If you doubted that Dabo Swinney’s version of Clemson football was different than the one Tommy Bowden left behind last October, here’s hoping you watched the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s 40-24 win over Florida State.
It was the kind of night that wrecked so many of Bowden’s teams: a night where success and something bigger was there for the taking, but snatched away by crucial mistakes.
Two missed chip-shot field goals. Three missed extra points. A Kyle Parker interception returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Watching the ball go all the way to the goal line, then having a penalty turn it into nothing. Watching a touchdown get called back for a silly penalty — then turn into nothing.
It was a Murphy’s Law kind of night— whatever could go wrong, did.
But Swinney laid down his own law — one of belief. Ever since he officially took over as head coach last December, he has brought one thing into every team meeting: a wooden carving of the word “Believe.”
The message is clear — buy into my system, believe, and you’ll do great things.
It worked to perfection Saturday. Clemson trailed 24-21 entering the fourth quarter and was ripe for collapse.
Right on cue, the Tigers roared to life. Rashard Hall’s interception — and a fluky, dangerous lateral to Kavell Conner that picked up an extra 29 yards — set up Andre Ellington’s go-ahead score, and Clemson never trailed again, scoring the game’s final 19 points.
They picked off FSU quarterback Christian Ponder twice in the quarter, and junior safety DeAndre McDaniel provided the perfect final blow. After intercepting Ponder, he pointed at him, then laid a crushing, legal blow that separated Ponder’s shoulder, knocking him from the game and likely longer.
On a night where Bowden’s teams would have folded, Swinney’s guys stood strong.
“Coach Swinney just kept our heads on,” McDaniel said. “We know what kind of team we’ve got. Everybody believes in one another. Coach asked us before the game, do we believe in each other? We believe in each other. Everyone did their job and came up with a victory.”
Beating a slipping giant like Florida State — for the fifth time in seven years — is nice, but Swinney and Co. have bigger goals. Any combination of two wins and Boston College losses will clinch the Tigers’ first trip the ACC title game, set for Dec. 5 in Tampa, Fla.
If now-No.24 Clemson can get past a pesky N.C. State team and Virginia can somehow upset BC Saturday, it can clinch this weekend.
A rematch with Georgia Tech, which survived a 30-27 thriller in the teams’ first meeting, would wait in Tampa, and you can bet Swinney and Co. would love a second shot at the Yellow Jackets.
It is somewhat remarkable that we’re even discussing this considering an ugly 2-3 start that had plenty of fans ready to jump ship.
But Swinney and his players never were. They believed, and now that’s paying off huge.
Home values 
Orian Rugs, Inc. Groundbreaking
Town Tickets
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 5
JasonL writes:
Truly a bizzare turn of events. I watched the FSU game an by the end of it became convinced that Swinney has laid to waste all that Bowden had left for him (the woe is me play, the vanilla playbook, the lackadasical coaching style).
I've never been more excited for a November Clemson team since 89...
33dtb writes:
Somewhere in Arkansas, TB was rooting for.........................????????????????????????
moonbeam01us#220767 writes:
Wow. I saw a team that was getting their lunch handed to them for three quarters.
The only thing that won the game was the FSU defense got winded...the tiger offense finally wore a defense down.
I could have run through the FSU defense in the fourth quarter.
You wanna gloat over this one? Don't kid yourselves.
Clemson is having a hard time with their speed. If the coaches will build a running game...speed off the snap would not be a problem...keeps the LBs on the back of their heels...wear down some defenses.
AS is...Parker and Spiller are going to get hurt in the back field.
Wishbone 'em coach!
33dtb writes:
<"-If the coaches will build a running game...speed off the snap_">.
That would require an O-Line, which for which you prescribed "match-ups in the secondary" or some sort of "bubble screen derivative". Then you said the O-Line was not the problem.
Are you from Byrnes?
moonbeam01us#220767 writes:
Parkers speed was off until the coaches increased his speed off the snap in the middle of third quarter...Running back spiller never changed...hence his stops in the backfield...good thing that he has decent speed...or else arm tackles, slow starts, and straight leg running are going to nix his pro career.
No need in sugar coating it. Get low, get tough, get to the hole quicker. 2 seconds of increase and the hole will be there...just like coach scott promised.
Coach swanney should know better. Spiller is worth the extra coaching...he has done enough by himself for the clemson fan base. Imagine what a little extra coaching would do?
i would say...that Offensive line looked good. how about you? old man.
That 6-7 tackle is moving people...he has a pro career calling him...if he can loose that inner tube around his waist.
Give 'em heck tigers...make us true fans believe...bring back the wbone! Just one series...just one, Swanney and I'll do your geneaology for free.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.