WATCH: Cade Klubnik, teammates react to comeback Gator Bowl win

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Fri Dec 29 17:49:45 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson teammates Cade Klubnik, Barrett Carter, Phil Mafah, Xavier Thomas, and Jonathan Weitz spoke to the media following their thrilling 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky on Friday.

Check out all of their videos below:

Q. How much do you guys feed off of the defense when they either do a takeaway or a stop or whatever? What does that do?

CADE KLUBNIK: It's huge. Obviously four turnovers in the fourth quarter was huge for us and the field position that we got. Just so proud of those guys for just coming up huge in the fourth quarter when we needed them.

Yeah, I mean, it's huge for us. Just to kind of get momentum going and starting great field position and take some of the ease off.

Q. Cade, Coach touched on it a good bit. It was just every single week, every single big game, big moment was just overcoming adversity from .500 to the big finish, backs against the wall and the 21-10. What was the conversation or what was kind of the mantra going on after that kick return for the offensive side with the coaches and players? What did you all just tell each other every single time you guys had to answer every single score by Kentucky?

CADE KLUBNIK: Yeah, I think the first thing that I said was, guys, we've been through so much this year. We've had to sit in that locker room 4-4. Why quit now? We've been through so much. We just won four straight. There's no reason to quit now. We're right here in this ball game. Let's go win it.

We did it, and just so proud of these guys. So proud of just the seniors on this team for leading us, the leaders on this team for just continually showing up every single week with a go-get attitude.

There's no way that we were going to leave this game with any regrets. Sure as heck I wasn't, and anybody else on this team. We've been through so much this year. I mean, just what a way to end it. It's just so awesome. So awesome.

Q. That pace at the end on the last drive, how much fun is that for you, and is that something that could be applied more regularly in a conventional attack?

CADE KLUBNIK: Yeah, obviously we know that they're going to be playing a lot of three-high structure, so they're going to give us some throws here and there, but also two-minute drill, so we have to get rolling, got to get set fast.

We kind of knew that tempo was a problem for them coming into it, and I think that we probably gotten to a little bit of faster tempo at times throughout the game because I think they had some struggles with it, but just -- I like the pace of it, and I think that that was just kind of naturally something we did. It wasn't really something that we extra emphasized. It's just that mentality in two-minute drills, moving fast and getting the ball set.

I think one of the biggest plays was the fourth and short where everybody got set and we snapped the ball, and Phil went and got it, and the O-line opened it up for him, and he went and got it. That was one of the biggest plays of the game in my opinion.

If you just look at that drive, it's fourth down. It's that or nothing. So just so proud of him. I mean, it really started with the offensive line. I mean, they're conditioned and ready for any tempo that we need, and they rolled around and just so proud of them the way that they came out to play today.

Obviously we had a few more sacks than we wanted, and I think partially that's on me for holding the ball too long a couple of times, but I mean, other than that, they did a heck of a job today. Just so proud of them. Just starts with Will Putnam and just so proud of them.

I honestly felt like I had all day back there today. It just felt like I could sit back and just dissect and see things I needed to see. Just really proud of them.

Q. Can you reflect on the first year with Garrett Riley, and how you will take the next step into next year?

CADE KLUBNIK: People don't give him enough credit to have to come into a brand new place where he has never been, doesn't know a soul, doesn't even know the offensive staff. He had to come in and teach every single player the offense. Well, he also had to teach every single coach the offense. That's a lot on him.

I mean, I told him after the game, there's not another person that I would want right there with me. I mean, just so thankful for him. We're sitting there 4-4, and he just comes in just playing some music and with a smile on his face in the meetings and just never flinches. Just somebody that I can count on.

Just freaking love him to death, and just so proud of him and thankful for him. The way that he has led me and led this offense and led this QB room, that's what's made the difference in my opinion.

Q. What does it say about Will Shipley on that kick return after he didn't have the best day, and he comes up with something big?

CADE KLUBNIK: Yeah, that's Will. I mean, he'll just go out there and shock the world when you need him to. Just so proud of him. Praying for him that he's all right. I think he had, like, 130-something all-purpose yards, which is awesome. That's what we needed. That sparked something.

Then Johnny Weitz hit the field goal, and that was huge on that same drive. Obviously we want a touchdown there, but just so proud of him. Yeah.

Q. Are you a wrestling fan?

BARRETT CARTER: Oh, my gosh. I was the biggest wrestling fan when I was a kid. When I realized it was fake, I kind of stopped watching it, but 7-year-old me is screaming right now just seeing the older version of me with a belt. It's definitely a surreal moment. Yeah, I used to be a wrestling fan.

