Dabo Swinney addresses Cade Klubnik’s growth in run game

Cade Klubnik has led Clemson’s high-powered offense to four-straight wins after suffering the season-opening loss to Georgia in Week 1.

As impressive as the junior quarterback has been through the air — he’s been just as impressive on the ground. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney praised his QB1 for his continued growth rushing the football ahead of their Week 7 road trip to Wake Forest.

“He’s rushed 185 yards in the last four games,” Swinney told reporters on Tuesday. “We had some sacks in the Georgia game. That took some yards, but he’s rushed for 185 yards in four games, and that’s more than he rushed all last year. The game has slowed down. He just plays at a different pace now than what he was as a first-year starter, and again, you saw it in the latter part of last year, [Klubnik] starting to take a step in that direction.

“He’s just very confident. He sees the field well. He’s very confident in making any throw that he needs to make. And the best thing is bad plays don’t mess with him. They don’t affect him. He’s gonna have some bad plays, but he he comes back, he sees it and he corrects it. But his ability and his awareness in running the ball … trying to get that to become natural to him, it was a little bit of a process. But just kind of going through and playing, getting experience. That’s the area he’s really, really grown.”

Klubnik is the team’s second-leading rusher behind tailback Phil Mafah. The starting quarterback has totaled 28 rushes for 168 yards and four touchdowns, the longest was a 55-yard touchdown run which came during Week 3’s 59-35 win over NC State.

He’ll look to continue that effort on Saturday against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon ET live on ESPN. The Tigers will head into gameday as a heavy three-score favorite on the road.