CLEMSON – Through two games, Clemson has given its fans little room to breathe easy. Last week, the Tigers lost by one touchdown to LSU, as 81,500 fans white-knuckled their way through lead changes en route to ultimate disappointment.

Seven days later, Clemson rallied for a 27-16 win over Troy after trailing by three scores in the first half, sparking mild panic among the fanbase.

After the LSU loss, head coach Dabo Swinney told the media that contrary to what many fans felt, he felt more secure about his team’s identity than he would have after a routine, opening-week blowout. 

“I’ve got a lot of confirmation on who our football team is, and I’d rather have this feeling in this situation than if we’d won 50-3 against somebody,” he said. “I got a lot more confirmation on who our team is and what they’re going to be. Not what they can be, but what they’re going to be.”

Quarterback Cade Klubnik echoed that sentiment after the Tigers snatched a victory from the Trojans, saying the comeback proved his team’s mental toughness.

“We could go and win by 60 and move on and be happy, but a game like this is going to make us better,” the senior said. “Whenever we get in a moment down the road, when we’re playing another great team, we’re going to need to lean on this and see how we responded.”

Klubnik noted the Tigers struggled to find a “rhythm” in the first half, pointing to self-inflicted penalties, missed throws, and other offensive missteps as catalysts. To Klubnik’s point, Clemson managed just one field goal in the first half, while punting three times and losing two turnovers. They could never seem to get comfortable.

However, the second half was a different story. Clemson put up an immediate 17-point third-quarter, ultimately finishing with a 24-point stand to seal the comeback. After struggling in the first half, Klubnik orchestrated much of the explosive outburst in the third and fourth quarters.

At halftime, the message from coaches and team leaders was simple: look ahead.

“We got to go play two great quarters so let’s go,” Klubnik said, recounting the halftime charge. “‘We got ball starting in the second half, let’s go dominate this first drive,’ and that just kind of lit a fire in everybody.” 

That fire helped the Tigers improve to 1-1 on the season, and helped the signal-caller find a rhythm, as he threw two 25-plus-yard touchdowns to sophomore wide receiver Bryant Wesco. For Klubnik, the grit needed to pull off the comeback was indicative of his team’s commitment.

“I don’t think I’ve been in a comeback win like that since I’ve been here and that was really cool to see,” he said. “No matter who you’re playing, that’s tough. And just to be resilient and push through was awesome.”

The Tigers’ slate will not be any easier next week, as Clemson will hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Kickoff is set for noon at Bobby Dodd Stadium and coverage will be shown on ESPN.