Clemson Dismantles Stanford, 40-14
CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson reached the 40-point mark for a third consecutive game en route to a dominating 40-14 win over Stanford at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Clemson (3-1, 2-0 ACC) was led by quarterback Cade Klubnik’s five touchdowns (four passing) to topple Stanford (2-2, 1-1 ACC).
Klubnik completed 15-of-31 passes for 255 yards with four passing touchdowns and added seven carries for 48 yards with a rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. caught two passes for a team-high 104 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Clemson recorded a season-high four sacks while adding three takeaways and three turnovers on downs. Linebacker Barrett Carter tied his career high with 3.5 tackles for loss, while linebacker Sammy Brown recorded 2.0 sacks for his first career multi-sack game.
Stanford opened the game aggressively, attempting a fourth-and-one at the Cardinal 35-yard line on the game’s opening possession. Linebacker Wade Woodaz forced a fumble on that play that Stanford recovered behind the line to gain, giving the Tigers a turnover on downs.
Clemson then opened the scoring three plays later when Klubnik scrambled for a 34-yard touchdown run on third down to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
Stanford threatened on its following possession, driving 68 yards to the Clemson seven-yard line. However, cornerback Avieon Terrell kept the Cardinal off the board, picking off a third-down pass in the end zone to end the scoring threat. Clemson then moved 77 yards in five plays, thanks largely to a 70-yard pass from Klubnik to freshman Bryant Wesco Jr. Clemson capped the drive with a 20-yard Nolan Hauser field goal.
Clemson recorded another red zone stop on Stanford’s next drive. After Stanford drove to the Clemson 20, cornerback Jeadyn Lukus notched his first interception of the season. With the stop, Clemson carried a 10-0 lead into the second quarter; the Tigers still have not surrendered a first-quarter point this season.
Clemson extended its lead to 17-0 in the second quarter on a three-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to tight end Jake Briningstool. Stanford got on the board late in the second quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ashton Daniels to Elic Ayomanor with 39 seconds remaining in the second quarter to bring the halftime score to 17-7.
Clemson opened the second half with a 58-yard drive ending in a 33-yard Nolan Hauser field goal – extending the lead to 20-7. The Tigers again put the clamps on the Cardinal in the red zone and stuffed Stanford for its second turnover on downs of the game.
After trading punts, Woodaz created his second impactful defensive play of the game. He recorded his second career interception, picking off Daniels across the middle of the field to set Clemson up on Stanford’s 43-yard-line.
The interception set up a 43-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Cole Turner, extending Clemson’s lead to 27-7. The touchdown reception was Turner’s first of his career.
Clemson’s defense turned Stanford over on downs for a third time, and a 34-yard Klubnik pass to Wesco on a one-play scoring drive pushed the Tigers’ lead to 33-7.
In the fourth quarter, linebacker Jamal Anderson blocked his first career punt to give Clemson the ball in Stanford territory. The Tigers needed just four plays, aided by a pass interference penalty, to push their lead to 40-7 on a Klubnik pass to Olsen Patt-Henry, the first career touchdown catch for Patt-Henry.
Clemson surrendered just seven points the rest of the way in the 40-14 victory.
After playing its three most recent games at home, Clemson will now hit the road for consecutive games away from home when they face the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Oct. 5 and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, Oct. 12. Clemson will return to Memorial Stadium to play the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday, Oct. 19.