Cade Klubnik shares what teammates have told him about playing at South Carolina

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly11/20/23

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Shane Beamer reviews South Carolina vs. Kentucky on Sunday teleconference

Cade Klubnik will get his first real taste of the ClemsonSouth Carolina rivalry on Saturday, after spending last year’s game on the sideline.

Klubnik will also be making his first trip to Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend. The sophomore shared Monday what his teammates have told him about playing in Columbia, as well as what kind of atmosphere he is expecting on Saturday.

“Obviously it’s one of the best atmospheres in college football,” Cade Klubnik said. “It’s going to be a great atmosphere. They’ve got great fans. Excited to get down there. We love playing on the road, so it’s going to be a fun game, for sure, and a lot of energy and super cool.”

South Carolina is 5-1 at Williams-Brice Stadium this season, with the only loss being a 41-39 defeat at the hands of Florida in mid-October.

Over the past two seasons, the Gamecocks are 10-3 in Columbia. Clemson has played well there as of late, though, winning four straight at Williams-Brice.

“Just great energy,” Klubnik said. “They’ve got a very loyal fanbase. Just a high-energy type of stadium. It’ll be a super cool atmosphere from the very start.

“I think it’s fun to play games like that. I think that’s what makes college football college football. You kind of hear guys that have played college football go to the NFL and say that there’s games that were louder in college that aren’t as loud in the NFL. So I think it’s always super fun to play games on the road in college football. It’s definitely a game that we’re all looking forward to.  It’s definitely a fun game in a great stadium.”

Clemson center Will Putnam has high praise for South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium

Cade Klubnik isn’t the only Clemson player who is impressed by South Carolina’s environment.

Clemson center Will Putnam said Monday that Williams-Brice Stadium is a tough place to play.

Putnam is 2-0 against the Gamecocks in Columbia, but he still feels that it’s not an easy place to win.

“It’s a great environment. It’s probably the best road environment, I think, that I’ve played in,” Putnam said. “Always loud. People are always there. … Yea, it’s awesome, and I think that’s what makes college football so special and just those rivalries and stuff like that.”

Putnam will be making his third trip to Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend and is looking to improve to 3-0 in games at South Carolina during his career.

Before making his first trip to Columbia prior to the 2019 season, he was given some advice that he is passing on to younger players this year.

“Keep your helmet on. And that’s something that has stuck with me ever since,” Putnam said. “So any game, at the end of the game, win or lose, I always keep my helmet on when I’m running off the field. Yea, I mean they have their net, and people are still throwing stuff, trying to get through it. I like it.”