CLEMSON -- The weird things were replaced by good things for Cade Klubnik and Clemson's offense.
Yeah, it was only Florida Atlantic.
But it felt like progress was in the crisp night air for Klubnik as he methodically and crisply sliced through the Owls offense in a 48-14 trouncing.
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This game wasn't without a few warts.
More special-teams gaffes came in the form of a missed extra point and missed field goal by Robert Gunn, and Tyler Brown fumbled a punt.
And the offense wasn't able to drop the hammer as Dabo Swinney desired coming out of halftime, as Klubnik misfired on seven of his first eight passes in the third quarter.
But this was certainly one to grow on for Clemson, which now gets an opportunity to prove its manhood next week against Florida State.
The Tigers improve to 2-1 with a mammoth noon showdown against the Seminoles at Death Valley on Saturday.
Nate Wiggins set the tone with a 46-yard pick-6 less than two minutes in, and Klubnik found Brown in the back of the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown to send a signal that this game was going to be much cleaner than the first two.
Klubnik threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns on a 16-of-27 clip while rushing for 35 yards and a score. He was 13-of-17 for 148 yards and two scores in the first half before the offense began sputtering in the third quarter.
The defense throttled the Owls, knocking Casey Thompson out of the game and scoring 13 points off four FAU turnovers.
Freshman Khalil Barnes was all over the place in his second consecutive start in place of Andrew Mukuba, picking off a pass in the first quarter and later forcing a fumble. Barnes finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss, two passes broken up and a quarterback hurry.
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Klubnik spread the ball to seven different receivers by halftime. Brown, Antonio Williams and Jake Briningstool finished with three catches apiece. Adam Randall had two catches for 51 yards, one of them for 28.
Phil Mafah had 42 yards rushing on five attempts. Will Shipley had 38 yards on 10 carries.
After his first-quarter touchdown opened the scoring for the offense, Brown hauled in another touchdown late in the third quarter on a slant throw from Klubnik.
Clemson finished with 367 yards and had 20 first downs while converting 6-of-12 third downs. FAU had 82 total plays to 66 for the Tigers.
Brown's lost fumble on the punt was the only turnover for the Tigers, who were plus-3 in turnover margin after entering the game at minus-2 (five giveaways, three takeaways).
Clemson was 5-of-7 in the red zone with all five of the scores touchdowns.
The Tigers had 10 tackles for loss and two sacks.
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