CLEMSON — After taking a 10 point lead into halftime, No. 17 Clemson used a strong second half performance to pull away and beat Stanford 40-14 on Saturday night inside Memorial Stadium.
Cade Klubnik didn’t have one of his most efficient nights throwing the ball, but the junior had more than 300 yards of total offense and accounted for five total touchdowns. Klubnik finiahes 15-of-31 passing for 255 yards with four touchdowns. He added another 48 yards via his legs, including a 34-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ first possession.
Clemson moves to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, while Stanford falls to 2-2 and 1-1 in league play.
– Fans will likely moan about how many rushing yards the Tigers gave up in this one, mostly in that first half, but when stops were needed Wes Goodwin’s defense got them. Clemson picked off Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels three times, including two deep in Clemson territory. Wade Woodaz’s leaping interception in the third quarter was the backbreaker.
– Those freshmen receivers are absolutely the real deal. Bryant Wesco only needed two catches to go over 100 receiving yards. His speed is an absolute problem for opposing defenses.
– As bad the the rush defense was in the first half, it was suffocating in the second. At least while the starters were in. Stanford rushed for 168 yards over the first two quarters but the Tigers adjusted and had much more success in the final half of play. However, it was the pass defense that really shined, as Ashton Daniels was held to just 70 yards through the air before leaving with an injury in the fourth quarter. He finished the night just 9-of-19 with the three interceptions. Star receiver Elic Ayomanor had just two catches for 24 yards while the defensive starters were in the game.
– The box score might not show it, but the Tigers had issues at times running the ball against this Stanford defense. The Cardinal did come in allowing just 2.2 yards per carry and Clemson did finish with 150 yards on the ground, but the blocking up front wasn’t quite what it has been the past two games.
– Stanford isn’t shy about going for it on fourth down. The Cardinal had attempted 10 already in their first three games, converting six of those. Against the Tigers, they went for it on fourth down three more times and Goodwin’s group denied them each time. One of those came on Stanford’s very first possession when they went for it on 4th and 1 at their own 34.
– Fantastic game for Barrett Carter. The senior linebacker was all over the place, finishing the night with 10 tackles a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss.
– The Tigers finished with four sacks. One coming from Carter and one from T.J. Parker. The other two came from freshman Sammy Brown.
Turning Point
Woodaz’s leaping interception came with Clemson up 20-7 late in the third quarter. On the very next play Klubnik hit Cole Turner in stride on a beautiful 43-yard touchdown pass. It was the final blow and one Stanford would never recover.
Telling Stat
After the Tigers allowed 230 yards of offense in the first half of play, that defense really stiffened up after halftime before the starters came out in the fourth quarters as the Cardinal had just 58 yards in the third quarter. The pass defense only allowed seven yards to Daniels in the second half before he left the contest.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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