Cade Klubnik Soars on Historic Night as Clemson Crushes App State

On Saturday night in Death Valley, the Clemson Tigers put on a truly impressive performance — and that’s not all.

The 22nd-ranked Tigers scored on their first eight possessions in a historic first-half performance to rally for 56 points and a 66-20 victory over Appalachian State at Clemson Memorial Stadium.

Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik started the night by completing his first 11 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. By the end of the night, he had seven touchdowns through the air and on the ground.

Klubnik’s explosion began when he hit freshman sensation Bryant Wesco with a perfectly delivered 76-yard bomb for a 7-0 lead following Nolan Hauser’s extra point just one minute and 14 seconds into the game, capping a three-play, 75-yard drive.

On Clemson’s next possession, Klubnik wasted no time leading his team back down the field. He connected with Wesco again, this time for a 51-yard gain that gave the Tigers 1st-and-goal on the App State 2-yard line. From there, the second-year starter at quarterback ran in a touchdown for a 14-0 lead.

Clemson’s third possession also took just three plays, this time covering 92 yards as quarterback Phil Mafah broke through with an 83-yard touchdown run up the middle of the field to make it 21-0.

Klubnik added two more points before the end of the first quarter: a 41-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Jake Briningstool to increase the lead to 28-0 with 2:34 left in the quarter, and then a 29-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams with 1:11 left to give his team a 35-0 lead.

In all, Klubnik was 11-of-11 for 233 yards and three touchdown passes in the first quarter alone. Wesco caught three balls for 130 yards. Clemson had a stunning 349 yards and 13 first downs in the first quarter, holding the ball for 6:43 compared to App State’s 8:17.

According to Clemson Sports Information, the 35 points was a school record for most points scored in a first quarter and tied the school record for most points scored in a single quarter; the Tigers also scored 35 points against Wake Forest in 1981, 35 against North Carolina in 2011, and 35 against Georgia Tech in 2020.

RELATED: Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has historic seven-touchdown first half

Clemson found the end zone three more times in the second quarter, again thanks to Klubnik’s best night. He ran for his second touchdown on a 3-yard run to make it 42-0 early in the quarter. Then Klubnik passed to freshman TJ Moore for a 33-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 49-7.

Just before halftime, Klubnik connected with Briningstool again for a 17-yard touchdown pass, his fifth of the night. Clemson took a 56-10 lead and entered the break up 56-13.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Klubnik is the first FBS player to have five or more passing touchdowns, two or more rushing touchdowns and a 90 percent pass completion percentage in the last 25 years.

The Tigers finished the half with 525 total yards, with Klubnik going 24-of-26 for 378 yards in the air and five on the ground. He was responsible for seven of the team’s eight touchdowns, and nine different receivers caught passes, including six catches by Briningstool for 95 yards.

Backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina took over in the second half and scored the Tigers’ ninth touchdown of the night, a 4-yard catch with 3:10 left in the third quarter to increase the Tigers’ lead to 63-20. It was Vizzina’s first touchdown of his college career.

After App State fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff, Clemson added a 36-yard field goal by Hauser with 1:51 left in the third quarter.

Vizzina was 7 of 11 for 78 yards in the second half. Mafah finished with 10 carries for 118 yards, including a touchdown in the first quarter. The Tigers finished the night with 28 first downs and 712 total yards, while App State had 24 first downs and 363 total yards.

It was only the seventh time in school history that Clemson finished with more than 700 yards. True freshman linebacker Sammy Brown led the Tigers defense in tackles (seven total, five solo).

The Tigers improved to 1-1 with the win. Clemson will not play next week before hosting NC State in Death Valley on Sept. 21. Kickoff and broadcast information have not yet been announced. App State falls to 1-1.