What Desmond Howard Wants to See in ‘Monster’ Clemson-UGA Matchup

On College Football Live this week, ESPN analyst Desmond Howard dove into the Week 1 matchup that stands out to him – the neutral-site showdown between 14 ^th -ranked Clemson and No. 1 Georgia.

Howard discussed what he’s intrigued to see when the Tigers and Bulldogs square off in Atlanta on Saturday to kick off their respective 2024 seasons.

“What stands out to me is this Georgia-Clemson game. Monster matchup,” Howard said.

“I want to see how Clemson goes out there and responds to all the criticism you’ve been hearing about Dabo Swinney because he won’t dip into the portal and try to go get talent. He believes in developing his own talent, the kids who he recruited.”

Another thing Howard wants to see, he said, is Clemson’s Cade Klubnik going up against Georgia’s defense and whether the Tigers’ junior signal-caller is poised to make a leap in his second season as a starter.

Klubnik flashed his potential during an up-and-down season as a first-year starter in 2023, when the former five-star prospect and former Texas Gatorade Player of the Year had a 64 percent completion percentage, 2,844 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns with nine interceptions, to go with 182 rushing yards and four rushing scores.

“Watching Cade Klubnik, the quarterback, I want to see is he going to take that year leap that you normally see from a first-year starter to a second-year starter? I think that he’s a kid who came into Clemson with a whole bunch of talent, a lot of fanfare,” Howard said. “He stepped in a couple of times when DJ Uiagalelei could not play, and he played extremely well. But when he got the keys to the car and it was his to drive, he was up and down a lot. He has a lot of arm talent, can extend plays with his legs, but he just needs to be a little bit more consistent.

“So, I want to see is he going to be able to take that leap from first-year starter to second-year starter? This is going to be the big test, going up against a Georgia defense that you know is going to be one of the best in the country. This is a huge and exciting matchup for Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers.”

The matchup is set to get underway at noon Saturday in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and will be nationally televised on ABC.

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