Dabo Swinney and Clemson are facing some of their toughest questions yet. Following a 35-24 home loss to SMU that dropped the Tigers to 4-3 on the season, Swinney didn’t shy away from responsibility or from addressing fan frustration. “We’ll be back. We’ll win more championships. We may not this year, but we’ll win more championships,” he said after the game, as shared by Chapel Fowler.
Swinney admitted he understands the anger surrounding the program’s recent struggles. “I’m disappointed, too,” he said. “There’s no quit in me, and I’m confident something good will come out of this.” It was a message of both realism and resilience from a coach who’s long prided himself on building a program with staying power.
He also gave credit to SMU and head coach Rhett Lashlee for how they performed inside Memorial Stadium. “Congratulations to Rhett and SMU. I thought they outplayed us,” Swinney said. “The one positive is I thought our guys competed our b—- off, and I appreciate that.” For a team that’s seen multiple home losses pile up, that competitiveness remains one of the few positives.
When asked what changes might be needed, Swinney kept his focus simple. “We’ve just gotta get back to work,” he said. “All we can do is watch the film, evaluate, and see what personnel changes need to be made going forward.” His words reflected a coach determined to correct mistakes through effort rather than excuses.
Swinney looks ahead as Clemson prepares for Duke
Swinney was particularly candid when discussing the defense, which couldn’t produce a crucial stop late in the game. “At the end of the day, we had four timeouts and it’s a five-point game,” he said. “We just couldn’t get the ball back.” It was a moment that summed up Clemson’s current frustrations—close, but not quite enough.
Addressing the reality of losing five straight home games to power conference opponents dating back to last year, Swinney didn’t sugarcoat it. “Jarring. Yeah, jarring. But it is what it is,” he said. “There’s nothing to do but move on and try to win the next one—you can’t change those results.”
Now, with Duke coming to town next week, the Tigers are at a crossroads. Swinney’s confidence hasn’t wavered despite the setbacks. His message to Clemson Nation was clear: there’s work to do, and there’s still belief that better days lie ahead.
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