Cade Klubnik fired three touchdown passes and No. 10 Clemson’s defense notched a pair of second-quarter interceptions in a convincing 49-14 romp over host Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Klubnik completed 31 of 41 passes for 309 yards, while running back Phil Mafah racked up 118 rushing yards and two touchdown runs.
The Tigers (5-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won five in a row as they’ve risen in the polls.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who was replaced midway through the third quarter, had two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He was 12-for-21 for 126 yards.
The Demon Deacons (2-4, 1-2) were unable to build on a fourth-quarter comeback win last week at North Carolina State. They’ve lost four consecutive home games.
Clemson has won 16 straight games in the series.
Clemson scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-half possessions for a 28-14 halftime lead. The last of those scores came on Klubnik’s 8-yard dart to Troy Stellato, who made his first TD grab of the season.
The Tigers scored 14 more points in the first eight minutes of the second half, including receiver Antonio Williams connecting on a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Briningstool.
Wake Forest struck first, going ahead on its third possession when Bachmeier delivered a 31-yard pass to Horatio Fields with 1:32 to play in the opening quarter. It marked the first points scored against Clemson in the first quarter this season.
The Tigers struck back on the ensuing possession, with Klubnik throwing 22 yards on third down to Williams for a touchdown.
Clemson was back in business two snaps later when Kylon Griffin picked off Bachmeier and returned the ball to the Wake Forest 23. The Tigers cashed in two plays later when Phil Mafah plowed in on a 1-yard run.
Following Khalil Barnes’ interception, it took longer for Clemson to reach the end zone, on Mafah’s 2-yard, fourth-down run to complete a nine-play, 57-yard march for a 21-7 lead.
Wake Forest reclaimed momentum on Bachmeier’s 6-yard TD flip to Michael Frogge, a redshirt junior who made his first career catch and cut the deficit to 21-14 with 3:17 left in the first half.
