To honor Clemson’s special senior class Dear Old Clemson is selling footballs signed by 7 of Clemson’s Avengers for only $100. These limited edition footballs are signed by Thomas, Orhorhoro, Davis, Mascoll, Henry, Murphy and Williams. Get one while supplies last.
CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney got a good chuckle when asked was the 2023 regular season the toughest he has gone through in his coaching career.
“No, this is not the toughest season I have had in my career. I have been fired,” he said.
Swinney was an assistant coach under Mike DuBose at Alabama when the whole staff was fired after producing a 3-8 campaign in 2000.
“We won three games when I was an assistant at Alabama in 2000. That usually does not end well,” Swinney said. “I have been through much tougher seasons than being 8-4 and getting to go to the Gator Bowl, that is for dang sure.”
There is no question Clemson did not live up to expectations in 2023. The Tigers opened the season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, but quickly fell back after being embarrassed at Duke to open the season.
Clemson had four trips inside the Duke 10-yard line and failed to score a single point in a 28-7 loss. Twice, the Tigers had first-and-goal at the one-yard line.
A few weeks later, Clemson lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Florida State, missing a field goal with less than 90 seconds to play regulation that would have won the game. The Tigers later lost in double overtime to Miami, blowing a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
Two turnovers cost Clemson dearly a week later in a seven-point loss at NC State.
“We certainly had some disappointment this year,” Swinney said. “Double overtime loss, overtime loss, four trips inside the 10 at Duke and could not get a point. That is a little football adversity, but that is the story of this season.
“It is the worst season we’ve had, if you want to call it that, since 2010 when we won six games.”
Unlike the 2010 team, which finished 6-7, these Clemson Tigers finished the year much better. After losing to NC State, they came back to rip off four straight wins, including a victory over then No. 12 Notre Dame and then a win over then No. 22 North Carolina and Drake Maye.
“I am proud of our guys. I am proud of our staff and our team. They battled their butts off,” Swinney said. “You learn a lot about people when things do not go your way.
“What turned things around for us is that we quit turning the ball over. We’ve gone four games in a row where we have been able to win the turnover margin and we’ve been able to win the game. The games that we lost, we had big-time (losses) in the turnover margin and scored for the other team. As Coach [Mark] Stoops will tell you, that usually does not end very well for you.
“So, the biggest thing for us, and we are not perfect, but we have been able to find a way to win [the turnover] margin and that has impacted the scoreboard for us down the stretch and created a little momentum.”
The Tigers (8-4) hope to continue that momentum when they play Kentucky (7-5) in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 29.