CLEMSON — Cade Klubnik has faced pressure before, but never like this.

As a senior, the Clemson quarterback is expected to steady a team that finds itself in unfamiliar territory. The Tigers (1-3, 0-2 ACC) are off to their worst start in more than two decades and now head into a pivotal matchup at North Carolina on Saturday (noon, ESPN). A loss would mark their worst conference start since 1998.

For Klubnik, the bye week could not have come at a better time. It offered a chance to reset mentally and physically after a month of frustratingly close losses.

The week off brought a sense of calm and ease for Klubnik. Something that his mind needed. 

The Tigers’ struggles have not been about talent. Clemson has playmakers across the roster, but execution has consistently fallen short in critical moments. 

That has been Clemson’s story this fall — close, but not enough. Two of the Tigers’ three losses came down to missed opportunities and late-game breakdowns. Klubnik said it comes back to preparation.

After a video was shown about earning the right to win by one of his coaches, Klubnik knows that’s what his team needs to do. 

“That’s throughout the week. It’s throughout your preparation. Focusing on the details and executing it,” he said. 

That work, he added, extends beyond X’s and O’s. The Tigers need to recapture the joy and energy that once fueled the program’s championship runs.

“If anyone around here knows who I am, I’m a fighter, and I’m a competitor, and I want to win,” Klubnik said. “Reminding guys why you do it. The opportunity we have—we’ve all dreamed of being here. What’s there to be tense about? What’s there to hold yourself back from?”

Klubnik has also made it clear that responsibility starts with him.

“Players got to make plays. That’s why we’re on the field,” he said. “We’re going to keep fighting till the end. That’s my job, and I am going to keep doing it.”

With eight games remaining, Clemson still has a chance to shift the narrative of its season. To do so, Klubnik knows the Tigers must turn “close” into wins and finish.