CLEMSON, SC - I was in Maryland for my parents’ 50th anniversary, so I
missed my first Clemson game in years and had to watch it on television. What I
watched was both unrecognizable and incomprehensible. Fran Brown and Syracuse
won 10 games last season, but they had no business coming to Death Valley and
pushing the Tigers around, fresh off a last-second loss at Georgia Tech.
Syracuse needed overtime to beat UConn at home and was blown out at Tennessee
in the opener. The Tigers should have been breathing fire after their 1-2 start
and the home crowd behind them, but Cuse went right down the field on the
opening possession for a touchdown. For the second straight weird home game,
the Tigers faced an early deficit followed by an hour and a half lightning
delay. Ever since the disappointing loss to LSU in the opener after leading in
the 4th quarter, it has felt like a surreal nightmare of a season, and we’re
not even out of September. The Tigers are 1-3 for the first time in Dabo’s
career as head coach and the first time for Clemson since 2004. Interestingly,
that was also the last time the Tigers didn’t go to a bowl—not because they
were ineligible but because of the infamous brawl after beating the Gamecocks,
who were not bowl eligible. For the last 10 years, the Tigers were nearly
invincible at home. They had the best home record in the playoff era, beginning
in 2014. However, they have now astoundingly lost 4 of their last 6 games in
Death Valley! Granted, the losses to the Gamecocks and No.3 LSU came down to
the final play, and there were only about 20,000 fans in the stadium after the
lightning delay on Saturday, but there is still no conceivable reason that this
roster should have lost by 13 to Syracuse. And that was with Antonio Williams
back in the lineup!
I’ve been covering Clemson as a credentialed member of the
media since 2015, and for years, I chuckled along with everyone else when Dabo
would say in his press conferences that one of these years, he would have a
losing season and everyone would want him to go. None of us really thought that
would ever happen. To be clear, nobody in his/her right mind would want Dabo to
go anywhere—in my opinion as a Clemson alumnus, he has earned the right to stay
at Clemson as long as he wants, no matter how many losing seasons—but if this
team keeps playing the way they have through the first-third of the schedule,
they may indeed have their first losing season since Dabo went 6-7 in 2010 and
many people wanted him fired. Thank God Terry Don Phillips didn’t fire him
because he won the ACC the very next season—a first for Clemson in 20 years—and
went on to win more games than any program in the country over the next decade
with a couple of national titles, a record 7 playoff appearances and 8 more ACC
titles in 10 years!
This is obviously uncharted territory for Dabo and for me since
I’ve been covering Clemson in the media. However, I was a Clemson undergrad in
the mid to late 90’s, so I can remember when the state of Clemson Football was
truly depressing during the Ken Hattfield and Tommy West years! The difference
now, though, is that I and everyone else, including the national media, thought
that this roster was as good as any in the country and should, if not win it
all, at least win the ACC and make it to the national semifinals. It is just
mind boggling that the entire team has underperformed to the extent that they
have for the first four games of the season, and I don’t know what the problem
or solution is. I do know that it has nothing to do—as some Clemson media
outlets have insinuated—with the fact that Dabo has several former players,
including his sons, on the staff. Nobody was complaining when two former
players—Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott—ran the offense and won two national
championships in three years. All of those former players on the staff were
champions at the highest level and no what it takes to win, so why wouldn’t
Dabo want them on his staff? And certainly if there are any members of the
staff to blame, we should look first at the coordinators, who are both from
outside the program, as well as Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke. The offensive
line returned 4 of 5 starters and was supposed to be one of the best in the
country coming into the season, but they have looked like one of the worst.
It's always a long week after a loss, so the bye week comes
at a terrible time from that standpoint, but perhaps it will allow this team to
start over with a new slate. The ACC, playoff and national championship are all
out the window already, but that doesn't mean Dabo can’t right the ship and put
together a 9-3 regular season and even win 10 games with a bowl. He’s won at
least 10 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons, with the lone exception being 9-4
with a bowl win, so I, for one, am not going to doubt that he can do it. The
talent is there. Regardless of what happens, Dabo will obviously need to
reevaluate what he is doing in the offseason and fall camp because of this
horrendous start despite having most of last year’s playoff team back,
including a Heisman favorite quarterback. In my mind, the only logical
explanation is that it must be related to NIL, money, agents and all of the
distractions that Dabo didn’t have to deal with 5 years ago.
Dabo has always said that whenever something really bad
happens, God turns it into something great down the road, and I have always believed
that with all my being as well. So let’s have a little faith in Dabo, this team
and the Man upstairs before jumping off any ledges. If anyone can turn this thing
around, it’s Dabo, so as disappointing as this season has been, try to have
some perspective and look at the big picture. Dabo and the Tigers have
accomplished more in the last 15 years than any Clemson fan could have ever
dreamed before his arrival. Keep that in mind!
The Tigers’ next game is in Chapel Hill after the bye week,
which is bitterly ironic. It was just a couple of months ago that Rece Davis
had an interview with Dabo and Bill Belichick, and there was enormous
excitement around both programs leading into the season. What a difference 4
games make! The good news is that one of them will get a much-needed win.
I’ll have more in a bit. In the meantime, post-game
interviews, highlights and notes are below!
GAME NOTES
Clemson recorded a season-high 503 yards of offense.
Clemson reached 500 yards of offense for the first time this season, the 58th time since the start of the 2015 season and the 79th time of Dabo Swinney's tenure.
Clemson dropped to 128-3-1 all-time in games in which it has reached 500 yards.
