147 days stand between today and the next time Clemson Football will take the field in Atlanta. The defense was the story for the majority of the day as the group totaled three interceptions. Freshman DT Stephiylan Green stood out early as he accounted for 3 sacks in the first half as well as Freshman LB Sammy Brown. Brown made an immediate impact as he sacked QB Cade Klubnik on the opening play from scrimmage. As we exit spring ball, the defense looks ahead of the offense by a large margin. Jamal Anderson also made an impact on the defensive side as he finished with 4 total tackles, 1 interception, & 1 pass break up.
"All in all it was a good spring but it will be a great spring if we go do the work we need to do this summer", says Head Coach Dabo Swinney.
After last season, many questions still surrounded QB1 Cade Klubnik. Today, 47,000 Clemson fans were on hand today to see if Cade had improved in the off season. Klubnik finished the day 13 of 26 with 158 yards and 1 interception. Whether it was the interception, the missed reads, or the throws into double coverage, Klubnik still looks as if there is work to be done before he leads the Tigers into Atlanta to face Kirby Smart & the Bulldogs of Georgia.
Some may not have expected the third string QB to get all the praise today, but the local product (Daniel High School) Trent Pearman was the star of the show on the offense today. Pearman was 10 of 13 through the air with 113 yards & 1 touchdown. He also made a huge impact in the ground game as he took one for 49 yards to score in the first half.
"He (Pearman) is one of the reasons we didn't go and take another QB. He plays with great timing & plays with great understanding of the game", says Swinney when asked about his third string QB.
I asked Swinney postgame if he felt like he saw another step from Klubnik today. "I saw another step from him all spring. It's a-lot more than just today. He put some good drives together & made some good decisions", Swinney answers, "I am proud of him & he has been really really good all spring."
Once again, Clemson fans should feel good about this team's defensive unit heading into the summer. The offensive has talent & potential, however, this offense goes as Klubnik goes.
The Tigers will face Georgia in Atlanta on August 31st to open the 2024 season.
