Clemson’s dominant win over Appalachian State not only highlighted stars like Cade Klubnik and Antonio Williams but also gave fans a look at the future. With a comfortable 56-13 lead at halftime, redshirt freshman quarterback Christopher Vizzina stepped into the spotlight at Memorial Stadium.
Taking over from Klubnik in the second half, Vizzina led a seven-play, 61-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter. He capped it off with a five-yard run, marking his first career touchdown. Vizzina credited head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley for their support at halftime.
“In the locker room, Coach Riley told me it was go time,” Vizzina said. “Coach Swinney was like it’s CV time. Go show us what you can do.” He rose to the occasion, completing 7 of 11 passes for 75 yards. Facing a fourth-and-goal situation, Vizzina was determined. “I have to go get in there,” he said. “It’s a night game in Death Valley, fourth down, running with the twos. Those are my guys, and I wasn’t going to come up short.”
Sharing the touchdown drive with teammates who push him in practice made the moment even more meaningful. “That was a really special moment… to celebrate with my teammates after and think about what a great drive we had… that was awesome,” he shared.
Vizzina also cherished sharing the experience with his parents, who have been his biggest supporters. “There’s a video of my parents when I ran in for the touchdown, and to see them so happy, they knew what it took to get here,” he said. “Those are my closest supporters, people I love the most… it was a really special moment after the game to get to share that with them.”