Pearman the talk of the town
CLEMSON -- As the master of ceremonies, Dabo Swinney was right at home with a microphone in his hand.
Trent Pearman seemed right at home with the football in his hands.
Most people walked in or tuned in to watch Cade Klubnik and Christopher Vizzina.
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Pearman, the local kid and the son of longtime staffer Danny Pearman, ended up stealing the show.
What to make of the third-team quarterback bringing zest and pop to both offenses when the two guys in front of him endured their share of struggles on a brilliant Saturday afternoon at Death Valley?
We'll have five months to analyze and debate that.
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Maybe it turns out not to be a big deal; many spring-game heroes of the past have ended up doing not much of note.
Yet given the big-picture circumstances, it's hard to view Pearman's showing as nothing.
Swinney, who has spent the past three years watching balky quarterback play, said last week that he saw everything he wanted to see out of Klubnik and Vizzina during spring practice.
Pearman, a third-year sophomore, might've given Swinney and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley something to think about.
He definitely gave the fans something to talk about, as the small sample size of two-plus hours suggested he was the best quarterback on the field.
Pearman threw the ball on time, and with confidence.
He was effective running it, including a 49-yard dash for a touchdown.
Most important: He put the ball in danger only one time, and his two counterparts did it much more.
Playing for both teams, Pearman completed 13 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 62 yards on eight carries.
Klubnik completed 13 of 26 passes for 158 yards with an interception and no touchdowns.
Vizzina was 13-of-23 passing for 101 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, and both of the picks were bad: a pick-6 by Jamal Anderson after Anderson read his eyes on a slant, and a snare by defensive end Jaheim Lawson at the 2-yard line with Vizzina in the red zone.
There were plenty of other interesting themes as the fans got their first look at the 2024 team.
But quarterback felt like the big story, and it started when Pearman trotted on in the first quarter after Klubnik and Vizzina struggled to move the ball.
Pearman opened by hitting Bryant Wesco on a catch-and-run.
Then he fired a dart to Antonio Williams on a skinny post.
Pearman threw a little behind Adam Randall on a slant, but Randall helped out his quarterback by making a great grab.
Bang, bang, bang.
Just like that, the third-stringer had steered the offense to the 9-yard line.
He followed that with a fade throw to Wesco in the left corner of the west end zone, dropping it right to Wesco's left hand in tight coverage.
Wesco, who'd already created a sensation during spring practice after enrolling early, made a great catch. But the throw was perfect, too.
Klubnik's day certainly wasn't all bad. In the second quarter, he made impressive decisions and throws in leading his side down the field and overcoming being behind the chains.
On third-and-12, he showed good pocket awareness and hit Antonio Williams for a first down.
On the next play he threaded a beautiful throw to Peyton Streko in tight coverage between Wade Woodaz and Avieon Terrell to put the ball at the 1 (Streko scored on the next play).
That put the Orange team up 21-6, but then Pearman trotted out for the White team and went right back to work.
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He hit Josh Sapp down the seam for a first down, then a quick throw to Chase Byrd to move the chains again.
At midfield, he pulled it on a zone read and began to run outside. Two defenders, including end Zaire Patterson, jumped that way. Pearman immediately cut it inside and saw green grass.
He dashed all the way to the end zone, getting past a diving tackle attempt by Tyler Venables, for the 49-yard score.
"Feel," Swinney exclaimed through his ACC Network microphone. "That's just a baller making a play."
Klubnik uncorked a beautiful deep ball to Randall for a 55-yard strike in the second half with the offense backed up near its own end zone.
But defensive backs also managed to get their hands on too many of his passes.
Tavoy Feagin picked off Klubnik in the first quarter and returned it 44 yards, and that interception was the result of miscommunication and Randall not breaking off his route.
Feagin had multiple other interception chances off Klubnik, though, including on back-to-back plays in the red zone at one point.
Pearman's only real mistake was a throw into coverage over the middle that was broken up late in the game.
This was really his day.
"When he comes in, good things happen," Swinney said.
Time will tell us what it all means, but we know the guy in the No. 14 jersey is anonymous no more.
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