CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — In a stunning and decisive reversal of fortune, the Clemson Tigers erupted for 28 points in the first quarter and never looked back, throttling the North Carolina Tar Heels 38 to 10 on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

The victory, Clemson’s first of the season, was powered by a near-perfect performance from quarterback Cade Klubnik, who carved up the Tar Heels’ defense with remarkable efficiency. The win improved Clemson’s record to 1-3, while North Carolina fell to an even 2-2.

Klubnik, a junior from Austin, Texas, was the catalyst for the early onslaught. He completed 22 of 24 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns, all before halftime. His connection with his receivers was immediate, as he found T.J. Moore for a 75-yard touchdown on the game’s opening offensive play.

The Tigers’ offense was relentless in the first period. After a North Carolina field goal made the score 7-3, Klubnik answered with a 35-yard scoring strike to Adam Randall. Minutes later, he hit Christian Bentancur for a 45-yard touchdown. He capped his phenomenal first quarter with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Randall, his third of the game, to give Clemson a commanding 28-3 lead.

Clemson added to its lead in the second quarter when Klubnik engineered another scoring drive, finishing it with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Bentancur. The score gave the Tigers a 35-3 advantage at halftime, a margin that proved insurmountable for the struggling Tar Heels.

North Carolina’s offense, led by quarterback Max Johnson of Athens, Ga., struggled to find any consistency against a stout Clemson defense. Johnson completed 26 of 42 passes for 213 yards but was unable to guide the Tar Heels into the end zone until the fourth quarter. He also added 10 yards on five rushing attempts. The lone North Carolina touchdown came on an 11-yard run by Benjamin Hall with 10:25 remaining in the game.

Clemson’s final points came from a 27-yard field goal by Nolan Hauser early in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the Tar Heels were led by linebacker Khmori House, who recorded seven tackles and two quarterback hurries. Defensive back Jaiden Patterson added six tackles, while CJ Mims had five tackles and a sack. For Clemson, linebackers Sammy Brown and safety Tyler Venables each tallied five tackles to anchor a defensive unit that stifled North Carolina for most of the contest.

The lopsided result defied pregame expectations. North Carolina had been installed as a 14.5-point favorite, and statistical models from Interstat gave Clemson a 75.7 percent probability to win, projecting a much closer final score of 26-24. The total score of 48 points went under the betting over/under line of 46.5.

The Tigers will look to build on this momentum when they travel to face Boston College next Saturday. North Carolina, seeking to rebound from the disappointing home loss, has a bye week before heading to California for a Friday afternoon contest on Oct. 17.