Clemson QB made big mental mistake before halftime of Orange Bowl
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik made a freshman mistake just before halftime of the Orange Bowl against Tennessee on Friday night.
The Tigers missed three straight field goals during the first half and fell behind 14-0 before finally getting on the board. They were down 14-3 just before halftime and had a chance for more points, but Klubnik made a mistake.
Clemson had 3rd-and-10 at the Vols 13 with 10 seconds left and no timeouts left. Klubnik was under pressure and took off running up the middle. He was tackled for a short gain, and time ran out.
Klubnik should have thrown the ball away to give his team a shot for a short field goal, but his mental error cost his team three potential points.
Cade Klubnik running for 2 yards with no timeouts and 15 seconds on the clock was certainly not ideal https://t.co/y55RRcTYGT
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 31, 2022
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was seen bringing Klubnik in for a talk right after that play.
Clemson’s 1st half:
37 plays in Tennessee territory
3 points pic.twitter.com/sIo365Hykt— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 31, 2022
That was the kind of game it was for Clemson. They spent a good part of the game down by two scores. Klubnik went 30/54 for 320 yards and 2 interceptions. He rushed for 51 yards and a score.
Clemson finished the season 11-3. They went 9-0 against ACC teams and 0-2 against SEC teams.