In a press conference brimming with emotion and renewed confidence, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney declared his team is finally "playing like the team that I know that they can be" after a second-straight dominant road victory Saturday night. But it was his explanation for breaking a long-standing team tradition and a crucial update on his starting quarterback that stole the show.
The Tigers, who have struggled to find consistency this season, looked crisp and explosive, rattling off six consecutive scoring drives at one point. For Swinney, the back-to-back wins represent a vital turning point.
“We just… now we got a little momentum,” Swinney said. “It's what we really want to do... try to create some momentum. Back-to-back games, they've really played well, so it's really good to see that.”
Klubnik Shines, Then Scares
The offensive surge was once again piloted by quarterback Cade Klubnik, who continued his torrid play before leaving the game with an ankle injury. Swinney raved about his signal-caller's performance, which saw him go 22−30 for 280 yards and a passing touchdown.
“Back-to-back, just amazing games. I mean, he's just played awesome these last two games, and I'm really proud of him,” Swinney stated. “He was precise, he made some big plays.”
Klubnik "got rolled… rolled his ankle up," according to Swinney, and though he was ready to return, the coaching staff opted to hold him out. The news, however, was optimistic for the Tigers' faithful ahead of a huge matchup with SMU. When asked if he expects Klubnik to play next week, Swinney was unequivocal.
"Yeah, absolutely," he confirmed. "Like I said, he was trying to play tonight, come back in there... I don't see anything at this point that he wouldn't."
More Than Just a Game
For Swinney, the victory carried a deeper, personal significance. He revealed the decision to wear the program's iconic all-orange uniforms—pants typically reserved for championship or trophy games—was a deliberate nod to the past and a message to his current squad.
"This is a special place to me," Swinney began, recalling his first win as an interim head coach at this same location 17 years ago. "That team that came up here... 3 and 4 with a fired staff... that team made a decision to try to finish, and had the will to fight, even though there wasn't lots to play for."
With his own team having dug itself "in a hole" this season, Swinney decided to manufacture a trophy game of his own to honor that 2008 squad and inject some life into his players.
“I don't know how many championships we're gonna get this year,” Swinney admitted candidly. “We said, you know what, let's bring them out... I was just having some fun and just bringing a little bit more juice to it.”
Defensive Dominance and Building Blocks
The “juice” was evident on both sides of the ball. The Clemson defense smothered its opponent, allowing just 221 total yards and holding them to a dismal 4 of 16 on third and fourth downs. The front seven was particularly menacing, racking up 5 sacks and 7 TFLs against what Swinney called "the best offensive line we've seen all year."
A forced fumble by Sammy Brown, recovered by T.J. Parker, was singled out by Swinney as a massive turning point.
“They had rhythm,” Swinney said of the opposing offense. “So that was definitely a turning point. Then we go right down and score.”
Now, with a crucial three-game homestand on the horizon, starting with a championship game rematch against a talented SMU team, Swinney believes his team is finally ready to build on its success.
“Every week is a playoff game for us, basically,” he said. “We’ve got a little moment[um], and now we just gotta keep building it... We’ve got to carry the momentum into playing in the Valley.”