CLEMSON – Any questions remaining about this Clemson offense were answered on Saturday against NC State. And they were answered loudly.
The No. 21 Tigers scored touchdowns on each of their first four possessions, racing to a dominating 59-35 win over the Wolfpack. Make no mistake, it was more dominant that the final score indicated. NC State scored 21 fourth quarter points against a Clemson defense that featured nothing but reserves, most who aren’t even on the two-deep.
Clemson moves to 2-1 overall and gets off to a 1-0 start in ACC play.
– This game was basically over almost as quickly as it started due to another strong performance by the offense. Clemson scored on its fourth play from scrimmage on a 55-yard TD run by Cade Klubnik and never looked back, taking a 45-7 lead into the half. The offense scored touchdowns on eight of its first nine possessions an only punted once while the starters were in the game.
– Clemson finished with 524 yards of offense and it was about as balanced as you can get. 254 through the air and 270 on the ground. Oh, and the Tigers had that success with Bryant Wesco catching one ball for -1 yards. TJ Moore had one catch for 40 yards, but it came after the game was already out of reach. Saturday proves there are other weapons on this offense that are capable of playing at a high level.
– Klubnik was once again masterful, completing 16-of-24 for 209 yards with three touchdown passes. He had a passer rating of 188.7. The junior signal caller was in complete command, scanning the entire field and processing things quickly. That is the Klubnik this Clemson team needs moving forward.
– Klubnik left after the scoring drive on the Tigers’ first possession of the third quarter, giving way to redshirt freshman Chris Vizzina. This is the second game in a row that Vizzina has received ample playing time and those are valuable reps when it comes to his development. He looked solid, all things considered, finishing 4-of-7 for 41 yards.
– Clemson ran it at will, while the Wolfpack just could not get anything going on the ground early. One of the keys to this game was for the Tigers to stop the run and that is exactly what they did. By the time the first quarter was over it was 28-0 and the ‘Pack had managed just four rushing yards. They finished with just 46 through the first three quarters. That is when the Tigers started rolling in a lot of subs.
– Can’t say enough about that offensive line. That group totally won the battle at the line of scrimmage all day long. What was a weak spot a season ago has quickly turned into one of the strengths of this team. Phil Mafah finished with 107 yards on the ground on just seven carries.
Turning Point
On the second offensive series of the game and Clemson already up 7-0, Klubnik hit Antonio Williams for a 30-yard touchdown strike to put the Tigers up 14-0 with 7:56 left in the opening stanza. The fans inside Memorial Stadium could sense it right then that the route was on and that is exactly how it played out. Williams finished with 3 catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns.
Telling Stat
Clemson averaged more than 10 yards per play in the first half while NC State averaged just 4.7. The Tigers had 14 “big plays” in the game with six of those coming via the passing game (15 yards or more). The other eight came via the rushing attack.
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