CLEMSON — The Clemson Tigers concluded the midway point of the season last Saturday with their 17-12, home win against Wake Forest.

As the Tigers (4-2, 2-2 ACC) head into a bye week, coaches and players have extended time to reflect on the successes and shortcomings of the team through the first six games.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik met with the media Monday to discuss the first half of the season and look ahead to fierce upcoming competition.

–While the Tigers do not play this weekend, Klubnik emphasized the importance of the week off for physical recovery after six games and fall camp. “There’s a reason that every team has a bye… I’m super thankful not to have any injuries, but it’s just a time to kind of rest the arm and kind of get everything just kind of flushed out and reset.”

–Klubnik believes the break will also provide a crucial opportunity to analyze his own performances while taking a step back to recalibrate mentally. “I’ll probably go back and watch the first six games and watch myself and see what did I get better at and what do I still need to improve. I’m going to try to meet with Coach (Garrett) Riley and kind of take a whole reset and look back at what we’ve done.”

–According to Riley, the Tigers’ first-year offensive coordinator, the biggest struggle for the offense this year has been “inconsistency.” Klubnik shared that his inconsistency in the Wake Forest game was frustrating after accounting for over 260 passing yards against both Syracuse and Florida State. “I didn’t feel like I did a great job this past week… I would say it was probably my most inaccurate game as a quarterback. I was pretty hard on myself after, just because I think one of my best attributes as a quarterback is my accuracy.” 

–However, Klubnik does feel that he and his offense have taken steps forward in different areas each week. “I kind of let loose on FAU and just truly started slinging it. Florida State, I feel like my best attribute was sitting in there and truly trusting the offensive line. Syracuse, I feel like I really got to use my legs for the first time.”

–The next step for the Tigers, according to Klubnik, is to “put it all together in one game.” 

Klubnik and the Tigers have their next opportunity to do just that against Miami following this weekend’s open date. Clemson will take on the Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 21.

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