How Clemson football's Cade Klubnik, revamped defensive line performed in spring game
CLEMSON — In Clemson football's annual spring game, Team Orange handled Team White 27-12 Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Trailing 3-0 early in the first quarter, the Orange team took the lead after Bryant Wesco Jr. made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 9-yard touchdown. Then, Jamal Anderson returned an interception of a Christopher Vizzina pass for a touchdown on the following drive.
Cade Klubnik put the game out of reach on a 15-play, 75-yard second-quarter touchdown drive that took more than seven minutes. He found Peyton Streko near the goal line for a 5-yard pass that set up the redshirt freshman's 1-yard touchdown to make the score 21-6.
Klubnik left the game early in the fourth quarter with an apparent lower leg injury and did not return.
Here are three takeaways from the annual spring game.
How QB Cade Klubnik performed
It was a turbulent game for Klubnik and Vizzina, who both threw an interception. Klubnik made nice throws, including a 55-yard completion to Adam Randall in the third quarter, but missed open receivers throughout the game. The junior went 13-for-26 for 158 yards.
On the other hand, Pearman, who played for both teams Saturday, shined. He led a five-play, 57-yard first-quarter touchdown drive for the Orange team. Then, the 2022 walk-on from nearby Daniel High swapped to the White team for a five-play, 75-yard second-quarter touchdown drive. He had 141 yards on 13-for-18 and two total touchdowns.
Midyear enrollees impress in first spring game
The Tigers showcased their 11th-ranked freshman class, according to 247Sports, with four players making a huge impact. Wesco scored a 9-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter and ended with three catches for 26 yards. Five-star Sammy Brown recorded a sack on the Orange's team opening drive and finished with eight total tackles.
Tavoy Feagin picked off Klubnik in the first quarter to end a promising drive, and Nolan Hauser made field goals of 29 and 48-yards amidst his kicking battle with Robert Gunn III.
FRESH LOOK: Clemson football freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. notches first TD in spring game
Clemson football showcases defensive depth
Despite not returning any starter on the defensive line, the Tigers displayed their depth. Even with Peter Woods out Saturday with mononucleosis, both teams' lines combined for nine sacks and three pass breakups. In order to avoid injuries to the quarterbacks, coach Dabo Swinney gave them non-contact status and quickly whistled a sack whenever a defender got within arms' length of the quarterbacks.
The standouts were Stephiylan Green (four sacks), Cade Denhoff (two tackles for loss, one pass deflection) and A.J. Hoffler (one sack, one pass deflection).
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: How QB Cade Klubnik, defense played in spring game
