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Dabo Swinney on Clemson defense in loss to Louisville: 'Burn the tape'

Screen Shot 2024-05-28 at 9.09.17 AMby:Kaiden Smith•11/05/24•

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Clemson got on a roll following their disappointing Week 1 loss to Georgia, rattling off six straight wins as a team that many had penciled in as an ACC title contender and a potential College Football Playoff team. But the Tigers’ hot steak came to a screeching halt on Saturday after losing to Louisville at home 33-21.

Clemon’s defense in particular fell short on Saturday. It was a performance that head coach Dabo Swinney made clear he was not pleased with during his press conference on Tuesday.

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“I thought we got our butts kicked,” Swinney said. “I didn’t think we were physical enough, didn’t play hard enough, you burn the tape. It’s not what we’ve seen, you just burn the tape. That’s not what we’ve seen, our guys have played tough and physical. But I did not think we played anywhere near to the standard.”

Louisville scored 23 unanswered points against Clemson between the second and third quarter of Saturday’s game. It was a stretch that definitely swung the matchup after Clemson allowed 210 yards on the ground against the Cardinals following three straight games of holding opponents under 100 yards rushing.

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“Now there were a few guys that did, you hate to paint with a broad brush,” Swinney added. “But it takes 11 and collectively as a group, that’s a tape they just need to burn and throw away because that was hard to watch.”

Year after year, Clemson has had a top-five defense in the ACC. But if the season ended today, their 24.3 points allowed per game would rank ninth in the league following Saturday’s loss. That would be a significant step back in most major stat categories on the defensive side of the ball compared to last season.

The Tigers being handed their first conference loss of the year takes them out of the driver’s seat in the ACC, with Miami and SMU still undefeated in league play. As they’ll now hope to show defensive improvement and have the ball bounce their way elsewhere across the conference to keep their postseason hopes alive.