Cade Klubnik Looking to Channel Batman-Like Confidence for Clemson

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik has a new nickname, given to him by head coach Dabo Swinney. After a rough start to the season for the Tigers, Swinney was looking for a way to pick up his star quarterback, and turned to superheroes for an answer.

“That was kind of what I told him [Klubnik],” Swinney said. “I’m like, ‘Listen, man, you’re Batman.’ But my message was more, ‘You’re Cade Klubnik. Just be Cade.’ And so, he was awesome. It was obviously a tremendous performance.”

Klubnik indeed showed out on Saturday against North Carolina, completing 22 of 24 passes for 254 yards and 4 touchdowns against an awful Tar Heel defense. Klubnik was asked about the new nickname during an interview on Wednesday, and seemed to take the comments in stride.

“I think it’s great,” Klubnik said. “I think that, for me and really everybody, I think we needed that and just a reminder of who we are and the players we are and the team that we can be. I think it was great. Loss does things. It either grinds you up or shines you up, and I think it’s going to continue to shine us up.”

After a 1-3 start with the lone win being a comeback effort over Troy, the drive of this year’s Clemson team was heavily called into question by both the national media and many of the Tiger faithful. And, while a dominant win against a team in the gutter like North Carolina isn’t anything to shout about, the fact that this team continues to fight can still be appreciated.

Next up on the schedule for the Tigers is Boston College, a 1-4 team whose only win on the season has come against Fordham in Week 1. However, Klubnik and the rest of the team are determined to keep executing at the same level as last Saturday.

“They [Boston College] are a team that’s, they’ve got great players all around but they fight and they play really, really hard and they’re tough. They’re not going to lay down for anybody. Their record is not who they are.”

The Eagles' offense is ranked just No. 62 in yardage and No. 55 in scoring nationally, and has exploded for 30 points or more on the road this season against both Michigan State and Stanford. However, the Boston College defense should present Clemson with an opportunity to take advantage.

Boston College ranks just No. 70 in the nation in total defense and an abysmal No. 117 in scoring defense, allowing 31.6 points per game. So, if Klubnik can channel the Batman-like confidence that Swinney wants to see, Clemson should emerge from Saturday 3-3.

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