With the status of Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik up in the air leading up to last Saturday’s game vs. SMU, it wasn’t until about halfway through the week when backup QB Christopher Vizzina found out that he would probably be starting against the Mustangs.
“Throughout the week, it was kind of it might happen, it might not happen,” Vizzina said this week. “So, I was just preparing to play. I think around the middle of the week is when I knew it was pretty likely.”
Indeed, Vizzina ended up making his first career start vs. SMU at Memorial Stadium, as Klubnik missed the contest after suffering a sprained ankle in the Tigers’ win at Boston College on Oct. 11.
Vizzina completed 29-of-42 passes for 317 yards with three touchdowns for a pass efficiency rating of 156.0. He did not throw an interception, though he fumbled twice and lost one of them.
Playing in his 13th career game, the redshirt sophomore fought, competed hard and gave Clemson a chance to win, though it ultimately wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell to the Mustangs, 35-24.
“I look at it, and there’s definitely some throws I want back, definitely some plays I want back. I’m obviously really disappointed we didn’t win,” Vizzina said, assessing his performance as a starter.
“One thing that sticks out is just kind of the slow start. And then I don’t think I made enough plays with my legs. I don’t think I made enough plays in general to win the game. So, that’s disappointing. But obviously first start, a lot of things to learn. I was proud of myself from just how I took the situation and ran with it.”
Vizzina initially struggled as the Tigers went three-and-out on three of their five first-quarter possessions, but he made some really good throws over the course of the contest and gained more and more confidence as the game went along.
At the end of the day, while it took him a little while to get going, Vizzina certainly made some plays. He was good enough in the second half to win had the defense done its part.
“It was a slow start. It was a little frustrating, but I think once we got a couple throws in there and we started moving the ball, I think all the confidence started to really come back,” Vizzina said.
Vizzina became the first Clemson quarterback to throw three or more touchdown passes in his starting debut since Deshaun Watson’s six-touchdown performance in his first career start against North Carolina in 2014, and Vizzina’s 317 passing yards were the fifth-most by a Clemson quarterback making his starting debut since 1953.
Vizzina had been waiting for the chance to start since he got to Clemson in 2023, and starting a game only helped his confidence that he can do the job when his number is called.
“I’ve kind of been waiting on that, just the opportunity to get in there, and all the things – I do it at practice all the time, but you get out there and you don’t know if you’re going to get to play on Saturday,” he said. “That sucks sometimes, but to know I went out there and played as hard as I could and we had some good things happen, there’s definitely walking away with some confidence.”