CLEMSON — No. 15 Clemson football dominated Stanford, winning 40-14 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers' offense returned back to Earth after not having a record-setting first half. Still, the unit performed well enough to outpace the Cardinal, outscoring them 23-7 in the second half. Defensively, Clemson (3-1, 2-0 ACC) contained Stanford (2-2, 1-1) without defensive lineman Peter Woods, recording three turnovers and four sacks but allowing its most rushing yards this season.

Here are three overreactions from Clemson's second conference win of the season:

Clemson football's Cade Klubnik resembles old self against Stanford

After stellar performances in his past two games, Clade Klubnik's play declined. He went 15-for-31 passing for 255 yards and five total touchdowns (one rushing). His competition percentage (48%) was his lowest in a game as a starter.

Klubik's deep ball was off, underthrowing freshman wide receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. multiple times. He faced pressure generated by Stanford's front, and his receivers dropped routine passes that helped the Tigers punt four times. Still, he was backed by a defense that helped him settle in to finish the second half strong.

For Clemson to reach and win the ACC championship, Klubnik will need to be more consistent for a whole game.

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Clemson football's defense is at its best in first half

The Tigers entered Saturday's game as the best first-half scoring defense in the ACC, allowing 8.7 points. They continued that trend against Stanford, forcing two interceptions in the first quarter and holding it scoreless until the final drive of the half. T.J. Parker recorded a sack and Wade Woodaz forced a fumble too.

Clemson held the Cardinal to 62 passing yards but gave up 168 in the first half (more on this later). It has now allowed 8.3 points in the first two quarters, which has been crucial for it to establish early leads in its past three games.

Clemson football's rush defense has become a glaring issue

Through three games, the Tigers have given up 165.7 rushing yards, the third-most in the conference entering Saturday. Those woes continued with Stanford gashing Clemson's defense, giving up 236 rushing yards. The Tigers allowed over 140 rushing yards in its fourth straight game.

Even with Woods out, it must do a better job at stopping the run. Its defensive line has the most depth on the team, but it has not delivered against the run.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Cade Klubnik shaky but strong enough vs Stanford