The thunderous roar of a sold-out Death Valley had faded, replaced by the quiet, sterile hum of the post-game press conference room. Seated at the podium, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik wore the frustration of a 17-10 loss to LSU plainly on his face. He wasn’t there to make excuses; he was there to take the blame.
In a candid and accountable session with the media, Klubnik shouldered the responsibility for an offensive performance that fell short of the high standards he sets for himself and his team.
"I didn't play very well. I got to play better". "And didn't put our offense and our team in the best situation to win".
While giving full credit to a stout LSU defense whose linebackers were "flying around and just giving me some problems," Klubnik repeatedly turned the criticism back on himself.
"I don't think I played the way that I expect myself to, and I hold myself to a high standard". "I don't think I played very well". "I'm a competitor. I want to win and didn't feel like I played my best game. So that's frustrating".
The offense's challenge was compounded by the early exit of veteran receiver Antonio Williams to an injury, a loss Klubnik called "tough". Still, he was quick to praise the performance of freshman Tyler Brown, who was thrust into a larger role.
"I'll tell you what, Tyler Brown did a heck of a job". "He stepped in, and he filled that role, and he did a great job". "I was really, really proud of him".
Despite the raw disappointment, the message from head coach Dabo Swinney and his quarterback was clear: this is just one game.
"It's week one. And it's a long season ahead," Klubnik said, relaying his coach's post-game message. "Whether we end up winning or losing the game... we got a lot that we need to get better at".
With the expanded 12-team playoff, a Week 1 loss is not the season-killer it once was, a fact not lost on Klubnik.
"We can really bounce back like we did last year". "Let's go bounce back and go back in and go back to the playoffs. You know, that's kind of our mentality".
The process for that rebound, according to Klubnik, begins immediately. He vowed to lead the charge as the team returns to work, channeling the frustration of the loss into fuel for the 11 games remaining.
"You've got to show up on Monday ready to roll. And that's really what it comes down to," he said. "You've got to show up on Monday and, you know, bring the energy, bring the fire".
His final message was a promise—to his teammates, to the fans, and to himself.
"I just really believe in the guys. And we're going to get better. And I'm going to play better," Klubnik stated. "I need to get better if we want to go to where we want to go". "I know where I can play at. And it wasn't there tonight".