Cade Klubnik accounted for seven touchdowns in just one half to lead No. 25 Clemson to a convincing 66-20 victory over visiting Appalachian State in nonconference play on Saturday night.
Klubnik completed 24 of 26 passes for 378 yards and a career-best five touchdowns and tacked on two rushing scores for the Tigers (1-1), who scored the game’s first 42 points and led 56-13 at halftime. The 56 points are a school record for first-half points.
Phil Mafah rushed for 118 yards and one score on 10 carries for Clemson, which rebounded from a season-opening 34-3 loss to top-ranked Georgia.
Jake Briningstool caught seven passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers. Bryant Wesco Jr. (130 receiving yards), Antonio Williams and T.J. Moore also had scoring receptions for Clemson.
Joey Aguilar completed 18 of 41 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown for Appalachian State (1-1). Anderson Castle rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown on just seven carries and Makai Jackson caught a touchdown pass for the Mountaineers.
Clemson had just 188 yards of total offense in the loss to Georgia. It had 349 in a 35-point first quarter against App State and finished with a 712-363 edge.
The Tigers outgained the Mountaineers 525-199 in the first half and led 56-13 at the break.
Klubnik and Bryant teamed up for a 76-yard touchdown on the third play of the game. Klubnik tacked on a 2-yard scoring run four-plus minutes later.
Mafah broke loose for an 83-yard scoring run to make it 21-0 with 7:08 left in the quarter. Klubnik tossed touchdown passes of 41 yards to Briningstool and 29 yards to Williams later in the 35-point quarter.
Klubnik scored on a 3-yard run with 12:58 left in the first half before Castle scored on a 4-yard run to get the Mountaineers on the board with 10:39 to go.
Klubnik hit Moore from 33 yards out to make it 49-7 with 6:48 left. App State’s Michael Hughes booted a 36-yard field goal with 3:28 remaining before Klubnik tossed touchdown No. 5, a 17-yarder to Briningstool with 54 seconds to play.
Hughes hit from 35 yards out as time expired in the half.
Aguilar tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jackson with 12:31 left in the third quarter to cut the App State deficit to 56-20.
Clemson received a 5-yard touchdown run from Christopher Vizzina and a 36-yard field goal from Nolan Hauser in the third quarter to boost the score to 66-20.
–Field Level Media
