Cade Klubnik, Clemson football offense sputter in season-opening upset loss at Duke sport

Cade Klubnik, Clemson football offense sputter in season-opening upset loss at Duke

Clemson's 2023 football season had a rocky start, as the No. 9 Tigers suffered a surprising 28-7 defeat on the road against Duke. This marked the end of their five-game winning streak against the Blue Devils and their first loss to Duke since 2004. Clemson introduced a new offensive scheme under coordinator Garrett Riley, featuring quarterback Cade Klubnik. Unfortunately, the offense appeared out of sync right from the beginning.

The opening drive, a mere five-play, 11-yard effort, almost ended in disaster with a potential third-down interception by Duke safety Jeremiah Lewis, who, regrettably, dropped the ball. Subsequently, Clemson struggled to find its rhythm on offense. Klubnik made risky throws into double coverage, got caught in a sack in the second quarter, and narrowly avoided two interceptions in the first half. The Tigers' wide receivers had difficulty getting open, leading to a reliance on short screen passes during much of the first half. In fact,

Clemson punted on four of their six first-half possessions. However, the most significant struggles emerged in the red zone. Even when Clemson managed to put together promising drives in the second half, they faltered when it came to scoring. Back-to-back fumbles within the Duke 5-yard-line proved costly. The first, a mishandled handoff between Klubnik and running back Will Shipley,

resulted in a Duke three-and-out. Unfortunately, the second fumble by running back Phil Mafah near the goal line led to a Duke touchdown, extending their lead to 21-7. While Clemson's defense managed to keep the team in the game, it did not exhibit the dominance expected of it.

Dealing with a dual-threat quarterback like Riley Leonard, who amassed 98 rushing yards and 175 passing yards, proved challenging. Leonard's 44-yard touchdown run, achieved after narrowly escaping a sack attempt by linebacker Barrett Carter, put Duke in the lead during the third quarter. While the defense limited the damage for most of the game, its overall performance was uninspiring.

All three of Duke's touchdowns were scored on the ground. Clemson recorded only two tackles for loss, one by linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and another by corner Sheridan Jones. Trotter did manage to force a fumble, which was recovered by Mukuba in the third quarter. Regrettably, the offense failed to capitalize on this opportunity. Special teams played a significant role in the game

. Clemson's offense struggled to reach the red zone, but special teams came to the rescue when linebacker Wade Woodaz recovered a muffed punt by Duke's Jalon Calhoun, a Greenville native. This turnover allowed Klubnik and the offense to start their possession at the Duke 18-yard line.

Five plays later, Clemson secured its first touchdown of the season with a 2-yard swing pass to junior running back Will Shipley, marking Shipley's first career receiving touchdown. However, special teams also had their share of missteps. In the second quarter, sophomore receiver Antonio Williams opted to field a punt that seemed destined for a touchback in the end zone

Unfortunately, the return only advanced one yard, positioning Clemson at their own 8-yard line. The most glaring errors came from the two mishandled field goal attempts. In the first quarter, freshman kicker Robert Gun III attempted a 41-yard field goal, which was blocked by Duke defensive end Wesley Williams, preventing a potential game-tying score. In the third quarter,

as Clemson finally had a chance in the red zone, they were forced to attempt another field goal. Unfortunately, Williams once again got a hand on the 23-yard attempt, causing it to sail wide left and result in a miss. Christina Long, who covers Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network, can be followed on Twitter @christinalong00 or contacted via email at [email protected].