Two weeks ago, the No. 21 Clemson Tigers dominated Appalachian State, 66-20, at home. The team set multiple scoring records, and quarterback Cade Klubnik put on the performance of a lifetime with seven touchdowns in the first half. The Clemson fan base was ecstatic: hints of the “old” Clemson that won two championships in three seasons were evident, sans for a few mediocre plays made by the second and third-stringers in the latter half.

But how would the fans have reacted had this not been the case?

If the last few seasons have taught us one thing about Clemson football, it’s that some fans will turn on the team they allegedly love at just the first glimpse of mediocrity.

Following the 34-3 loss to Georgia the previous weekend, Tiger fans everywhere — especially within the walls of Mercedes-Benz Stadium — expressed their frustrations regarding Clemson’s seemingly inadequate performance against the best team in the country. Before the game even ended, fans took to social media to publicly call for Dabo Swinney and Klubnik’s jobs, among other insults hurled at the squad by their own classmates.

The Clemson football team’s Instagram comments were flooded with criticism. Under a post of Jake Briningstool’s one-handed catch — one of Clemson’s more agreeable plays from its season opener — the negative comments poured in: “Either Dabo learn how to use the transfer portal or get him outta here,” “I can’t wait for the day Dabo is gone. 3rd and 22 let’s do a designed QB run? This is (expletive) ridiculous” and “Need Cade to do us a favor and transfer, weak arm + inaccurate + poor decision making = got to go.”

Following his incredible performance against the Mountaineers, Klubnik was named ACC Co-Quarterback of the week and earned a spot on the Davey O’Brien Award Great Eight List and the Manning Award Stars of the Week list, per the team’s social media.

Underneath the team’s post congratulating the signal-caller on these accomplishments, a fan commented: “He couldn’t do anything for us against GA. We beat App State, might as well of been a high school varsity playing the B team.”

It seems even posting one of the best halves in Clemson football history will not stop Clemson’s own fans from condemning Klubnik.

In addition to his role as QB1, Klubnik is a junior marketing major. Believe it or not, he is also a student like you. I’m sure he knows all too well that leading the football team will subject him to outside judgment; Clemson’s been a big name in the football world for years. But do you find it fair for his classmates to subject him to that same judgment in the middle of a lecture hall?

It’s understandable to feel frustrated as you watch your favorite team — a team you should feel proud of — not live up to its potential. Clemson’s transition from the Trevor Lawrence era to the last couple of seasons has been a hard watch for diehard fans. However, it’s entirely another thing to publicly bash your own school and only support it when it succeeds, especially when the program needs support the most.

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you don’t love me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” It seems Clemson fans need a reminder: if you don’t support your football team when they fail — or suffer a week one loss to the best team in the nation — you don’t deserve to claim fan status when they thrive.

“Don’t give up on us,” redshirt sophomore receiver Antonio Williams asked of the Clemson fanbase following the loss to Georgia. “It may not look like it, but we have the guys in here that can do it. I want to get back to those days of Clemson, Clemson’s glory days, if you will. I want to be back there just as bad as y’all do, and I wouldn’t have (come) back if I didn’t believe we could. So, just keep believing in us, and we’ll show you.”

Tigers don’t change their stripes, and neither should you.