Q. Barrett, defense allowed some big plays, fourth quarter turnovers. What were you able to do to come out and (off microphone)?

BARRETT CARTER: I think it all starts with Wes giving us great play calls. But, secondly, guys are just doing their jobs and flying around. I think that's how you create turnovers when guys do their jobs, and you get to the ball, and you never know what's going to happen.

Just like K.B. forcing that fumble, and I was able to scoop it up, just guys flying around doing their job. That's just a big emphasis for us, just flying around, making the plays that come to us, not trying to do too much. That's just huge for us to create those turnovers late in the game and just huge for momentum as well.

Q. Trial by fire for younger guys, but how much will that help them?

BARRETT CARTER: For sure. It's definitely a lot of growing pains when you are a young guy and you are thrown in the fire like that, but that's how you learn.

We just watched the video and said, if you don't lose a rep, if you don't lose in life, you're never going to learn, and that's what these young guys did.

They fought through so much adversity, but long-term it's going to help them succeed. I'm just super proud of them the way they fought for four quarters.

Q. Barrett, again, quartet of guys just led the way, Xavier Thomas with the pressure, you and Khalil and then Lewis put the bow on it, the nail in the coffin there at the end. As Dabo said, TV the defense. Y'all kept them in games all season long. How did it feel for the defense to just show resiliency, and how did it feel to be on the sideline to watch the offense make their mark and kind of end it on their terms?

BARRETT CARTER: Coach Swinney talks about our team is a triple-braided cord: offense, defense, and special teams. We all just try to feed off of each other and complement each other. Defense creates the turnover. Offense go out and score a touchdown, kick a field goal. Yeah, special teams in there with the kick.

We focus on that every single day at practice, just building off each other, creating momentum for each other and just feeding off each other's energy.

It was a four-quarter game to the least. Guys fought for the whole game. Just super proud of us and super proud of how each segment was able to feed off of each other. Just super proud of the guys.

Q. Why do you think you were so successful in the pass deflection today?

BARRETT CARTER: It was something we emphasized this week, just mirroring the hand. I mean, no knock on Devin Leary, but he is not a huge quarterback, and that's something we do week-by-week whenever we play somebody that's not as tall. Just focus on mirroring the hand and trying to bat those balls down. Fortunately, I was able to mirror the hand and get a pick.

I'm still mad. I dropped, like, two picks early in the game, but I'm super glad that I got one. That's definitely something that we work on all week in practice.

Q. You tipped one and went backwards. What was your frame of how you see the ball? What will you remember from that?

BARRETT CARTER: We had a good play called. Running back came to block me, and I saw he was about to throw the ball, so I got my hands up. I saw the ball -- it went behind me. Usually when you bat a ball down, it goes back towards the quarterback or somewhere like that, so I saw that it went behind me. I knew I had a chance to get it.

Just super fortunate that I was able to make the play. Just huge momentum for our team. That was a spark that was much needed for us.

Q. Was that one of the crazier fourth quarters you've ever played in as a player?

PHIL MAFAH: Yeah, definitely. I feel like that was the craziest fourth quarter I ever played in. Just so much emotion, especially in the fourth quarter.

Just had to keep fighting and didn't know what the outcome would be at that point, but you just had to keep fighting and believing and trusting your teammates to get the job done and get the win.

So extremely proud of my teammates for being able to accomplish this feat.

Q. How do you kind of sum up the way you and Shipley played throughout the year? Just had each other's back, just kind of picked each other up and supported each other from start to finish. How do you sum up y'all's relationship and just your efforts out on the field with the season all said and done?

PHIL MAFAH: I would say it's always been like that. Whether it's been school, football, anything that we do, we always push each other to be better. That's my roommate, and I love that guy.

No matter what we do, we push each other, so I'm extremely appreciative for him, and I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today if he didn't come to Clemson.

I know it's vice versa for him. That's my brother. I love him. We push each other all the time.

Q. You and Will after the game, what were you all saying to each other? He was back out there after the injury.

PHIL MAFAH: We were just expressing love to each other and letting each other know that we were grateful for each other. I told him at halftime we're not going to win this game without you and that big return he had. It's one of the reasons why we won this game. Just giving all the gratitude back to him and just praying for him and hoping he gets better very soon.

Q. Do you feel the energy from the crowd, especially that last drive when you are coming towards that end zone?

PHIL MAFAH: Oh, yeah, it was crazy. I was so tired, but you could feel the energy, feel everyone just watching. That's when it's game time when you have to win the game, it's all on the line. That's when you lock in and focus. Definitely you could feel the tenacity of the crowd in there.