Clemson Football: Cade Klubnik is finding his confidence in himself and his team

Clemson Football got off to a fast start against Florida Atlantic. On their first offensive possession, the Owls were picked off by Nate Wiggins, who returned it to the house to give Clemson a 7-0 lead before the offense even took the field.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik has been shaky in his first two starts. He has done a lot of good things, but he has also made several mistakes that have been costly for the Tigers. We are not being fair if we don’t mention that several players around Klubnik have also been making mistakes.

Klubnik might have been primarily responsible for the botched exchange with Will Shipley in the Duke game, but it takes two to tango. He had nothing to do with the critical fumble by Phil Mafah. He had nothing to do with the missed field goals by Robert Gunn or the breakdowns by the defense.

Klubnik is still a young quarterback who is trying to find his confidence. He has a good amount of pressure on his shoulders. He is expected by many to be the leader of this program for the next few years. You can tell he also puts a lot of pressure on himself.

As difficult as it is for him to have confidence in himself to correct the mistakes he has made the past couple of weekends, it can’t be easy when the people around him are making critical errors as well.

The biggest confidence boost for Cade Klubnik and Clemson Football Saturday night might have come from Nate Wiggins

This reason, as much as any, is why Nate Wiggins Pick-Six was so important to the team on Saturday night. It wasn’t just about the defense getting a fast start. It was about creating an environment for Klubnik where he could feel just a little bit less pressure knowing his defense already spotted his offense a touchdown lead before he ever had to take a snap.

Wiggin’s interception got the ball rolling, and Klubnik kept it rolling from there with his best first quarter of the season. If the Tigers can right the ship and compete for an ACC title in 2023, we might look back at the first quarter of the Florida Atlantic game as the point the team’s confidence blossomed behind Wiggins and Klubnik.