DURHAM, N.C. — Clemson (0-1) had high hopes for its 2023 season opener. The vibes around the program were high with the introduction of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. All that excitement flew out the window after the Tigers came out flat in Durham against a Duke team that returned 17 starters. The Blue Devils limited mistakes in front of a heavily-Clemson crowd and came out with a 28-7 win.

What’s the worst about the game is while Mike Elko’s team handled business, self-inflicted wounds almost entirely dictated the Tigers’ performance. It’s something not typical of a team coached by Dabo Swinney and I can’t imagine it’ll be a fun week of practice after Labor Day. Here’s three observations and two key notes from the gutting loss.

-On the first two drives of the game, quarterback Cade Klubnik looked anxious and it became a domino effect. Riley’s highly-touted offense became one-dimensional, relying on running back Will Shipley to bail them out. He did his best with 17 rushes for 114 yards to go with five catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. It didn’t matter as the offense put together three-straight plays of rhythm at most tonight.

-Shooting yourself in the foot is one thing, but the Tigers dropped a grenade on it. The turnovers were one thing that we’ll get into later, all three of them. On top of that, there were other mishaps. At least ten missed tackles, a plethora of drops and an overall lack of chemistry between the offense that was so praised leading up to the year. 422 total yards on offense went to waste.

-Clemson’s defense did what it could, but eventually you’re going to break. Through three quarters, the Tigers surrendered just 13 points and forced two turnovers. Safety R.J. Mickens flashed more than anyone to me, and he was versatile in the strong safety position even if the box score doesn’t have him at the top. Locking down Riley Leonard’s mobility beyond the 44-yard touchdown scamper will go unnoticed and it’s already mirroring the blunders from 2022.

TURNING POINT

After a promising drive, stop me if you’ve heard this before, Clemson was set up at the 1-yard line down 13-7 with 14:26 left in the game. Running back Phil Mafah took the handoff, and ran into Tristan Leigh, who just leveled his matchup on the play and it popped the football loose. Du Stinson saw the ball loose and returned it 55 yards before Klubnik saved the touchdown.

Six plays later, Jaquez Moore ran in for a nine-yard touchdown to make it a 21-7 Duke lead that the Tigers couldn’t overcome. A 14-point swing that ended up sealing Clemson’s fate.

TELLING STAT: 7 points on five trips

Clemson’s first four trips within the Duke 25-yard line were a disaster. One touchdown, and then the next three were blunders. A fumble by Klubnik on a zone read with Shipley, and a pair of blocked field goals denied what could’ve been a double-digit lead for the Tigers. It ended up costing them the win and there’s no excuse for mistakes like that. The next rendition in the red zone was the biggest moment of the night. Add in the fact that it’s a brand new offense trying to find it’s rhythm under Riley and it’s a recipe for disaster, and that’s what occurred in Wallace Wade Stadium.