CLEMSON — Clemson football‘s offense is the real deal this season.
If there were any doubts about whether their offense can be consistent and successful, the No. 19 Tigers put them to rest in their 59-35 win against NC State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. After a disastrous Week 1 performance against No. 1 Georgia, Clemson (2-1, 1-0) rebounded offensively against Appalachian State two weeks ago and repeated their success vs. the Wolfpack (2-2, 0-1) in their first conference game.
“They’re becoming confident,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “When you have a lot of confidence, that feeds your belief that you can score anytime, and you just start playing with rhythm.”
The Tigers put the game out of reach in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions to lead 28-0. Clemson scored two more touchdowns and kicked a field goal in its final three drives of the first half to lead by 38 points at halftime.
Saturday’s win was like Clemson’s game against App State, but this time it was against NC State, a conference rival that has ranked in the top 25 in points allowed during the past three seasons and has been a thorn in the Tigers’ side.
According to ESPN, Clemson became the first FBS team in the 20 seasons to lead by 28 or more points after the first quarter in consecutive games. It has scored 59 or more points in two consecutive games for the third time in program history.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik led the Tigers’ offense to success again. He went 16-for-24 passing for 209 yards and 70 yards rushing with four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). He completed passes to nine receivers and made various big-time throws; he stood in the pocket and took hits, and threw passes rather than try to force them when under heavy pressure.
Even without wide receivers Tyler Brown and Bryant Wesco Jr., who exited with an upper-body injury in the second quarter, Clemson’s offense hummed with Klubnik at the helm.
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“Our quarterback is just really playing at a high level right now. Really proud of him,” Swinney said. “He deserves it. He put a lot of work in, and it’s good to see him grow and mature from last year.”
The Tigers retained their explosiveness Saturday, having 14 big plays — passes for 15 yards or more or rushes for 10-plus-yards. Eight of them came on the ground as the team rushed for 269 yards, marking the first time Clemson has recorded 250 yards or more in back-to-back games since 2021.
NC state coach Dave Doeren credited those big plays for his team’s performance defensively.
“We were never in this game,” Doeren said.
Clemson showcased Saturday it can be consistent in the product it puts out offensively. Its balanced offensive attack complemented with its opportunistic defense is a recipe that can lead to the Tigers winning the conference.
The Tigers made a statement to the conference in their first ACC win, and Klubnik and their offense were the messengers.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
