Swinney calls Clemson stunner ‘weirdest game’

• David Hale, ESPN Personnel WriterSep 5, 2023, 01:33 AM ET

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  • ACC reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the University of Delaware.DURHAM,
  • N.C.– Monday was judgement night for Clemson, and

coach Dabo Swinney anticipates the jury will deliver a scathing verdict.Clemson arrived in Durham ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason survey and

was an overwhelming preferred to beat a Duke team that had not fallen a top-10 program since 1989. The Tigers left Durham battered, bludgeoned and absolutely baffled after a 28-7 loss that saw Clemson stumble through 4 drives inside the red zone that ended without points.”That’s the weirdest game I’ve ever been a part of,”Swinney stated.” I have actually been beat. I have actually had my butt kicked.

However that’s the strangest game I have actually ever been a part of. “Clemson had 12 more first downs, 48 more yards and both threw and hurried for 200 yards– a stat

, Swinney noted later, that had actually correlated to a 108-0 all-time record for the Tigers before Monday night.The downfall for Clemson was a woeful red zone performance that saw two short field goals blocked and 2 fumbles by the

offense following a first-and-goal at the 1. Editor’s Picks 2 Associated In all, Clemson turned the ball over 3 times.” It’s nearly inexpressible what I just saw,” Swinney stated.”

It’s incredibly

aggravating when you had so much opportunity. … It’s routine stuff

. The basics. The fundamentals. Fundamental, fundamental stuff. “Quarterback Cade Klubnik tossed for 209 backyards and hurried for 34 more, however a scramble on fourth-and-7 midway through the fourth quarter ended with a turnover on

downs when Klubnik slid short of the marker. A flag was tossed for targeting on the play, but officials still awarded belongings to Duke, which Swinney admitted later was the appropriate call.Swinney said the play would be a learning experience for Klubnik, who was making his second career start for Clemson after the Tigers’Orange Bowl loss to Tennessee at the end of the 2022

season. “He’s a gritty kid, a difficult rival, and I’m pleased we have actually got him,”Swinney stated.”Since I know how he’s going to respond.” Swinney said he believed the same about the rest of his team, which he said won specific matches however lost on mental errors.”We’re not entitled to win, “he stated. “You’ve got to go make it.

We had an opportunity to get control of that game on multiple celebrations and we just didn’t. That’s how you get beat.” Clemson lost its opener for

the 2nd time in three years and Monday was its worst ACC loss given that 2014, however Swinney said none of that changes his expectations for this year’s group. “People are visiting the

score and judge this group,” Swinney stated.” I enjoy this football group and I see a lot of opportunity here. … A lot of people are probably going to quit on us and toss us away. However I ain’t tossing this team away.

We’re going to recuperate.”It was a sentiment echoed by Klubnik, who firmly insisted the awful start to the 2023 season will just serve to make the ending that better.”This is just going to be such a sweet story,”Klubnik said. “That’s simply the dream that I have and the dreams that

our team has is to react. That’s a choice we’ve got to make. Are we going to react or are we going to let this linger? Eventually our objective is to play in 15 games and finish 14-1. We can’t go unbeaten now, but there’s a great deal of games left.”Klubnik kept in mind that Clemson suffered a spectacular loss to Pittsburgh in the 2016 season and still went on to win the nationwide championship.This loss, however, appeared more aggravating. While Swinney said he thought his team revealed adequate factors for optimism, it marked the Tigers’third

loss in their previous 4 games– something that had not happened given that 2011. Meanwhile, the new-look offense with Klubnik at the helm and new planner Garrett Riley calling plays typically looked as stunted as the systems that stimulated a lot disappointment from fans over the previous 2 seasons with DJ Uiagalelei at QB.Swinney didn’t see it that way, however. He said the last rating looked far worse than the real performance on the field, and he said his expectations for this group have not altered because of the loss. “The bright side is, if there is any good news, you didn’t see a horrible football team out there,”Swinney stated.”You saw a bad result. However you didn’t see a bad football group that can’t play the game. “