"Cade Klubnik has been under duress the whole season": Nick Saban points out major flaw in Dabo Swinney's Clemson as Tigers take on Georgia Tech

Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and coach Dabo Swinney
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and coach Dabo Swinney

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik led the Tigers' second-half rally to beat the Troy Trojans 27-16 in Week 2 of college football action after trailing 16-3 at halftime. Ahead of a pivotal game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Tigers and their quarterback have had a shaky start to the season after losing their season opener against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium.

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During Friday's episode of "Pat McAfee Show," former Alabama coach Nick Saban broke down the problems plaguing Klubnik and coach Dabo Swinney's team this season.

"In my opinion, the one issue that Clemson has is... their offensive line has not performed very well," Saban said. "The quarterback has been under duress the whole season. In the LSU game, this guy is running for his life and it affected him. So, one of the goals you always have on defense when playing any QB is, 'Can we affect the QB?'
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"And when you don't have a good offensive line, that makes it a little (easier) to do that. Klubnik is a really good player that hasn't had an opportunity to play very effectively this year. I think it's because of the pressure he's getting. So, they need to fix their situation in the offensive line."
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Analyst details Cade Klubnik's concern after Week 2

Against the LSU Tigers, Cade Klubnik was the subject of widespread discourse after he went 19-of-38 for 230 yards, resulting in one interception. Against the Troy Trojans, he went 18-of-24 for 196 yards, resulting in two touchdowns and one interception.

During Monday's "McShay Show," analyst Todd McShay detailed his concern with the start that Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers have made to the season.

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“I’m more concerned about Cade Klubnik, specifically, and the Clemson offense after this win against Troy than I was after the loss against LSU,” McShay said (Timestamp: 54:22). “We all know Cade Klubnik is a phenomenal quarterback. ... We’ve seen the tape, we’ve seen him get better, we’ve seen him make special plays.
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“We know what Klubnik is... But if you can’t protect him, and the weapons aren't where they supposed to be, what is a supporting cast issue, now becomes your issue.”
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Before the season started, Klubnik was the third favorite (+900) just behind LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Texas' Arch Manning to win the Heisman Trophy according to FanDuel. However, after his shaky start to the season, Klubnik's odds dropped to +2,200.

Clemson Tigers Fan? Check out the latest Tigers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
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