CLEMSON — Team Orange defeated Team White 27-12 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday in Clemson football's annual spring game.
Trailing 3-0 early in the first quarter, the Orange took the lead with Bryant Wesco Jr.'s over-the-shoulder catch for a 9-yard touchdown. Jamal Anderson then returned an interception of Christopher Vizzina's pass for a touchdown on the next drive.
Cade Klubnik put the game out of reach with a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that took more than seven minutes. He found Peyton Streko near the goal line for a 5-yard pass, scoring the redshirt freshman's 1-yard touchdown to make the score 21-6.
Klubnik left the game early in the fourth quarter with an apparent lower leg injury and did not return.
Here are three takeaways from the annual spring game.
QB Cade Klubnik's performance
It was an eventful game for Krbnik and Vizina, with both making interceptions. Klubnik threw well, including a 55-yard completion to Adam Randall in the third quarter, but missed open receivers throughout the game. The junior completed 13 of 26 for 158 yards.
Meanwhile, Pearman, who played for both teams on Saturday, shined. He led the Orange team on a five-play, 57-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter. The 2022 walk-on from nearby Daniel High School then switched to the white team and led a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. He completed 13 of 18 for 141 yards and two total touchdowns.
Mid-career students achieve good results in the first spring match
According to 247Sports, the Tigers had four players make a big impact in their 11th-ranked freshman class. Wesco had a 9-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter and had three catches for 26 yards. Five-star Sammy Brown recorded a sack on the Orange's first drive and finished with six tackles.
Tavoy Feagin scored Krbnik in the first quarter to end a promising drive, and Nolan Hauser made field goals of 29 and 48 yards in a kicking contest with Robert Gunn III.
Fresh look:Clemson football freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. scores his first TD in spring game
Clemson football shows off defensive depth
Despite not having starters back on the defensive line, the Tigers showed depth. Despite Peter Woods missing Saturday with mononucleosis, both teams' lines combined for eight sacks and three pass breakups. To avoid injury to the quarterback, coach Dabo Swinney gave the quarterback non-contact status and blew the sack whistle as soon as a defender came within arm's length of the quarterback.
Standouts were Steffilan Green (three sacks), Cade Denhoff (two lost tackles, one pass deflection), and AJ Hofler (one sack, one pass deflection).
Derian Carter covers Clemson Athletics for The Greenville News and USA TODAY Network. Email dcarter@gannett.com and follow X (previously known as Twitter) @DerrianCarter00.
