Cade Klubnik leads No. 19 Clemson past Virginia Tech 24-14

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Cade Klubnik threw three touchdown passes to help No. 19 Clemson beat Virginia Tech 24-14 on Saturday.

The Tigers (7-2, 6-1) used Klubnik’s arm and a terrific performance by their defense, which held Virginia Tech to a season-low 228 yards, to bounce back from a home loss to Louisville and remain in the ACC title race. Clemson also beat Virginia Tech for the seventh straight time.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That’s how you respond coming off an incredibly disappointing performance last week. To see our guys respond like that, with unbelievable mental toughness and a will to win, they had a determined spirit. The biggest thing I saw today was heart, and that’s what I asked them to put on display.”

Kyron Drones paced Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3) with 115 yards passing, but he was replaced in the fourth quarter after the Hokies fell behind 21-7.

The Tigers trailed 7-0 at halftime, but they scored touchdowns on three of their first four second-half possessions.

Klubnik finished the first drive of the half with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Cole Turner. On the Tigers’ next possession, Klubnik broke away from Virginia Tech’s Mansoor Delane and threw a 41-yard pass to T.J. Moore. Early in the fourth, he threw a 12-yard TD pass to tight end Jake Briningstool.