Pearman Steals the Show as Orange knocks off White 27-12

It's probably smart to take everything you see in the spring game with a grain of salt. However, there's no doubt that Clemson's rising junior quarterback Cade Klubnik still looked extremely green, making several throws that would have been disastrous in a big game-- like the matchup the Tigers will face to open the season against Georgia.

Klubnik led Team Orange to a 27-12 win, but few fans left Death Valley comforted by the play they saw from the Tigers’ starting quarterback. On the day, Klubnik finished 13-26 for 158 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. The interception was on a pass to Adam Randall, which Dabo Swinney, who was miked up on ESPN’s feed, blamed on the wideout and not Klubnik. Nonetheless, miscommunication like that against the Bulldogs will be costly in the fall.

Many eyes were also on redshirt freshman quarterback Christopher Vizzina to see if he would prove capable as a backup. Yet, the significant takeaway was that sophomore Trent Pearman looked to be the best option—not just as the backup—Pearman was the best quarterback during the contest while playing for both teams.

Pearman finished 13-18 for 141 yards and one passing touchdown. He also rushed eight times for 62 yards, including a 49-yard run to paydirt. Vizzina was 14-25 for 108 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Now, is that to say you should be panicked right now? No. The reality of the spring game is that with the rules, it's still incredibly difficult to gauge what each quarterback brings to the table in a full-fledged game. Still, on this Saturday, the best performance belonged to the guy nobody was talking about coming into the ballgame.

Other takeaways from the split-squad Orange and White spring game include the fact that some of the young players, especially true freshman Bryant Wesco and true freshman linebacker Sammy Brown, have what it takes to make an impact in year one.

Additionally, true freshman Tavoy Feagin, who had the aforementioned interception, which he returned for 44 yards, nearly picked off a second pass from Klubnik when the signal-caller made a risky throw in traffic, appears to be a playmaker on the rise.

Linebacker Jamal Anderson Jr. made perhaps the most incredible play in the game. The sophomore snagged an interception—looking a lot like Spider-Man in the process—and raced to the endzone, giving Orange a 14-3 lead. 

Another bright spot for the Tigers was Jahiem Lawson’s play. Lawson, who came into Clemson weighing 215 pounds, looked really good with an additional 30 pounds on his frame. He was more than capable of winning at the line of scrimmage with a combo of speed and power. Then, the defensive end also made a clutch interception as he dropped back in zone coverage at the goal line. Lawson, looking like a wide receiver made a great play to stave off a White team touchdown.

It was concerning to see center Ryan Linthicum go down with an injury in the ballgame. Knowing that he is the presumptive starter at the spot wasn’t something fans wanted to see. The good news is that the season isn’t around the corner, and Swinney indicated after the game that Linthicum should be okay.  

All in all, it was just that—a spring game. My biggest concern coming in was how Klubnik would look and whether Vizzina would present himself as a more than capable backup option. But Trent Pearman looked the best, and that should leave Clemson fans feeling a little bit apprehensive ahead of the next time we'll see these guys against the Georgia Bulldogs to open the season.

The good news is that there is a lot of time between now and then and from this observer’s perspective, the two top options at quarterback seem to need it.