CLEMSON – Clemson defensive end Justin Mascoll and the majority of his fellow teammates had big dreams going into the 2023 season.

A shot at the national championship was a common theme, as well as going 12-0. When the Tigers could not deliver against the Blue Devils in their season opener, those dreams started to lose some of its gleam. And when No. 5 Florida State won in overtime over the Tigers this past Saturday, most of those dreams were shattered altogether.

Going into Week 5 with a 2-2 overall record and an 0-2 mark in the ACC, any chances of making the College Football Playoff and winning a national championship are completely off the table. Mascoll and the Tigers have shifted their goals going forward for the remainder of the season.

While it can be demoralizing having to alter your goals and being forced to be more realistic given the circumstances, Mascoll is staying hopeful that they can still celebrate a few wins at the conclusion of the season.

“I believe that we can still get the ACC [championship],” Mascoll said. “The best we can be is 10-2 right now, so we need to just strive to be better every day.”

Though, the Tigers had their fair share of mistakes on the field this past Saturday, Mascoll said those setbacks have taught himself and his fellow teammates about who they are as a team and how they deal with adversity.

“What I learned from Saturday is we are a resilient team. Regardless of what’s going on in the game, we are willing to run through a brick wall for each other,” he said.

The senior also mentioned his team has been getting closer and closer as they learn more about each other, and as they bond as a team, he has noticed how much grit all of his teammates possess.

“There’s going to be a lot of adversity in the way, but I have no doubt the guys around me are going to fight every day,” he said.

Mascoll also mentioned the Tigers having a “bunker mentality,” which he described as focusing on themselves from the inside out.

“We have to make sure our ship is tight and there are no holes,” he said. “We can’t have anything getting to us on the inside.”

In order for the Tigers to turn their season around and get a win this Saturday in Syracuse, they will need to capitalize and not let any others poke holes in their ship, or else they will be at risk of drowning altogether.

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