Dabo Swinney wasn't wrong, just early: Time to buy stock in suddenly lethal Clemson Tigers
Clemson failed to reach the end zone in its blowout loss to No. 2 Georgia in Week 1, and the knives immediately came out for Dabo Swinney, Garrett Riley and Cade Klubnik.
With another top-flight defense and a still toothless offense, I dubbed the Tigers “Purple and Orange Iowa.”
Well, in an ode to Aaron Rodgers, Swinney told everyone to RELAX, and in the two games since, the Tigers have been the ones sharpening their claws — mauling App. State and now NC State.
After hanging 66 on the Mountaineers, Clemson exited its bye week with a 59-35 bludgeoning of ACC-rival NC State on Saturday.
The Wolfpack stink, but teams don’t luck into hanging 45 points on even a hapless opponent before halftime.
For the second-straight game, the Tigers hit the game-total over by themselves before the end of the first half, and they became the first team in at least two decades to hold a 28-point lead after the first quarter in back-to-back games.
“Explosive. Explosive and consistent,” Dabo Swinney said about Clemson’s offense at halftime on the ABC broadcast.
“Our quarterback’s blossoming right before our eyes.”
From bud (or bust) to a rose in less than a month.
Remarkable.
Klubnick’s in-season turnaround has been stunning. After struggling as a first-year starter in 2023, the former 5-star looked unplayable at times in Week 1 against Georgia — akin to Bryce Young for the Carolina Panthers bad.
In the two games since, he’s turned into Josh Allen, though — shredding defenses with his arm and legs. After accounting for seven touchdowns against App. State, Klubnick had three passing scores and a 55-yard touchdown run Saturday. This against a NC State defense where he went 33 of 50 for 263 yards (5.3 per pass) with two interceptions in 2023.
Out of nowhere, Clemson’s offense, under second-year OC Garrett Riley, has become ruthlessly lethal.
*This* is precisely why many (myself included) were so high on the Tigers poaching Riley away from TCU before last season. Clemson’s offense needed juice. Fresh ideas. And a play-caller who could dial up the EASY button for touchdowns.
Only the Tigers’ attack resembled the same, old antiquated Clemson offense of recent lore.
They didn’t produce explosive plays. They were terrible on third down. And they had a quarterback who seemed to regress with every start.
Well, something’s changed dramatically in the last three weeks.
Like a NOS booster, the Tigers’ offense suddenly is just all afterburners — both in the run and pass. Clemson is producing big play after big play.
The Tiger ran 39 snaps in the first half against NC State — 11 went for explosives. They finished with seven plays over 25 yards.
Everything has come together for Clemson’s offense in the last two games. Klubnick is playing with supreme confidence. He’s making decisive decisions and delivering the football accurately (and importantly, on time). Matt Luke deserves credit for getting way more out of the offensive line, which is opening up gaping holes that senior tailback Phil Mafah is turning into huge gains.
Clemson averaged well over a first down on every rushing play in the first half against NC State (13.4 per carry), gashing the Wolfpack for 228 yards on just 17 carries.
Mafah has consecutive games with over 100 yards, and while Clemson may not have the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins or Tee Higgins anymore, the 2024 Tigers do have some real playmakers on the perimeter (Antonio Williams had two more touchdowns Saturday, freshman wideout TJ Moore had a 40-yard reception and tight end Jake Briningstool continues to impress NFL scouts).
Swinney deserves credit for getting Clemson to not only flush a poor opener against Georgia, but purge *whatever* has been wrong with this offense for several seasons now.
If the renaissance is even remotely real, then these Tigers should continue to pile up points — and wins — against the rest of their schedule. They’re more talented than every other team on their remaining slate, and their most difficult game is at home against Louisville.
After being written off in Week 1, Clemson is clearly a real threat to challenge for a College Football Playoff berth in 2024.
So perhaps Dabo Swinney wasn’t wrong. Just early. It’s time to buy stock in Clemson because the price looks to only go up moving forward.