Clemson Gets Back on Track With Dominant Week 2 Win Against Appalachian State

The Clemson Tigers earned their first victory of the year in emphatic fashion with a dominant win over Appalachian State.

Nov 18, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) celebrates with tight end Jake Briningstool (9) after scoring a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The fastest way to quell any issues in sports is to win, and that's exactly what the Clemson Tigers were able to do in their home opener on Saturday.

Facing Appalachian State, this was a great chance for Clemson to prove they have plenty of talent to compete for an ACC title this season by beating a top team in the Sun Belt Conference and a program who has a history of defeating some of the best teams in the country.

That's exactly what they did.

The Tigers won -------, jumping all over the Mountaineers early in the first quarter as part of a record-setting scoring barrage that ended this contest before it really began.

It was a multifaceted performance from Clemson on Saturday, getting massive production from the offense, led by Cade Klubnik's incredible stat line that saw him go 24-of-26 for 378 yards, five passing touchdowns and two more on the ground, and a dominant showing by the defense.

With the game already out of hand at halftime with the score being 48-13, the Tigers pulled the junior signal caller in the third quarter and turned things over to their backup Christopher Vizzina.

This was a massive performance for the heavily criticized Klubnik, something that was desperately needed after he failed to live up to expectations last season and during the first game of the year against Georgia.

He wasn't the only one who made a statement, though.

Highly-touted freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. was able to showcase what he can do for this passing game, catching three balls for 130 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Jake Briningstool joined him over the century mark, hauling seven balls for 100 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Clemson's defense was completely dominant when the game was still in reach, forcing punts on the first five Appalachian State possesions that allowed their offense to put up 35 points and virtually end this contest early.

When it was all said and done, the Tigers allowed 361 total yards and forced three turnovers, two being interceptions and one being fumble recovery.

Clemson put up 712 yards themselves, 460 of which came through the air and the other 252 coming on the ground.