Swinney says this Clemson football season is tough to watch, takes all responsibility

The Tigers fell to 4-4 on the season with the loss to NC State.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Oct 28 19:02:47 GMT-04:00 2023

RALEIGH, NC – Clemson's streak of 10-win seasons tumbled to an end, crushed beneath the weight of consecutive losses, and head coach Dabo Swinney said all the mistakes are on him.

Clemson turned it over two more times – leading to 14 NC State points – and the Tigers could not complete a fourth-quarter comeback in losing 24-17 to the Wolfpack Saturday afternoon. Clemson trailed 24-7, scored 10 points to pull within a touchdown and had the ball with a chance to tie late, but the rally fell short as Clemson dropped to 4-4 on the season.

“Obviously, tough loss for us, great win for them. Probably the biggest positive is that our guys never quit. They played their hearts out, showed their character,” Swinney said postgame. “There'd be in a lot of teams that would lay down in a situation like that, and that's the one positive. You saw the character of our team; you saw the heart of our team. These kids never quit. They never quit, and a ton of adversity all the way down to the last play, so I'm proud of that.

“But we're a team that's making too many critical mistakes, and that's just my responsibility, period. It's just really tough to watch. Big penalty on the opening drive. We got a great play. That's been our season in a nutshell. Big play, and we get a hold out in space that we don't need. The play is going to go for a ways. That was a huge missed opportunity. Then we had a couple of series in the first half where we had a couple of plays there that we missed. The pick-6 off a tipped ball.”

Swinney said the tipped ball – which turned into an interception by linebacker Payton Wilson – is just one play in a season of many that have killed momentum.

“Their guy makes the play, gets the ball. Again, it's kind of how our season has been. It's not just a tip ball, incomplete. It's a tip into the arms of their best player, and it's a touchdown,” Swinney said. “Especially the way we're playing defense, it's just disheartening. Then we held them to 200 yards. They were 3-of-13 on third down but 120 yards on two plays. The big play, 50-yard run, a misfit, again, on a gap. We don't have a guy outside and then get the 50-yard run to get one score. And then, on third down, we missed the tackle, and it's a 72-yard touchdown. It's just really painful, man. I don't know what to tell you other than this is a really hurt football team and staff. We pour a lot into trying to be our best. We pour a lot into trying to win. Right now, it's just not going our way. We've had a lot of days that it has, but right now it's not. Again, that's my responsibility. Really, really disappointing and just a hurting football team. It doesn't get any easier.”

Clemson’s streak of 12 consecutive 10-win seasons, the third-longest in FBS history, comes to an end.

“Yeah, man, let's start a new one. There's a reason why there are only three teams in the history of football to do that. I mean, it's hard to win,” Swinney said. “But they end somewhere, right? All streaks come to an end somewhere along the way, and you start a new streak. What a run, man. I mean, what a freaking run. Historic. Nobody wants to hear that right now, but it's historic. What we've been able to do is a program, big picture. Right now, we're in a rough patch, and we'll work our way out of it.

“There'll be a lot of great days ahead. I'm a person of faith, and you're either a person of faith or you're not. You're a person of faith in the good times and the bad times. Something good is going to come from it, something great. I love our guys. I wish I could take it away. I don't understand why some of the things have happened the way they have happened. It's just been bizarre. I mean, really bizarre. That's probably the best word I can say. Just bizarre.”