After Clemson picked up a 24-10 win over Florida State on Saturday night at home, head coach Dabo Swinney gave an injury update on quarterback Cade Klubnik. Swinney revealed that Klubnik played the game with a quad injury suffered the week before against Duke.
Swinney said that it was a different injury than the one he suffered on October 11 at Boston College. Against the Eagles, Klubnik left the game with an ankle injury. This week, the Tigers have a Friday night game at Louisville, looking for their fifth win. Despite the short week, it appears that Klubnik will be ready for the game.
Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney Gives Injury Update
Swinney met with the media on Tuesday and gave a key update on Klubnik.
“Ankle’s good. He didn’t really have any problems in the (Florida State) game from the ankle, but he could hardly walk last week because of his thigh,” Swinney said. “… He’s a lot better than he was this time last week because he practiced. He’s doing better.”
Against the Seminoles, Klubnik was 20-for-27 for 221 yards and a touchdown. To date, the senior from Texas has thrown for 2,136 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. His completion rate is a career-high, currently at 67.9%. That’s eye-opening considering how many injuries he has dealt with this year.
“He’s got complete respect of this football team. He’s a warrior, man,” Swinney said. “If Cade Klubnik can play, he’s gonna play. There’s a lot of guys who wouldn’t be playing, especially guys who know they’re going on to the NFL.”
Klubnik had rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns this season. Those numbers are not expected to improve much with the number of injuries he has dealt with this year.
Clemson Facing Pivotal Matchup Against Louisville
Clemson improved to 4-5 with their win over Florida State. It has been a frustrating season for Swinney and the Tigers. After starting the season slowly, the veteran coach exploded at a press conference about his future. They opened the season with a home loss against LSU and haven’t recovered. After LSU fired Brian Kelly, that loss looks worse with each passing week.
The Tigers are just 11 months removed from winning the ACC Championship Game last year. That win got them a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff before they lost at Texas. There will be no CFP berth this year, and Clemson is just looking to find a way to become bowl-eligible.
They can take a giant step toward achieving that on Friday night at L&N Stadium in Louisville. The Cardinals come into the game following an overtime loss at home to California last Saturday night that all but eliminated them from the ACC Championship Game. Swinney should expect an angry Louisville team.
After Louisville, Clemson has a home game against Furman and a trip to South Carolina on Thanksgiving Weekend to close out the season. If Clemson is going to become bowl-eligible, then they’ll have to upset Louisville or South Carolina in a couple of weeks. Yes, beating the Gamecocks on the road would be an upset for Swinney’s group. At least they’ll have Klubnik at Louisville to give themselves a chance to win.
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