Cade Klubnik injury update: Dabo Swinney reveals confidence in return vs. Duke

Clemson senior quarterback Cade Klubnik sat out Saturday’s 35-24 loss to visiting SMU while nursing a high ankle sprain, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, Chris Low and Brett McMurphy. Klubnik’s absense snapped a 34-game starting streak for the Tigers veteran.

Following the game, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney expressed hope Klubnik will be availabile to play in Clemson’s (3-4, 2-3 ACC) next game against Duke (4-3, 3-1 ACC) on Nov. 1 following a bye this upcoming weekend.

“I hope so. I don’t know,” Swinney told reporters Saturday night. “Again, he wasn’t able to go today. So obviously with two weeks, I would think he has a much better chance to be ready. But we’ll just have to see how this week goes. I would expect that, but I don’t know.”

Klubnik’s “sore ankle” as Swinney described it occured in the second half of last weekend’s 41-10 win at Boston College in a game he accounted for 328 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, including 280 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-30 passing.

Sophomore backup Christopher Vizzina started in Klubnik’s place and threw for 317 yards on 29-of-42 passing and three touchdowns, but the Tigers offense couldn’t manage much else as SMU outgained Clemson 429-352 in the game.

Despite sitting out Saturday, Klubnik still ranks fifth in the ACC with 1,530 yards and 11 touchdowns to five interceptions on 65.8-precent passing through six games this season. Klubnik has also rushed for 104 yards and two scores on the ground.

“Been limited,” Swinney said of Klubnik prior to Saturday’s game. “We’ve just been taking our time with him and, like I said yesterday, he’s gone from day-to-day to he’s hour-to-hour. Hopefully, by tomorrow, he’ll be minute-to-minute, but we’ll put out a report tomorrow night. First one, and we’ll keep going. Getting better. Literally getting better every hour. We’ve just been smart with him and he’s been able to do what he needed to do.”

Bryant Wesco injury update: Clemson WR hospitalized per Dabo Swinney

Of course, Klubnik isn’t the only offensive star Clemson fans are concerned about. Swinney announced sophomore receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. was hospitalized after he was upended on a punt return Saturday against SMU and hit his head on the turf. Wesco, the team’s leading receiver with 31 receptions for 537 yards and six touchdowns, left the game and wouldn’t return.

“I don’t have any information on Wesco,” Swinney said. “It was a pretty serious deal. We’ll just have to wait and see. Just really praying for him.”

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.