Garrett Riley’s offense finally clicked on Saturday, putting together its best showing of the season in a one-sided win over North Carolina.
Cade Klubnik was sharp from the start, throwing four touchdown passes in the first half as Clemson built a 35–3 lead by halftime. It was a far cry from earlier in the year, when Riley faced criticism for the offense’s struggles to score consistently. Dabo Swinney made it clear after the game that his offensive coordinator had delivered.
“The game was well-called,” Swinney said. “It was sequential. We set some things up. We manipulated some things that we thought we could based on our prep. Got the ball to our playmakers.”
Klubnik was nearly flawless, completing 22 of 24 passes for 254 yards and those four scores. Swinney praised his composure and execution, pointing to one specific sequence as a sign of growth. “Just played with a lot of rhythm, and I give Cade a lot of credit for that,” Swinney said. “He made a lot of plays. The play on third and forever that set up the fourth down attempt, that was his fourth read. He just looked so comfortable. Thought Cade did an awesome job just sitting in the pocket, he looked very poised.”
The Tigers rolled up 253 yards in the opening quarter and kept their foot on the gas. Klubnik connected on eight of the team’s 10 plays that gained at least 15 yards through the air, showing the kind of balance and timing Riley had been working toward all season.
Protecting the football was another key, and Swinney credited that discipline for helping the entire unit find its groove. “From a play call standpoint, I thought it was definitely our best game,” he said. “All those things go hand in hand. When you are taking care of the ball, playing in rhythm, guys are taking care of the ball and making the plays that are there, it is a lot easier to get into a rhythm.”
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