Clemson Snaps Skid, QB Cade Klubnik Finds Meaning Beyond the Win

This past Saturday night, the Clemson Tigers silenced the negativity that surrounded them, dominating the Florida State Seminoles, 24-10. With three games left on their remaining schedule, the Tigers are two wins away from becoming bowl eligible.

Following the contest, starting quarterback Cade Klubnik spoke to the media, and after a tough few weeks, it was clear how much this one meant to him.

"It was awesome. The fun is in the winning," he said. "Especially since it's the last night game here, probably. It was such a joyful game after a hard week. It's fun to celebrate with the guys."

The Tigers came into 2025 fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance and sat at No. 4 in the country entering their season-opener against LSU.

Since then, there's been a rapid fall from grace for Clemson, as they sat at a disappointing record of 3-5 heading into Week 11. The eight-game start is the program's worst since the 1998 team that started 2-6. Clemson fired head coach Tommy West after the season's end, after a dreadful 3-8 finish.

With a lot of outside noise leaking into Clemson over the past few weeks, Klubnik kept his focus on gratitude and the fans, rather than bitterness - true class.

"Honestly, I don't really care [about the noise]," Klubnik stated. "I'm just thankful for our fans. To show up for this game and walk through the Tiger Walk. That was one of the most electric environments I've been around for a Tiger Walk in four years that I've been here. We're coming off two really tough losses, and to have the fanbase that we have, it's so special. I'm so thankful to be at a school that cares so much through the ups and downs. That's what I'm thinking about and focused on. To have a sold-out Death Valley for my last home game. They brought the energy; it was awesome. "

For much of the season, Clemson struggled to play complementary football. Some nights, the defense showed up; other times, the offense found its rhythm, but rarely could they feed off each other and have it all click at once.

Saturday, though, it finally did.

"It fired me up seeing our [defense] go make plays and play their tail off," Klubnik relayed. "It's so fun, we're a team, and that's really what it comes down to. To see them playing as well as they did was awesome."

As the veteran quarterback enters his last stretch of games here in Tigertown, there's been a lot on his mind in terms of growth.

Thanks to head coach Swinney and the other staff, he has grown beyond just managing a game on the field; he has learned how to guide a locker room through the highs and lows. At the end of the day, it's still hard for him to think he has to leave such a special place so soon, but he's looking at the glass-half-full, not half-empty.

"I feel like I've grown a lot, especially as a leader," he told the media. "But also, I feel like this place is so special, especially the program that we're in. With Coach Swinney and the people here, I feel like I've grown so much. I don't want to leave yet, but I'm just enjoying every single day, and I'm super thankful for this place and everything it has."

That gratitude showed before the game, too. In a moment that hadn't happened at any point this season, or in years past, the Tigers gathered at midfield to pray around the paw.

It wasn't planned, but at this point in the season, it felt necessary. After everything the team has been through, they needed that pause to remind themselves that this is about more than just football.

"It was cool. I think we just took a moment to realize that this is more than football and just pray for each other," Klubnik voiced. "I think that a lot of people glorify God when things go well, and we're here to glorify God when things aren't going our way. That's really our mission and what we want to do. I've been leaning on James 1:12 this week; Blessed is the man who remain steadfast through trials. To me, I feel like I'm anchoring down in my faith and the people around me, as well as the people who love me. That's been really big for us; it was awesome. I've never done that since I've been here."

"I honestly don't know who initiated it. The word kind of just spread. I was wondering the same thing. I loved it, it was great."

For Klubnik, the win was more than a response to critics; it was a reminder of how far he had come and what had always kept him grounded at Clemson.

"I think [God] plays a role in every game," Klubnik concluded. "Personally, I don't think that God cares if we win or lose. I think that he cares more about our hearts through the trials and ups and downs. Obviously, he shone through it, but he shone through every game this year, and that's what we need to continue to lean on."