MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — After dropping an overtime game against Florida State last month, Clemson came out of the game feeling like it was the better team.

The Tigers controlled the lines of scrimmage and made life hard for Jordan Travis and his wide receivers.

And though Clemson lost its second overtime game of the season, following Saturday’s 28-20 loss to Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, this time the Tigers cannot say they were the better team.

Why? Because clearly that was not the case.

Miami (5-2, 1-2 ACC) owned the lines of scrimmage, especially in the fourth quarter when they rallied from a 17-7 deficit to force overtime.

“They found a way to win and we found a way not to win. So, it was an unbelievable disappointing game,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “What we want, we have to deserve, and we did not deserve what we wanted.”

Obviously, what Clemson (4-3, 2-3 ACC) wanted was a win in Miami Gardens and despite three turnovers, including one in the Miami end zone, it looked like the Tigers were going to get it.

However, as Swinney stated, the Tigers could not stop the Hurricanes in the fourth quarter. Miami rushed for 83 of their 211 yards after Clemson built its 17-7 lead.

The Hurricanes did it by running right at Clemson’s vaunted defensive front.

“At the end of the day you overcome all of (the turnovers) and you got a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and you can’t finish,” Swinney said. “You have to give them credit. We could not stop the run there in the fourth quarter and they earned it. We got exactly what we deserved.”

What Clemson got was a loss it could not afford. The loss pretty much eliminates the Tigers from ACC Championship consideration and likely drops them to a second-tier bowl game if they should become bowl eligible.

But like Swinney said, Clemson got what it deserved. The Tigers turned the football over three times. They laid the ball on the ground four times. They were penalized seven times, they averaged just 0.9 yards per carry and they were 4-for-14 on third down.

Miami turned the ball over just once. It averaged 5.6 yards per rush and was 9-for-18 on third down.

“Obviously, we wanted to win and we did not deserve it,” Swinney said. “We deserve exactly what we got because when you turn the ball over the way we are turning the ball over, it is hard to win.

“We are going in to score a touchdown and we fumble the ball. Another red zone turnover. Obviously, the turnovers are like a broken record. The best players have to play well and we are not doing some of those things. It is frustrating.”

On the other side of the ball, the Clemson defense gave up an 80-yard touchdown, the longest run allowed by the Tigers since 2009.

“That is all they had there in the first half, but that was big. That was the difference in the game, obviously,” Swinney said. “The (possible) score we fumble in the end zone, could have been the difference in the game at the end. Another turnover down there, a field goal at the end, could have been the difference in the game.”

In the end, Clemson got what it deserved — another disappointing loss.

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