Dabo Swinney engaged the media in a Zoom press conference, Sunday, following Clemson’s 34-3 loss to Georgia in Atlanta. Swinney was upbeat despite the lopsided loss, pointing out that the Tigers “matched up well” with the Bulldogs from a physical standpoint, but failed to adhere to fundamentals and missed several opportunities that would have kept them in the ballgame.
Swinney hammered home the point that his team will reap benefits from playing the nation’s top-ranked team in a playoff-like environment. “We matched up well. We didn’t play as smart as I’d like to and we missed some opportunities that you can’t miss …. It’s good for them to see what that looks like because, again, that was a playoff environment against the no. 1 team in the country. We didn’t get it done like we wanted to, but there’s a lot of positives that can come from that.”
One of the areas that Clemson didn’t get it done was in the running game. Running back Phil Mafah managed just 60 yards on 16 carries against Georgia’s stout rush defense. Swinney lamented that his team ran only 52 plays, not allowing for Mafah to get more touches. Swinney pointed out the critical mistakes that halted drives, limiting the chances for quarterback Cade Klubnik to get into a rhythm and involve some of Clemson’s athletic freshmen receivers. Klubnik struggled throughout the game, finishing with just 142 yards through the air.
“But it will make us better. I really, really like our team. I love our team,” Swinney said. “I think we’ve got a great season ahead.”
Clemson will now turn its attention the home opener against Appalachian State. Kickoff between the Tigers and the Mountaineers from Death Valley is set for 8 p.m., Saturday.