CHARLOTTE — Do not get Cade Klubnik wrong. He cannot wait to play LSU in the season opener.

The Tigers vs. Tigers matchup at Memorial Stadium in Clemson is one of the more anticipated games to open the college football season on Aug. 30.

However, LSU is not what the Clemson quarterback is focused on as the season opener draws closer.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it is not about them,” Klubnik said during Day 3 of ACC Football Kickoff at the Hilton Uptown. “It’s about focusing on us to be the best Clemson we can be. I think sometimes you get so focused on who you are playing that you start making it about the other team.”

Clemson, who likely will start the season in the top 10 when the preseason polls are released in the next few weeks, have opened the previous two seasons with losses at Duke and vs. Georgia in Atlanta.

The Tigers also lost to Georgia here in Charlotte in 2021 to start that season. The lone season-opening win during that same stretch came in 2022 against Georgia Tech at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Clemson has not hosted a home game to open a season since beating Georgia Tech in 2019. The Tigers won at Wake Forest in 2020.

Though Clemson has struggled in season-openers as of late, LSU has lost its last five openers, which has already tied a school record.

However, Klubnik is not worried about what is going on at LSU.

“You definitely have that when it comes to preparation and schemes, but that can’t be the whole fire,” he said. “It can be a little bit of fire, but it can’t be the whole thing. We have to get to be the best version of us that we can be. We want to go out there and win the first game for sure. That is our first goal.”