With the Week 7 ACC action in the books, former Clemson standout and current ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain gave some thoughts on the Tigers (5-1, 4-0 ACC) after their latest win – a 49-14 trouncing of Wake Forest on Saturday in Winston-Salem.

Naturally, Mac Lain — who played at Clemson from 2011-15 and earned first-team All-ACC honors as an offensive lineman in 2015 — began by talking about the Tigers’ current O-line and praising the unit’s performance so far this season.

Clemson’s offensive line was recently named as one of 22 units on the 2024 Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the nation’s top offensive line. The group has helped power the Tigers to an eighth-place national ranking in yards per carry (6.00), and entering Week 7, Clemson was one of only six schools nationally to be averaging at least 6 yards per carry and allow five or fewer sacks this season.

“It’s been so impressive to see those guys and the things that they have been able to do,” Mac Lain said during ACC Network’s ACC Huddle show Saturday. “Nasty, tenacious, not a lot of MAs (missed assignments), doing their job up front, and finishing blocks. That’s my favorite thing to see from an offensive line, and how I really judge them. If you want to be one of these special units, then you have to take guys to the ground and do your job there.”

Mac Lain also had plenty of praise for Clemson junior quarterback Cade Klubnik, who completed 31-of-41 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns against Wake Forest, including an impressive 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams in the second quarter.

“I can’t speak enough about Cade Klubnik, the things that he has been able to do, how effective he has become decision-making wise, accuracy,” Mac Lain said. “I mean, the touchdown that we saw to Antonio Williams, he checked to that. He audibled to that and saw something in the coverage. It’s a beautiful play and an absolute dot.”

During Clemson’s five-game winning streak, when Klubnik has been on the field, Clemson’s offense has produced 28 total touchdowns, 8.2 yards per play and 32 20-yard plays while punting only nine times.

Klubnik’s level of play has obviously been essential to Clemson’s offensive success, and Mac Lain believes Klubnik’s growth as a quarterback goes hand in hand with the growth of the Tigers’ O-line.

“I also think that Cade’s growth has helped them too, right, because he’s an eraser,” Mac Lain said. “He’s a guy that can help you, but also, I gotta have time, I have to have movement to do my thing (as a QB).”

Looking ahead, Clemson has a home game against Virginia this Saturday, an Oct. 26 open date, and then another home game against Louisville on Nov. 2 before consecutive road trips to Virginia Tech (Nov. 9) and Pitt (Nov. 16).

The Tigers will then conclude the regular season with matchups at Death Valley against The Citadel (Nov. 23) and South Carolina (Nov. 30).

Mac Lain weighed in on Clemson’s upcoming schedule and pointed out that head coach Dabo Swinney has never lost to the next three teams the Tigers will face.

“Well, when you look at Virginia, Coach has never lost to them,” Mac Lain said. “You look at Louisville, Coach has never lost to them. You look at Virginia Tech, Coach has never lost to them. So, Pittsburgh is the first team that he’s ever lost to on that schedule.”

With that said, Mac Lain added that he thinks anything can happen on any given Saturday in ACC play.

“The ACC is deep,” he said. “The ACC has great quarterback play, has exceptional running back play, and we have great coaches that are going to dial it up. So, when you look at that schedule, it could be any dog on any day.”

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!