exception of the Miami game.
Clemson will face App State in Week 2.
Don’t miss out on the action this fall! Here’s all you need to know about the top apps to bet on sports that are currently on the market in 2024!
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
