Clemson snapped its home losing streak with a 24-10 win over Florida State. The Tigers got the lead early in the game and did not let it go. It was not a perfect game, but Dabo Swinney’s team did enough to get the win. They now need to win just two of their next three games to be eligible to play a bowl game this postseason.
The two FBS foes left on the schedule will be tough to beat. If Clemson can bring the same toughness it brought against the Seminoles, though, it has a chance to end the season on a high note.
Cade Klubnik Keeps Toughing It Out
It’s clear Cade Klubnik’s ankle is still not close to 100 percent. Yet, the senior quarterback is playing the best he has all season right now. Klubnik has been playing with more poise in the pocket and is doing a great job making quick decisions.
He finished the night completing 20 of his 27 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik is also not afraid to run the ball, even with the injured ankle, as he also got himself a 4-yard rushing touchdown. The senior’s toughness has been a surge of energy to the offense as well.
In just the first half, the Tigers racked up 208 total yards of offense and scored 18 points. The unit slowed down a bit in the second half, but still continued to put themselves in range to score points.
Klubnik has commanded the offense at a high level since returning. He needs to continue to show this resilience for the last three weeks of the season.
Defense Shows Up
After an abysmal performance last season, the defense stepped up big time this week. This is especially true for the defensive backs. They were trusted to play straight man coverage with no extra help on many downs, and they held up.
That allowed Tom Allen to call a mix of pressures while stacking the line of scrimmage. It made Thomas Castellanos extremely uncomfortable. He struggled to find any consistency outside of the second-quarter touchdown drive. Castellanos completed just 53.5% of his passes on the night. He was Florida State’s leading rusher on the night with 11 carries for 31 yards, but the explosives in the run game were capped.
The Clemson defense held the top scoring offense in the conference to just 10 points on the night. That’s a huge bounce back from last week’s performance.
Tigers Look to Finish Strong
The Tigers now have three games left in the season to finish strong. They need to win just two more games to be bowl eligible. It’s a far cry from where we thought this Clemson team would be at this point in this season, but it’s still something to fight for.
The fact that this team hasn’t completely quit to this point is a good sign of how strong the Tigers’ culture still is. Seeing young players like Gideon Davidson and Corian Gipson get more opportunities and take advantage should excite fans, too.
Although this season became a wash in many ways, it could give way to much success in the near future. If the correct lessons are learned, Swinney and staff can get things turned back around swiftly. It starts with instilling bits of hope back into the program with a strong finish
Main Image: Ken Ruinard – GREENVILLE NEWS-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