Clemson reached 400 yards in a game for the 100th time since the start of the 2015 season. Clemson became the fourth team in the nation to reach 400 yards in 100 total games in that span, joining Oklahoma (105 prior to Saturday), Ohio State (102) and Alabama (101).
Clemson’s 503 total yards included a season-high 363 passing yards.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 37-of-60 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. His pass attempts and completions were both career highs.
The 60 pass attempts by Klubnik were the third-most in a game in Clemson history, trailing Deshaun Watson’s 70 attempts vs. Pitt in 2016 and Cullen Harper’s 66 attempts vs. Virginia Tech in 2007.
Klubnik’s 363 passing yards were the second-most of his career, trailing his 378 against Appalachian State last September.
With his first 300-yard passing game of the season, Klubnik (eight) tied Charlie Whitehurst (eight from 2002-05) for the fourth-most career 300-yard passing games in Clemson history.
The game was the 13th of Klubnik’s career in which he has thrown three or more touchdown passes.
On his 11th pass of the game, Klubnik (1,188) passed Trevor Lawrence (1,138) for the fourth-most career pass attempts in Clemson history.
During the contest, Klubnik (9,020) passed Woodrow Dantzler (8,798) to enter the Top 5 in Clemson history in career yards of total offense.
Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. recorded two touchdown receptions among his six catches for 79 yards.
The game was the third multi-touchdown game of Wesco’s career, joining his two-touchdown performances against SMU in 2024 and Troy in 2025.
Wesco has now caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Wesco became the first Clemson player to catch a touchdown in three straight games since Beaux Collins' four-game streak to open the 2022 season.
Clemson scored on its first offensive possession on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Wesco.
On the 38-yard touchdown pass to Wesco, Klubnik (77) became the fifth player in Clemson history to be responsible for 75 career touchdowns, joining Tajh Boyd (133), Deshaun Watson (116), Trevor Lawrence (108) and Travis Etienne (78).
Wesco added his second touchdown reception of the game on a nine-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter.
The second touchdown reception was Wesco’s fifth touchdown catch of the season, already matching his single-season career high of five set in 12 games last season.
Wesco’s five touchdown receptions this season are the most by a Clemson player through the first four games of season since DeAndre Hopkins’ five receiving touchdowns through the first four games of the 2012 season.
Wide receiver T.J. Moore led Clemson in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (92), both season highs.
Running back Adam Randall rushed 16 times for 130 yards and added a career-high seven receptions for 44 yards.
Randall also added 53 kickoff return yards for a career-high total of 227 all-purpose yards. He became the first Clemson player to record 200 all-purpose yards since Will Shipley’s 242 yards against Syracuse in 2022.
Randall recorded his second career 100-yard rushing game, joining his 112-yard performance against Troy earlier this season.
Clemson is now 70-6 when having a 100-yard rusher since 2011.
Randall’s 130 rushing yards were the most by a Clemson player since Phil Mafah’s 171 yards against Louisville last November.
Klubnik threw his second touchdown pass of the day on a six-yard pass to Randall.
The touchdown was Randall’s fourth total touchdown of the season but his first via reception.
The receiving touchdown was the third of Randall’s career, including two last season as a wide receiver. It was his first receiving touchdown since Oct. 12 last season at Wake Forest.
Randall’s touchdown capped a 13-play, 92-yard scoring drive. It was Clemson’s longest drive by yardage this season and longest since a 93-yard touchdown drive at Pitt last November. The drive was Clemson’s fourth this season of 13 plays or more.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams returned to action after exiting the first quarter of Clemson’s season opener. He recorded five receptions for 49 yards.
Defensive tackle Peter Woods recorded his first career rushing attempt in the first quarter, converting a fourth-and-1 with a two-yard gain.
Clemson was held without a rushing touchdown, ending a streak of 62 consecutive home games with a rushing touchdown that had been the nation’s longest active streak. Prior to Saturday, the last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown in Death Valley was Troy in 2016.
Clemson recorded three sacks.
Defensive end T.J. Parker recorded his second sack of the season in the second quarter, pushing his career total to 18.5.
Defensive end Jahiem Lawson recorded his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter.
The game included a one-hour-and-36-minute lightning delay, including the four remaining minutes in halftime when the delay was initiated.
Defensive tackle Stephiylan Green recorded his second career sack — his first of the season — in the fourth quarter.
The contest was Clemson’s sixth game at Death Valley on record — and its second of his season — to include a weather delay:
Oct. 12, 1963 vs. Georgia: 20-minute halftime delay
Sept. 4, 1993 vs. UNLV: 17-minute fourth-quarter delay
Sept. 19, 2009 vs. Boston College: 55-minute third-quarter delay and a 48-minute fourth-quarter delay
Sept. 18, 2021 vs. Georgia Tech: One-hour-and-52-minute second-quarter delay (including an observed halftime)
Sept. 6, 2025 vs. Troy: One-hour-and-32-minute first-quarter delay.
Saturday vs. Syracuse: One-hour-and-36-minute halftime delay (including four minutes of halftime).
Clemson is now 38-11 in games following a loss under Dabo Swinney, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale.
Clemson dropped to 10-3 all-time against Syracuse. The win by Syracuse snapped a six-game Clemson winning streak in the series, the longest by either program.
Clemson is now 138-11 when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.
- Captains for the contest were defensive end Will Heldt, offensive lineman Tristan Leigh, safety Tyler Venables and wide receiver Antonio Williams.
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