CLEMSON – The Clemson Tigers put a lot of great things on display with a 42-21 win over Georgia Tech. Young talent was the story of the day while the vaunted Yellow Jackets offense never got to find their feet.
Now sitting at 6-4, Clemson looked like the team people expected to see at the start of the year. Better late than never, and here’s the takeaways from the Tigers dominant performance.
The class of 2027 is elite
Wow. That’s the collective reaction watching the true freshmen in Death Valley Saturday. This class accounted for three takeaways, an highlight touchdown catch and many more crucial plays.
Clemson’s stacked with a veteran core, and the worries about losing talent after 2023 are easing a little given this type of outing. Wide receiver Tyler Brown. Defensive linemen TJ Parker and Peter Woods. Defensive backs Khalil Barnes, Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis. The list goes on and the Tigers are spoiled with youth.
Clemson truly has a championship defense
Haynes King was one of the most impressive ACC quarterbacks through nine games, but Wes Goodwin and the Clemson defense smothered the Texas A&M transfer. He finished the first half with -8 total yards and a majority of his 126 total yards by game’s end came in garbage time.
This was his worst game by a long shot, and the Tigers turned King over four times, a season-high. As mentioned before, it was led by young talent. It sets up beautifully moving forward, and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s presence in the middle makes this group No. 5 in the country in total defense.
Klubnik is the real deal
It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for quarterback Cade Klubnik. His outing against Georgia Tech may be his best of the season. The sophomore finished 23-24 for 205 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes. He also added multiple timely scrambles, and that was the main difference.
Klubnik’s legs are crucial to his success, and using that mobility correctly is paramount. He was sacked twice, but it should’ve been more if it wasn’t for his presence.
As a passer, he displayed pinpoint accuracy on the touchdown to tight end Jake Briningstool. His lone interception wasn’t his best throw, but it should’ve been nothing more than an incompletion. Clemson wasn’t sure if they had their quarterback through eight games but their last two outings have ended that conversation.