Clemson rebounded from back-to-back losses with an easy 38-10 victory at North Carolina on Saturday. The Tigers (2-3 overall, 1-2 ACC) used a massive first half, rolling up 367 yards in the first 30 minutes and finishing with 488 total yards on the day, while giving up just 270 to the Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1).
The defense got off the field, the special teams did their job, and the offense took advantage of a struggling UNC defense. It was the most complete performance Clemson has had this year. Here are three reasons why the Tigers dominated:
Explosive plays
Huge chunk yards came early and often for Clemson. The first play from scrimmage went for 75 yards when receiver Antonio Williams threw a touchdown pass to T.J. Moore. On the next drive, the Tigers hit on plays of 36 and 35 yards, the latter being a TD pass from Cade Klubnik to Adam Randall.
The Tigers then racked up 45 yards on a TD pass to Christian Bentancur, followed by a 23-yard TD pass to Randall on the following drive. Clemson finished the day with seven plays of over 20 yards.
QB on fire
Klubnik ran up some impressive numbers in less than three quarters. The Clemson QB completed a ridiculous 92% of his passes, finishing 22-of-24 with 254 yards and four touchdowns.
The Tar Heels have one of the worst defenses statistically in the nation, but Klubnik didn’t mess around. He threw on-time passes to open receivers and made solid decisions for most of his time in the game. It was the kind of performance that leads to an easy victory and builds confidence, which he seemed to be missing at times this season. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.
All gas, no breaks
Dabo Swinney pulled out a lot of stops in this game. With Clemson’s preseason goals and dreams mostly evaporated, the Tigers’ head coach put the bye week to good use. Clemson played with early energy, something it had not had this season. It helped to that Swinney ran that trick play to start the game, similar to a 2019 play against Florida State in 2019.
It not only gave the Tigers a lead, but it also produced needed urgency and enthusiasm. Swinney didn’t take his foot off the gas until the game was well in hand, making sure Clemson transferred that pent-up frustration from the 1-3 start into a winning performance in Chapel Hill. Plenty of backups got necessary playing time as well.