On Aug. 30, the No. 4 Clemson Tigers dropped their opening game against the No. 9 LSU Tigers, in a major night game marketed as the “Battle for Death Valley.”

The loss sparked concern amongst fans in upstate South Carolina, worried that the loss set up the same story for the Tigers: dominance against the ACC, creating hype just for the team to drop-off when facing the SEC.

All of these are valid concerns, especially in the showing against LSU in front of 81,500 fans.

Yet, the problem lies within an offense that is, for lack of a better word, uninspired, as stated by Eric Mac Lain on his podcast, “Gramlich & Mac Lain.” Whether it’s the predictable play calls by offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the reliance on Cade Klubnik to use his legs as a result of the questionable calls or simply 31 yards on 20 overall rushing attempts, Clemson’s offense raised some questions to address going forward.

The hits to the offense that came with an early injury of second-team preseason AP All-America receiver Antonio Williams did not help, but it almost seems as if it would not have even mattered if he were on the line of scrimmage.

The pressures provided by the away side ruined Klubnik’s rhythm as the LSU defensive forces wreaked vengeance upon the quarterback and forced him to his weakness — panic moments. NFL analyst Dane Brugler states that Klubnik’s biggest issue is wasting clean pockets, which were rare in the LSU match, and forcing throws on poor routes.

Klubnik finished the game with 230 yards, an interception and no touchdowns. He would only complete half of his passes while being sacked twice.
As stated before, with poor playcalling and lackluster offensive line performances, a question of how much blame can be placed upon Klubnik for the loss exists. Obviously, it didn’t help that the Clemson defense, while booming overall with two fumble recoveries, missed tackles and penalties that extended LSU drives.

If LSU was to be stopped, the game would not have to rely on Klubnik taking over in the first place. Yet, this should not be the dilemma, and Klubnik should exercise his Heisman potential and be the difference-maker that leads Clemson to victory despite inconsistencies across the board.

Klubnik’s play was further weighed down when compared to his opposition, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier earned AP Player of the Week honors for his performance against Clemson, throwing 232 yards on 73.7% completion, a touchdown and an overall passer rating of 133.7.

ESPN analyst Booger McFarland named Nussmeier the best quarterback in the country after his Week 1 showing. It was a shining performance for a quarterback commonly riddled with bad games against great opponents, yet Nussmeier made things look easier and made Clemson fans yearn for the type of quarterback Klubnik could be. Each pass he threw had intent, power and great positioning.

Ultimately, Nussmeier made good decisions under pressure, the exact opposite of the panic moments Clemson fans see Klubnik boxed within.
NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. expects Klubnik to be a first-round pick this upcoming April, but there is work to be done for the man in the arena. A similar story was seen against Georgia last year, where Klubnik threw for 142 yards, along with an interception, and was sacked twice.

The Austin, Texas, native showed a stronger performance against LSU this season, but it could be a worry that the same old story will be told this year. Klubnik would show good numbers in both rushing and passing the remainder of the year, yet still had multiple games under a 90 QBR.

If Klubnik wants to get to the higher level of praise within the college football world, he has to rid himself of his panic moments and elevate himself despite poor play calls. These actions would help the consistency in his numbers, which is crucial if he wants to remain as a high draft pick next year.

This shift cannot occur unless Clemson’s personnel find an identity for this 2025 team, hyped up for its lack of transfer portal usage and reliance on Klubnik at the helm of it all. It was only one game, but so much more promise needs to be found out of the team’s quarterback for what can still come out of an amazing season.

“I hate this,” Klubnik said after the loss. “I’m a competitor and I want to win, and I didn’t feel like I played my best game. So, that’s frustrating.”
Klubnik is undoubtedly a workhorse, a quarterback that head coach Dabo Swinney appreciates and puts full trust in. It’s all about the response, which could voice a louder review than that of the words said about him right now.

The current state of Clemson football is a far cry from the legends of the position like Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, who were national champions. Yet, Klubnik can surely find his footing in simpler, lenient matchups against Troy, Georgia Tech and Syracuse.

There is a reason Klubnik is a Heisman favorite, and this reason can still be pivotal to the endgame success of the 2025 Clemson team. The reason desperately needs to be found sooner rather than later, if it means keeping strong playoff and, hopefully, championship goals alive.

“We’ve got a long season ahead and can’t let this linger into the rest of the season,” Klubnik said. “Just put our heads down and go back to work.”