Cade Klubnik mistake leads to targeting ejection, turnover on downs late vs Duke

Weird things are happening in Durham on a Monday night. Duke is playing host to Clemson and is on the verge of pulling off a massive upset. In what would be a brutal loss for Dabo Swinney, they are not getting any kind of help from the offense.

Clemson decided to roll the dice on fourth down, going for it down two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Cade Klubnik saw the play breakdown and headed for the line to gain. However, he wound up sliding short and the officials ruled it a turnover on downs.

Now, here is where it gets interesting.

Duke linebacker Cam Dillon was called for targeting on the play and was thrown out of the game. However, the ACC crew ruled the penalty occurred after the play. Therefore, Duke was going to get possession, and Clemson lost a critical possession.

You can watch the full play here.

"The fact that that's considered a dead-ball penalty, you're actually costing the team that was targeted. You're rewarding the hit, not deliberately, but by calling that a dead-ball foul, you're rewarding the defense when that should be a first down for Clemson." pic.twitter.com/iJqtnV9f5J

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 5, 2023

Something to note — the targeting penalty did take place in the fourth quarter, as mentioned. As a result, Dillon is going to miss the first half of Duke’s second game of the season. The Blue Devils are scheduled to face off against Lafayette. Thankfully, the presence of Dillon should not be missed too much with the Leopards coming to Wallace Wade Stadium.

Weird call goes against Cade Klubnik, Duke

If you are confused about the call, you can join the party, headlined by ESPN play-by-play commentator Dave Pasch. He saw the dead-ball foul as a benefit to Duke, even though you would think a penalty against you should hurt. Somehow, the Blue Devils were the winners of the entire exchange.

“The fact that that’s considered a dead-ball penalty, you’re actually costing the team that was targeted,” Pasch said on the broadcast. “You’re rewarding the hit, not deliberately, but by calling that a dead-ball foul, you’re rewarding the defense when that should be a first down for Clemson.”

Looking past the penalty, Clemson desperately needed Klubnik to pick up the first down. Already down two touchdowns with the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over was a critical mistake.

Had Klubnik dove for the first down instead of sliding, he likely would have moved the chains. Clemson would have retained possession and had the opportunity to make it a one-score game. From there — with how sloppy and unpredictable Duke has been throughout the night — anything can happen.