Clemson Tigers Had One of Most Surprising Performances in Week 2

The Clemson Tigers surprised the college football world with their dominant Week 2 performance vs. Appalachian State.

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney before the 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game with University of Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

It is wild how fast things can change for a college football program in a week. The Clemson Tigers were being written off by everyone after a disastrous season opener against the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

A 34-3 loss where nothing goes your way will do that. Analysts were questioning if Clemson had what it took to be a contender in the current landscape of college football.

Things weren’t going to get much easier for the team as they were set to face the Appalachian State Mountaineers. One of the most consistent G5 teams in the nation, it was expected that the Mountaineers would present the Tigers with a challenge.

According to projections shared by ESPN, Clemson was going to win a hotly contested game by an average of 9.7 points. They won the game but blew those expectations out of the water.

In one of the most shocking results of Week 2 in the college football season, the Tigers ran Appalachian State out of Memorial Stadium with a convincing 66-20 victory. Their performance was recognized by Bill Connelly of ESPN as one of the most surprising.

“What's the best way to respond to a dreadful loss to Georgia in your first game? By going touchdown-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown on your first eight drives,” Connelly wrote.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik silenced his doubters, at least for a few days, with one of the best individual performances in recent history. In the first quarter alone the former five-star recruit went 11-for-11, throwing three touchdowns and racking up 233 yards.

He would finish the game by completing 24-of-26 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he added two more scores, becoming the first player in at least 25 years with 5+ passing touchdowns and 2+ rushing touchdowns while completing at least 90 percent of passes.

An end to the Dabo Swinney era in Clemson looks to be premature. They now head into a bye week with a ton of momentum as they prepare for another huge game in Week 4.

The Tigers will host the NC State Wolfpack in a massive ACC matchup. The Wolfpack will be licking their wounds in a Week 3 game against Louisiana Tech after being taken to the woodshed by the Tennessee Volunteers in a 51-10 loss in Week 2.