With Cade Klubnik out with an ankle injury for Clemson’s matchup against SMU, Tiger fans were eager to watch the performance of backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina. As Klubnik is in his final season with the Tigers, many believed the game could offer a glimpse of what’s to come next year.
Saturday’s game marked Vizzina’s first career start after sitting behind Klubnik for the past 2.5 years. With limited playing time during that span, Vizzina had fewer than 50 total career pass attempts prior to his starting debut.
In the week leading up to the game, Vizzina took first-team reps in practice, as Klubnik was questionable to play. After working with the starters throughout the week, Vizzina appeared well-prepared to make his debut.
However, during the first few drives of the game, it seemed he still needed to shake off the nerves of the opportunity that stood in front of him.
The opening two drives of the game were short, with fewer than 20 yards each, while the second drive ended with a fumble by Vizzina as he attempted to throw out of a sack. The next three drives were no better, as the Tigers went three-and-out on all three possessions.
Death Valley was clearly unhappy after the first five drives had netted only 50 yards total and a turnover. As the offense exited the field following its fifth possession, much of the stadium booed.
When the offense trotted back onto the field for the first time in the second quarter, Vizzina remained in the game, eager to respond. And he did, launching a deep shot 40 yards downfield to Bryant Wesco Jr. for the first long pass of the game. The ball was right on the money, but it fell through the fingertips of the receiver.
Despite the missed opportunity, Vizzina was undeterred. Just three plays later, he fired another deep shot across the middle to T.J. Moore. This time, the pass was complete, and the Tigers were finally on the board.
Vizzina had thrown his first career touchdown pass, but more importantly, it seemed as if he had finally settled into the game.
Coming out of the halftime break, Clemson trailed SMU 16-7 and looked to build on the momentum from the earlier touchdown drive. After opening the half with another three-and-out, Vizzina found Moore deep downfield yet again to make the score 16-14, bringing the Tigers within striking distance.
SMU responded with a touchdown of its own and began to pull away once again as the game was winding down. Clemson got the ball back with just over 10 minutes remaining, trailing 29-17. It appeared it would take a quick strike from the Tigers to bring them back into the game.
On fourth-and-20, with under seven minutes left, the game was on the line. A defensive offside gave Clemson a free play, and Vizzina lofted a pass into the end zone for Tristan Smith. The 6-foot-5 receiver outmuscled the defenders and came down with the ball, bringing the Tigers within a score once more.
With more than six and a half minutes still to play, Vizzina had the chance to pull off an impressive debut victory — if the Clemson defense could force a stop.
That chance never came. Instead, the Mustangs took nearly six minutes off the clock, going 75 yards in 13 plays to score a touchdown and put the game out of reach.
While the result wasn’t what Vizzina had hoped for, his debut performance still produced strong numbers. The redshirt sophomore totaled 317 yards and three touchdowns after completing 29 of his 42 pass attempts.
Vizzina credited his receivers for their efforts when he spoke after the game.
“I think we got the best receivers in the country, and I hate that some of these games turn out this way with the talent that we have, but those guys all week, all year have been spectacular,” he said. “Those are some of my best friends, and I’ve got all the respect for them. They played their butts off.”
As fans reflect on Vizzina’s debut, his performance could leave them optimistic for the 2026 season. Nevertheless, many of the same issues that have plagued Clemson throughout much of the season appeared yet again — namely, an inability to establish the run.
Struggles on the offensive line made it nearly impossible to get anything going on the ground, as Clemson totaled just 35 yards rushing and allowed four sacks. Those struggles ultimately proved decisive, and head coach Dabo Swinney emphasized that it is something the team needs to continue to work on going forward.
“Certainly not good enough offensively,” Swinney said. “I mean, we didn’t run the ball, and we gave up four sacks.”
“We didn’t run the ball much, and when we did, we weren’t very effective,” he added. “So, it’s definitely a priority for us, but we didn’t get it done today.”
With Klubnik probable to return following the upcoming bye week, this may have been the only chance fans got to see Vizzina before he likely assumes the starting job next season. If the Tigers can begin putting together complete performances on both sides of the ball, Vizzina’s debut could be a promising sign of what’s to come.
