Clemson coach Dabo Swinney: ‘Ain’t nobody going to feel sorry for the Tigers’

Shortly after NC State handed his team its fourth loss in ACC play in a 24-17 decision at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney owned the Tigers’ defeat — and its down season.

“It’s all on me,” Swinney said. “There ain’t but one person: it’s all on me. It’s nobody’s responsibility but mine. Team’s making a lot of critical mistakes, it’s my responsibility.”

Clemson had not lost more than two ACC games in a single season since it went 4-4 in conference play in 2010 — Swinney’s third season at the helm of the Tigers. His squads have routinely finished with anywhere from an unblemished league record or one to two losses. 

But when the Tigers visited Raleigh, they left with their fourth loss of the season — and it was their second to the Wolfpack in the two programs’ last three meetings. 

NC State was able to take advantage of two interceptions and it turned both into touchdowns, including graduate linebacker Payton Wilson’s pick-six that pushed the Pack ahead by two scores in the third quarter. That play all but won the game for the Wolfpack, which finished the game with a 7-point advantage on the scoreboard.

“When you score for them, it puts so much pressure on your defense,” Swinney said. “You almost have to play perfect, right? … I hurt for those guys. We don’t have any excuses.”

The Wolfpack needed its defense to help its offense score points, and it did. NC State’s offense was outgained 364-202, including 263-138 through the air, but the Wolfpack had two timely plays from freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion that pushed the red and white past its opposition clad in orange.

Concepcion busted a 50-yard run in the first quarter, which set up his 9-yard touchdown reception on the same drive. He followed that up with a 72-yard touchdown grab, in which he shook a defender on a slant over the middle and had nothing but green grass in front of him. 

Those two plays accounted for more than half of NC State’s total offense in the game. 

“One play on defense shouldn’t cost you the game,” Swinney said. “That was a glaring play, but they had 120 yards on two plays. 200 total yards should be enough to win the game.”

Swinney kept going back to those two plays. His defense had a solid game plan, while it was not perfect, it limited NC State to 0.5 yards per rush when Concepcion’s explosive run was removed. 

He was asked about the defensive game plan postgame, and Swinney would have taken NC State’s offensive numbers every day of the week.

“They had 200 total yards, 3-of-13 on third down, what do you think?” Swinney said. “Would you take that? Would you take any Division I game 3-of-13 on third down, and 200 total yards of offense in today’s football? Would you sign up for that as a defensive coordinator? Me too.”

The Tigers had an opportunity to tie the game as they had the ball with 4:23 to play, but Clemson’s 14-play drive only went 35 yards in just over four minutes. They failed to cross midfield and turned the ball over on downs, as the Pack’s defense clinched the win in the Textile Bowl. 

Of Clemson’s four losses, three have been by one score, and Swinney said the Tigers keep getting in their own way at the end of the contests.

“We’ve had a chance to win every game,” Swinney said, “but we keep finding ways to lose them.”

While the Tigers are not in a comfortable position in the bottom half of the ACC — one of three league teams with four or more conference losses — Swinney is not looking for sympathy.

“There have been some freaky, bizarre things that have happened, but that’s where we are,” Swinney said. “Ain’t nobody going to feel sorry for the Tigers, and I ain’t asking anybody to feel sorry for the Tigers. We just gotta keep moving.”