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One losing season isn’t changing Dabo Swinney’s belief in where Clemsonfootball is headed.
Speaking Wednesday at the ACC Football Kickoff, the Tigers’ head coach acknowledged the disappointment of last year’s seven-win season but said the focus inside the program has remained on improvement rather than outside criticism. As he enters his 18th season leading Clemson, Swinney said the team isn’t interested in making excuses or worrying about preseason narratives.
“We got everything we need,” Swinney said. “We don’t make any excuses. We’re going to get what we earn this year. That’s what we’re focused on, doing what it takes to earn the results that we want.”
Instead of viewing 2025 as a sign of a declining program, Swinney pointed to another difficult season from Clemson’s past. He compared last year to the 2010 campaign, when the Tigers struggled to a 6-7 record before turning things around the following season with an ACC championship. He believes last year’s team left several wins on the field because of mistakes in key moments.
“We didn’t win the close games. We didn’t finish in the fourth quarter. We didn’t run the ball effectively. We played the worst pass defense in my coaching career,” Swinney said. “That’s my fault, but it’s football stuff. That’s our focus.”
Swinney also pushed back on the idea that one season should erase what Clemson has accomplished over the last decade and a half. He noted the Tigers have continued to win at a high level, including three ACC championships since 2020, while putting together one of the longest streaks of winning seasons in the country.
“We’ve had 15 winning seasons in a row, and I think there’s only four teams out of 138 that can say that,” Swinney said. “It’s not easy to win.”
The longtime coach said outside expectations have never determined Clemson’s success, and they won’t now.
“If it was about what people predicted, I would have been gone a long time ago,” he said. “It’s about what you do.”
Whether Clemson returns to championship contention this fall will ultimately be decided on the field, but Swinney made it clear the Tigers believe they have the pieces in place. Now, he says, it’s simply a matter of proving it over the course of the season.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney says ‘we have everything we need’ at ACC Kickoff
Continue reading...
Speaking Wednesday at the ACC Football Kickoff, the Tigers’ head coach acknowledged the disappointment of last year’s seven-win season but said the focus inside the program has remained on improvement rather than outside criticism. As he enters his 18th season leading Clemson, Swinney said the team isn’t interested in making excuses or worrying about preseason narratives.
“We got everything we need,” Swinney said. “We don’t make any excuses. We’re going to get what we earn this year. That’s what we’re focused on, doing what it takes to earn the results that we want.”
Instead of viewing 2025 as a sign of a declining program, Swinney pointed to another difficult season from Clemson’s past. He compared last year to the 2010 campaign, when the Tigers struggled to a 6-7 record before turning things around the following season with an ACC championship. He believes last year’s team left several wins on the field because of mistakes in key moments.
“We didn’t win the close games. We didn’t finish in the fourth quarter. We didn’t run the ball effectively. We played the worst pass defense in my coaching career,” Swinney said. “That’s my fault, but it’s football stuff. That’s our focus.”
Swinney also pushed back on the idea that one season should erase what Clemson has accomplished over the last decade and a half. He noted the Tigers have continued to win at a high level, including three ACC championships since 2020, while putting together one of the longest streaks of winning seasons in the country.
“We’ve had 15 winning seasons in a row, and I think there’s only four teams out of 138 that can say that,” Swinney said. “It’s not easy to win.”
The longtime coach said outside expectations have never determined Clemson’s success, and they won’t now.
“If it was about what people predicted, I would have been gone a long time ago,” he said. “It’s about what you do.”
Whether Clemson returns to championship contention this fall will ultimately be decided on the field, but Swinney made it clear the Tigers believe they have the pieces in place. Now, he says, it’s simply a matter of proving it over the course of the season.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson’s Dabo Swinney says ‘we have everything we need’ at ACC Kickoff
Continue reading...
