Things got ugly for Clemson football in its season opener against LSU on Saturday night, a 17-10 loss in front of its home fans that put a big damper on one of the most hyped-up teams in the nation coming into this season. The Tigers got off to a good start, especially on defense, jumping out to a 10-3 lead at halftime before LSU responded in the second half.
Clemson had plenty of opportunities to keep putting points on the board in the second half, but star quarterback Cade Klubnik and the rest of the offense sputtered throughout the second half. All facets of the team faltered, from the offensive line to the running game to the quarterback.
That was reflected in the box score, as Clemson ran the ball 20 times for just 31 yards, hanging Klubnik out to dry in the passing game without star wide receiver Antonio Williams. The veteran signal caller did not have a good day as a result, finishing just 19-of-38 passing with 230 yards and an ugly interception.
Despite the deck being stacked against him somewhat down the stretch of the game, there were still some concerns for Klubnik coming out of this game, especially for his hopes of being a first-round pick in the NFL Draft next spring. Here are three reasons to be concerned about Klubnik as a prospect coming out of the season opener.
Klubnik struggled to find on-schedule throws
All night, it felt like Klubnik and company struggled to get anything easy in the passing game. On most of his drop backs, the senior quarterback hit the top of his drop with nowhere to go with the ball. The Clemson offensive line struggled to hold up in pass protection at times throughout the night, which left Klubnik scrambling.
While LSU's defense and coverage deserves plenty of credit for not allowing some of those quick, efficient throws, Klubnik also failed to diagnose the coverages and get the ball out of his hand on time to keep the Clemson offense on schedule. That is a critical skill in the NFL, and the inability to do that in this game was a bit concerning.
On Tuesday, Dabo Swinney said that the offense and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley needed to do a better job of helping make Klubnik's life easier. However, the quarterback can play his part by getting the ball out quickly and keeping Clemson ahead of the sticks. Not only will that help Klubnik as a prospect, but it will help Clemson win some more games this season as well.
Muddy pockets bothered Klubnik throughout the night
One of the most surprising developments from this game was the battle on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Coming into the game, it was Clemson that was supposed to have the advantage up front on both sides of the ball.
Instead, it was Brian Kelly and the Bayou Bengals that dominated in the trenches. Clemson's vaunted defensive line didn't have much of an impact on the game, as LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was able to stand back and operate efficiently all night long, especially after halftime.
On the other side, Klubnik was forced to hang in pockets all night because of the lack of on-schedule options within the offense, and those pockets got muddy pretty quickly. When Klubnik did have pressure in his face or at his feet in the pocket, his accuracy suffered and he made some errant throws that could have been completed.
That popped up in the third quarter with the game tied at 10, when LSU got into the backfield and Klubnik tried to fit in a seam route between two Cover 3 defenders. However, he sailed the pass over the head of his receiver and it was intercepted, which proved to be a big turning point in the game.
Clemson won't face a ton of defenses as talented as LSU's, especially in the ACC, but Klubnik will still need to get better at working in those muddy pockets in order to be a top draft pick.
Klubnik's athleticism didn't buy him enough time against LSU
Klubnik is also one of the best running quarterbacks in the country, and Clemson usually uses a lot of designed runs for him to get an extra blocker in the blocking scheme. That wasn't the case on Saturday night, as he ran for just one yard on eight carries (sacks included) and was largely ineffective with his legs.
However, the designed runs aren't what the alarm bells are for here. Klubnik was pushed outside of the pocket at times as LSU sent different pressures at him and tried to throw him off his rhythm, and he was usually unable to escape the pressure and create something on the ground or through the air.
That was apparent on the final play of the game for the Clemson offense, when Klubnik was flushed out to his right and chased down by Harold Perkins before throwing up a desperation pass that fell incomplete. That was a theme all night, with the star QB unable to fully escape pressure with his legs.
He won't see such athletic pass rushers all season long, but he will see them in the NFL next season and beyond. While his athleticism is a plus in his game, it's clear that he isn't quite the dynamic athlete that is thriving in the NFL at this point.
