No. 21 Clemson was left for dead after getting crushed by No. 2 Georgia in Week 1. The Tigers looked like a shell of the championship-caliber teams of old, and quarterback Cade Klubnik failed to show any growth in his second season as the starter.
Just three weeks later, however, that performance feels like a mulligan. Clemson eviscerated NC State 59-35 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. The Tigers were up 45-7 at halftime and Klubnik sat essentially the entire second half. The victory follows Clemson dropping 66 points on Appalachian State in Week 3.
Granted, the Wolfpack have been one of the greatest disappointments in college football this season after starting the season ranked in the AP Top 25. At the same time, Clemson’s dominance proves the Tigers are very much still the top contender to Miami for the ACC title.
Historically under Dabo Swinney, Clemson has found a strong balance of youth and experience to ensure that every roster had bright young talents mixed with veteran leaders. A few whiffs in high school recruiting over the past few seasons led to some major issues on that front. Especially at receiver, Clemson struggled to find some of the NFL-caliber talents that characterized the program in the past. When a program refuses to use the transfer portal, these issues hit twice as hard.
But since Week 1, those players have finally started to emerge. Sophomore Antonio Williams followed up his touchdown against Appalachian State with a two-touchdown performance against the Wolfpack’s highly rated secondary. A week prior, it was freshman Bryant Wesco Jr. who popped for 130 yards and a score against Appalachian State.
Across the board, Clemson’s youth has started to pop. Top receivers Williams, Wesco and…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/clemson-thrashing-nc-state-serves-as-reminder-no-21-tigers-are-still-top-contender-in-acc-playoff-race/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-09-21 20:07:38
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