Dabo Swinney shares what he wants to see from Cade Klubnik vs. Kentucky

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has had an up-and-down 2023 season to this point. The sophomore will try to end the year on a high note in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky on Friday.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney recently joined the Gramlich and Mac Lain Podcast and discussed what he wants to see from his starting QB against the Wildcats.

“Stay on the path he’s on, you know,” Dabo Swinney said. “I mean the reason we’ve won four in a row is we’ve done a better job of taking care of the ball. We’ve won the margin four games in a row. The four we lost, we didn’t. So he’s been better.”

The Clemson defense has been lights out for most of the season, meaning that Cade Klubnik hasn’t had to put up huge stats in order for the Tigers to win.

During Clemson’s four-game winning streak, Klubnik threw for an average of 158 yards per game and tossed more than one touchdown pass only once.

Still, Clemson went 4-0 thanks to better ball security than it had early in the season and a stout defense.

“Defensively, we’ve been awesome. I mean I think our defense, honestly, was good enough to win it all this year. … We were just really poor with ball security,” Swinney said. “But I just want to see him just continue on the path you saw in the last game. … Having good poise and presence in the pocket and [knowing] when to use his legs to get the first down and when to use his legs to extend plays. … He’s just really settled in, and I really like the direction. So just continue to take the next step.”

Klubnik will be making his second start in a bowl game when Clemson faces Kentucky. He started against another SEC team last year against Tennessee in the Orange Bowl when the Tigers came up short.

Swinney, Klubnik and company are hoping for a better outcome this time around.

“This is another great opportunity. We came up short in the bowl game last year. We had 34 first downs, ran 100 plays, and we didn’t finish in the red-zone. And he in particular had a critical mistake right before the half. And that was his first ever start,” Swinney said. “So he’s really grown all throughout the year. He’s not been perfect, but he’s getting better.

“We see him every day, and we know who he is. And I just think this kid is a winner. I think he’s got a lot of great days ahead of him at Clemson and beyond. So just continuing to stay the course and stay the path.”