CLEMSON- Last week ahead of the home-opener against App State, Cade Klubnik revealed that a coach on the staff told him before the season that he didn’t have to go out and win every game for Clemson this season, that he just needed to manage the games.

Unsurprisingly, those comments led to a little backlash on social media, with some claiming that isn’t the type of mentality a quarterback should have. However, it was some of those same people that were heavily critical of the quarterback a season ago, claiming he was trying to do too much when the Tigers got off to a 4-4 start in Klubnik’s first season as the full-time starter.

Saturday night would prove Klubnik was right, and after Clemson’s offensive explosion in the 66-20 victory over App State, the junior signal-caller detailed exactly what managing the game means to him.

“Really just staying in the system,” Klubnik said. “Just staying in our reads and staying in what we do.”

The quarterback had the best game of his college career in the win, completing 24-of-26 for a career-high 378 yards and five touchdowns. His QBR of 99.6 was almost perfect and one of the incompletions was one he threw away. He completed passes to nine different receivers and he did all that in just one half. Oh, and he added two more touchdowns via his legs.

Klubnik was money against the Mountaineers, showing poise in the pocket and an ability to scan the field. He made all the right reads and got the ball out on time. It was a performance he can build off of heading into a bye week before Clemson returns to the field at home against NC State on September 21 (noon/ABC).

“I feel such at peace when I play a game right now,” Klubik added. “Like it wouldn’t matter if we were in Georgia or in front of 85,000 people out here.”

Klubnik led the Tigers to touchdowns on each of its first eight possessions, the first time that has happened in school history. The 56 first half points were also a program-record. The 525 yards of offense in that first half were another school record. Klubnik’s pass efficiency rating of 277.9 shattered Tajh Boyd’s school record for a single game with a minimum of 20 attempts (261.9 vs. Syracuse in 2013).

It was a performance for the ages and one for the record books, regardless of the opponent, and if that is how Klubnik plans to manage the games moving forward, the Tigers’ offense should be just fine.

“I truly treat every practice like a game, like every rep I get,” Klubnik added. “And I truly hope the coaches can say that about me too. I have just treated it just so differently than I ever have. So when I step on the field I am just calm. That just kind of comes down to my preparation.”

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