Clemson Tigers Have a Jekyll and Hyde Start to the Season

After two games, which version of the Clemson Tigers is the real one?

Sept 7, 2024; Clemson, SC, USA; The Clemson Tigers played the Appalachian State Mountaineers in college football Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) warms up. / Alex Hicks Jr./USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

It has been a strange start to the season for the Clemson Tigers. After being blown out in Week 1, the Tigers bounced back and then had a blowout victory in Week 2. 

In Week 1, Clemson had a challenging matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs on the road. The Bulldogs are the No.1 team in the nation, and they certainly looked like it against the Tigers. Against Georgia, Clemson was only able to muster three points. 

The loss resulted in plenty of criticism for the Tigers’ offense, as while the Bulldogs are a good team, it was a pretty poor showing by Cade Klubnik and company. 

Despite a lot of noise about the poor performance, Klubnik and the Clemson offense looked like a completely different unit against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Against the Mountaineers, Clemson scored 66 points and Klubnik totaled 378 passing yards and five passing touchdowns in one of the best games of his career. 

Brad Shepard of Bleacher Report recently spoke about the strange start to the season for the Tigers. 

 “Are the Tigers the team that got boat-raced by Georgia in Atlanta and didn't muster anything offensively in a pathetic display? Or are they the team that was unstoppable in dismantling Appalachian State with Cade Klubnik accounting for seven first-half touchdowns?”

“There's a huge difference between the Dawgs and Mountaineers, but Clemson is somewhere in the middle of those two polar teams. Which one will write the story of their 2024 season?”

The start to the season really was at two extremes for Clemson, as their strength of opponent was as well. The Bulldogs are going to be one of the best teams in the nation all season, and while the Mountaineers have some talent, they aren’t the same caliber of competition. 

What was really important for the Tigers was the bounce back from Week 1. Klubnik received a lot of criticism for his performance in Week 1, and rightfully so. However, the bounce back game for Klubnik is a very encouraging sign moving forward. 

Next up for the Tigers will be a matchup against the North Carolina State Wolfpack, who are coming off a bad loss at home to the Tennessee Volunteers. With a week off before the game, Clemson and Dabo Swinney will have ample time to prepare and improve some things after the first two weeks. 

​Considering it's early in the season, it is hard to figure out what this Tigers team is going to look like after two games.