Clemson’s Week 7 bye comes right around the midway point of this season, and Tigers’ fans have seen some good and some bad from their starting quarterback, Cade Klubnik, through six games.
There was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Klubnik heading into his sophomore season. We’ve seen flashes of excellence, but inconsistency has been a big part of Klubnik and this offense’s season. They’ve got the talent needed; it is more about putting things together and cleaning up their game.
So far, Klubnik has totaled 1,370 yards and 11 touchdowns with two interceptions, along with 120 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Things look good on paper, but there is still a lot left to be desired from Klubnik and the offense.
In their Week 7 bye, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley discussed Klubnik’s performance at the midway point of this season.
“I thought he got better very quickly in the first month of our season,” Riley said. “Has he been perfect? No, but the kid’s a competitor… I thought he made some strides in a couple areas in this last game, but probably did some things that he definitely would want back in the Wake Forest game.”
“It’s a position that, man, you learn so much from each and every game and those experiences,” Riley said, “and it’s something that he’ll continue to learn from at a fast rate, I anticipate.”
There’s no denying this young quarterback’s talent and what he is capable of down the line. While he hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations he had heading into this season, it would be difficult for many quarterbacks in the country to do.
The important thing is seeing the improvement week after week. This bye week came at the right time, as we saw the Clemson offense take a step back in Week 6 against Wake Forest.
Klubnik has a major opportunity to prove himself in Week 8 when the Tigers head to Florida to face Miami.