Paul Finebaum buries Clemson football following loss to N.C. State

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum did not hold back his criticism of Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers, who lost in astonishing, 27-21, overtime fashion to the N.C. State Wolfpack on Saturday.

With the loss, Clemson picked up its second loss in just four games, and it fell to No. 25 in the AP top-25 poll. With the demotion in the polls, Clemson’s 97-week streak in the top ten of AP top-25 — which was tied with Alabama for the longest current run in college football and the second-longest in the history of the AP poll (behind just Miami’s 137 in the 1980s) — was snapped.

“You have to start with Clemson,” Finebaum said, when discussing the Week 4 upsets. “They have shared the spotlight with Alabama really since 2015, being in the playoffs every year and contending. It’s over now, and goodbye. It was a hard landing, it was a crash landing and it was a predictable landing.”

N.C. State forced Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei into a fourth-down incompletion to clinch the overtime win, and Uiagalelei’s inability to pull Clemson back into the game was consistent with his play all night. Uiagalelei managed to complete just 12 of his 27 passing attempts, throwing for 111 yards in the air, two passing touchdowns and one interception, finishing with a quarterback rating below 50.

“Really, since the Georgia game a month ago, we’ve been talking about [Clemson’s] issues, especially on the offensive line, D.J. [Uiagalelei] being shaky and not being Trevor Lawrence and they kept willing their way through,” Finebaum said. “You knew this was a trap game, but you kept thinking to yourself, ‘N.C. State — didn’t they just lose to Mississippi State, which has lost to pretty much everyone now?’ I mean, what an epic game.”

Clemson’s rushing attack was no more effective than Uiagalelei under center, as Uiagalelei happened to also be the leading rusher with nine carries for 63 rushing yards. Freshman Will Shipley, who had 11 carries, only turned it into a meager 36 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

“They have come so close, so many times. Four or five years ago they had the game won until the final four or five seconds,” Finebaum said. “I think the real question that has to be asked now is where does this Clemson program go? And I’m not suggesting the dynasty of the last six years is over. But if you’re a 17-year-old making a commitment, and you’ve got all the usual suspects, that program just doesn’t look the same today.”

Clemson’s defense struggled, too, as N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary was able to throw for 237 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, while completing 32 of 44 passing attempts. The Wolfpack ran for 148 yards in addition to their successful day in the air.