BLACKSBURG, VA – Saturday’s win was a tale of two halves for Cade Klubnik and the Clemson offense.

After a slow start that saw the offense fail to put any points on the board in the first half, the No. 23 Tigers scored three second-half touchdowns to beat Virginia Tech 24-14 on Saturday at Lane Stadium.

The turning point came with the score tied at 7-7 in the third quarter with Klubnik and the offense facing a third and seven at the Hokies’ 41-yard line. Virginia Tech would bring the house on the play and for a moment it looked like Klubnik was going down for a loss.

Instead, the junior quarterback was able to escape the pressure while keeping his balance. He spun to his right and found freshman receiver TJ Moore wide open for a 41-yard scoring strike that put the Tigers up a touchdown.

Watching from the sideline, the Clemson defense could feel the momentum shift in a big way, as all eyes were on Klubnik as he puled off the crazy play.

“That’s a Heisman play, I ain’t going to lie,” T.J Parker said after the win. “That is a big play. That just sums up the work he has put in. That is finding a way to make a play. The will to win.”

Klubnik admitted that he came close to going down, crediting the work he put in over the offseason to get bigger and stronger.

“Yeah, I was close,” Klubnik said. “I don’t think I would have made that play a year ago. I’ve just been able to get stronger and faster. Stabilization was something I worked on a lot this offseason.”

Center Ryan Linthicum was also very close to being illegally downfield too which would have nullified the score.

“And Ryan Linthicum, if y’all go watch it, he is six years downfield and he realizes that,” Klubnik said. “He sees me scrambling and runs back so he’s not a lineman downfield.”

After starting the contest hitting on just 8-of-19 pass attempts in the first half, Klubnik was much better over the final two quarters of play. He was 8-of-15 after halftime for 130 yards with three touchdowns. He was also the victim of five drops on the night.

This particular play, which not only gave Clemson its first lead but also put the Tigers up for good, ranks right up there for Klubnik as one of the best in his career.

“It was definitely a crazy one, it was definitely pretty cool,” the quarterback said with a smile. “Probably Top 5, I don’t know.”

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