Clemson Tigers QB Cade Klubnik Struggles Should Raise Concern

Is hit time for the Clemson Tigers to hit the panic button on Cade Klubnik

Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sacks Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers suffered an embarrassing loss in their season-opener to the Georgia Bulldogs, as they lost by a score of 34-3. 

Coming into the game, the Tigers knew it was going to be a tough one against the No.1 team in the nation on the road, but this was not an encouraging performance at all. While the Clemson defense hung in their with the talented Georgia offense, they were eventually worn down. 

When looking at the halftime score, it tells a much different story about what this game became and looked like when watching. In the first half, the score was just 6-0 Georgia, as while there weren’t a lot of positives to take away from the loss, we can say that the Clemson defense is going to be good once again. 

The Bulldogs did eventually wear the Tigers’ defense down, as they scored 34 points overall. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck performed very well as expected, as he totaled 278 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. 

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they didn’t get that same type of production from the quarterback position. There was a lot of concern coming into the season about whether Cade Klubnik could take a step forward and become the guy for Clemson. After the loss to Georgia, those concerns have become very real. 

In the loss, Klubnik totaled just 142 passing yards on 18-for-29 passing to go along with an interception. The Tigers and Klubnik had nothing going on down the field, as he averaged just 4.9 yards per completion. 

Considering Klubik didn’t light up last season as a starting quarterback, it was fair to have some concerns about what type of player he would be this season. While the Tigers clearly have a good defense, you still need production from the quarterback position if you are going to be a contender in college football these days. 

While a loss to the No.1 team in the nation by no means ends the season for Clemson or knocks them out of contention in the College Football Playoff, the performance of Klubnik is just very concerning for their outlook moving forward. 

If Klubnik hasn’t improved from last season, it’s hard to imagine that the Tigers are going to be a double-digit win team. 

Next up for Clemson will be an opportunity to get things right on offense, especially against App State. Hopefully, we see a much better version of Klubnik, because as of now, it doesn’t look like he’s the guy.