A loss against the LSU Tigers and a win against Troy. That’s what Dabo Swinney’s Clemson has on their plate as it gears up for the Georgia Tech face-off. The Tigers showed cracks in their debut game of the season. LSU’s defense held Clemson to a mere 31 yards on 20 carries all game. The effect? Swinney’s offense went one-dimensional, while predictability plagued it. “Some things we need to clean up,” the head coach figured out. “We were a little soft on the perimeter, need to clean some things up technique-wise.” While Swinney thought of focusing on polishing his game scheme, he got hit with three blows, as his big trio will now be sidelined with injury. Meanwhile, Brent Key is ready to unleash his big weapon. 

Clemson’s injury list grew even longer on Friday, September 12. If Thursday’s injury report looked grim, Friday’s update turned it into a crisis. The September 11 report stated Swinney’s wide receiver Antonio Williams, safety Khalil Barnes, and offensive linemen Tristan Leigh are on the questionable list. Turns out that the Tigers’ fans’ prayers went unheard.

On September 12, Pete Thamel tweeted, “Clemson will be down three starters at Georgia Tech, as WR Antonio Williams, safety Khalil Barnes and left tackle Tristan Leigh are all listed out on ACC injury report. All three entered today as questionable after missing the Troy game.” Swinney’s WR appeared in the season-opening loss to LSU, but did not record any statistics in the top-ten matchup against the Tigers. He was spotted leaving the field in the opening quarter with a hamstring injury. Now, how is the current status going to affect Swinney’s squad?

Williams was by far the leading receiver for Clemson last season. His stats? 75 passes for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 152 catches for 1,716 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in his college stint. Swinney and co. already bore the consequences of the WR’s absence when, without him, the offense struggled against Troy, coming up with just 316 yards and a pair of turnovers were given up. And what about Swinney’s safety, Barnes?

He has been fighting injuries since the team’s fall camp. But things took a turn when he too suffered a hamstring injury against the cursed LSU game. Missing out on him is also a big loss for Swinney and co. After all, Barnes has been a staple on the backend of the Tigers’ defense the past two seasons. Back in 2023, in his debut season, Barnes created a record with a team-high three interceptions.

Swinney’s squad experienced yet another costly loss. Leigh, who got dinged up during the LSU game, has been deemed “out.” Well, he is one of their most experienced offensive lineman. To add on to this, Georgia Tech head coach Key is getting ready for their face off.

Brent Key’s big flex as Dabo Swinney’s Cade Klubnik loses his charm

Apparently, it looked like the head coach tried to show how both Swinney’s squad and Georgia Tech are at par. “They have good players, we’ve got good players. They’ve got good coaches, we’ve got good coaches. Twelve o’clock on a Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia, I don’t think you could ask for anything more. We’ll be ready to roll,” said Key. But the real competition gets down to the quarterback position: Cade Klubnik vs Haynes King.

Swinney might have been proud of his quarterback, but this season led him to put his blinders down and address the real problem. After Clemson got shredded to pieces by LSU, Swinney addressed the elephant in the room: “Our biggest issue against LSU was that our best player [Cade Klubnik] didn’t play well.” Yes, we have seen how the head coach has been through thick and thin for Klubnik. 

But to Swinney, favoritism is not an option, and he prefers calling things as they are, without sugarcoating. Thus, the head coach said, “There was nothing else I could say. Honestly, he’s a fourth-year player. When Deshaun (Watson) didn’t play well, I let you know. When Trevor (Lawrence) didn’t play well, I let you know. He’s not a freshman.” The quarterback completed only 19 of his 38 passes, threw for 230 yards, and had zero scores. Not something you call Klubnik standard.

That’s when Brent Key pitched in to rip the band-aid off Dabo Swinney’s fresh wound. Flexing his quarterback King, Key stated, “Beware when the man jumps up and has a little bit of a limp to him, or starts rubbing something on his body, because it’s about to be on.” Unlike Swinney, Key had enough reasons to flaunt his QB power. King helped the Yellow Jackets to a 27-20 win, completing 13 of the 20 passes for 143 yards. He rushed for a stellar 156 yards and scored three touchdowns. Swinney’s mood has soured with injuries piling up. Will Cade Klubnik’s play brighten it with the perfect reply to Key?