Clemson bring DJ Uiagalelei back in at quarterback after Cade Klubnik throws interception

Update: Well, the benching lasted two plays. Klubnik’s interception to put the Tigers down 21-0 was enough for Swinney. He’s going back to Uiagalelei, but it might not matter given how Clemson has played so far.

The No. 4 Clemson Tigers are in serious trouble against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and they’ve now benched starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei at the end of the third quarter. The Tigers are going with Cade Klubnik, who rescued them against Syracuse.

Unfortunately for Klubnik, he threw an interception in his own territory to start out, so this move might’ve backfired for head coach Dabo Swinney. The Irish are now set to take a three-possession lead barring some ridiculousness, which might be too much for this Clemson team to overcome in one quarter. The Tigers have been lifeless offensively, and this Notre Dame team is not good enough to justify this type of loss.

The Tigers won’t be heavily impacted in the ACC title race since this is a non-conference game but the College Football Playoff committee is going to take notice. The Tigers likely fall out of the top four if they lose this game.