Dabo Swinney Never Thought About Changing Quarterbacks Despite Clemson’s Struggles

Did Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney ever consider removing Cade Klubnik in favor of Christopher Vizzina against Georgia?

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) in a drill with quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) during Spring practice at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility at the Allen N. Reeves football complex in Clemson S.C. Friday, March 1, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 college football season opener for the Clemson Tigers was about as ugly of a performance as anyone could have imagined.

Facing off against the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, it was an opportunity for them to announce their presence as a College Football Playoff contender. Instead, people are now wondering if Dabo Swinney is cut out for the job in the current landscape of college football long-term.

Clemson was destroyed, losing the game 34-3. Just like in recent seasons, the offense was unable to get anything going consistently, leading to the lopsided score.

Desperately in need of a spark, people wondered if Swinney ever considered making a change at the quarterback position. Maybe backup Christopher Vizzina could have given the team something that Cade Klubnik wasn’t.

Alas, that wasn’t something he ever really considered. During his radio show on Monday, Swinney revealed the idea of making a change didn’t really come up, as the focus was on Klubnik finishing the game out as strong as possible.

“Absolutely. That was a great experience for Cade and for everyone, and he really handled it well,” Swinney said. “I was proud of him.”

Klubnik completed 18-of-29 passes for only 142 yards, throwing an interception as well. While no consideration was given to bringing in Vizzina in, he couldn’t have performed much less dynamically.

Despite the underwhelming performance, Swinney opted for the high road. He chose to focus on the challenges his quarterback faced and learning moments from the game instead of piling on more criticism.

“His worst play was the first play,” Swinney noted. “I mean, that’s going 20 to 30 yards, and we just missed it, and it’s unfortunate because those are the type of momentum things that create a lot in that type of game.”

The Tigers head coach was happy with how his second-year starter settled in after a rough start. But, there were plenty of moments for him to learn from.

Swinney pointed out a sack that Klubnik took that set up a second-and-long situation. Also, a designed run that should have produced a score had he exhibited a little more patience.

“He was too fast out in front of the puller because that’s going to walk in for a touchdown if he’s just a little more patient,” he explained.

Overall, it was a performance that the head coach came away pleased by how his quarterback played.

“I was really pleased with Cade and just his psyche, and then his leadership after the game was tremendous. And how he showed up here today. I know we got one game and everybody just looks at the score or this and that. But this kid’s a competitor, and I really think he’s going to have a great year.”

That is an assessment that will assuredly raise some eyebrows. A team that had CFP aspirations needs more than their former five-star quarterback just showing up, as he needs to help elevate the performance of everyone around him.