At Last, Clemson’s Offense Flipped Frowns Upside Down

A week ago, there were frowns all over Clemson.

The Tigers were coming off a 31-point loss to top-ranked Georgia. The offense was atrocious.

They managed just 188 total yards and averaged 3.6 yards per play.

However, not everyone was frowning. There was one guy who was sitting in his office at the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson that was smiling.

Though he was not happy with the result. He was happy with his team’s effort, and he was happy with what he saw.

That man was Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, and what he saw was an offense that had opportunities to make plays against Georgia and just did not make them.

He saw an offensive line that did not give up a sack, and at times was able to get a push on a big and talented Georgia defensive front.

Things were not as bad as they seemed. Swinney was definitely seeing the potential of his football team, especially his offensive unit.

This past Saturday against Appalachian State, we all saw what Swinney had seen the week before. We all saw the potential of this Clemson offense.

For the first time since Trevor Lawrence slinged passes to Tee Higgins, Justin Ross and Amari Rodgers, the Tigers seem to have a legitimate passing attack.

Cade Klubnik did something Lawrence nor Deshaun Watson never did in the Tigers’ 66-20 rout of App State. He accounted for seven touchdowns in a single game, five of which were touchdown passes.

The junior completed 24 of 26 passes for 378 yards, while also adding two rushing touchdowns. Not only was he the first quarterback in the ACC to throw for four-plus touchdowns and rush for two more in a single game since Lamar Jackson in 2016, but he had the best QBR in college football in the last 25 years.

But it wasn’t just Klubnik’s performance that turned those frowns upside down. Clemson fans finally got to see what all the fuss was about when it came to Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore.

The two young receivers put on a show for the 81,000-plus at Memorial Stadium. Wesco hauled in three passes for 130 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown reception and a 56-yard reception that set up Clemson’s second touchdown of the day.

Moore also caught three passes, including a 33-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik, one in which he split the safeties as he ran into the end zone.

The running game was also clicking. Phil Mafah broke off an 83-yard touchdown jaunt, while the team rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns.

For a second straight game, the offensive line did not give up a sack, as the guys up front formed a perfect pocket for their quarterback all night long.

In the end, the offense averaged 9.8 yards per play.

Everyone in Clemson was smiling again, but no one was smiling more than Dabo Swinney.