Dabo Swinney has seen a lot in his 16 years at Clemson, but the start to this season is testing even him. On Saturday, the Tigers dropped to 1-2 after Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr drilled a 55-yard walk-off field goal to seal a 24-21 stunner.
For Swinney, the frustration was clear — but so was the accountability.
“They Earned It”
First, Swinney credited Georgia Tech for seizing the moment.
“I thought their fans were awesome. It was a great college football game, but they earned it. Georgia Tech earned it, and so congratulations to them,” he said.
Swinney pointed to the critical differences: Clemson’s two turnovers that resulted in three Tech points, and a missed field goal of their own.
“That’s the difference in the game,” he admitted. “We get a huge third down drop that maybe puts the game away right there. And that’s football. Those add up.”
A Familiar Script
For the second time in three weeks, Clemson watched a winnable game slip away in the final moments. Against LSU, it was the offense that couldn’t close. Against Georgia Tech, it was the defense.
“We’ve got two losses that have come down to the last play. The first game, defense kept getting the stop in the fourth quarter and we just didn’t make the play. This game, we couldn’t get the stop we needed. The 90-yard drive was huge. And the 55-yard field goal — give that kid credit.”
Swinney acknowledged he considered calling a timeout before the final kick, but decided against it.
“It was a chaotic situation, and I didn’t want to help them. They executed. That’s the difference in the game.”
Accountability First
While he praised Adam Randall’s hustle and the offense’s resilience to tie the game late, Swinney didn’t hesitate to take ownership.
“It’s my job to find a way to make those couple of plays. That’s my job, and I take responsibility for that. Obviously, incredibly disappointed. This is Clemson, and we’ve got two tough, tough losses to two good teams. But we’ve got to stay together.”
He acknowledged the criticism that comes with high expectations but insisted the Tigers must block out the noise.
“I’ve had enough praise and criticism to last three lifetimes. I’ll be fine. But I hurt for our team and our fans. These are great kids. They care. It’s not the start we wanted, but we’ve got to find a way forward.”
Climbing Uphill
Swinney didn’t sugarcoat Clemson’s position in the ACC race.
“We’ve got no room for error. The wind’s in our face and we’re climbing uphill. But we’re not out. As long as we stay together and keep competing, anything can happen. We’ve just got to find a way to win a game.”
The Bottom Line
In the end, Swinney knows the standard Clemson has set — and how far they’ve fallen short in the season’s opening weeks.
“We’ve won a bunch of close games around here, and right now we’re finding a way not to win them. That falls on me. But there’s no quit in that locker room. We’ll respond. That’s all you can do.”
Clemson fans are used to celebrating Swinney’s “one game at a time” mantra in playoff chases. Now, the Tigers are staring at an uphill climb just to get back into the ACC race.
And their head coach, once again, is embracing the weight of it all.