
Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers (3-4) came into their Week 10 matchup with the Duke Blue Devils (4-3) looking to secure what would be their third win in the last four games. Fighting to be .500 certainly wasn't what many expected from this Clemson squad, which started the season ranked as the No. 4 team in the country.
To say the Tigers got off to a rocky start on Saturday against Duke would be an understatement, as the Blue Devils poured on 21 first-quarter points thanks to three passing touchdowns from Tulane Green Wave transfer Darian Mensah.
Clemson's offense woke up in the second quarter after being held to just one score in the first, as the Tigers answered with three touchdowns of their own.
However, with the Tigers leading 28-21, the defense let that lead evaporate just seconds before halftime. Mensah hit wide receiver Que'Sean Brown for a 43-yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining.
Although Swinney had to be pleased with his offense's ability to bounce back, he was clearly frustrated with the performance from the other side of the ball, as cameras caught him screaming at the defense on the sidelines.
Dabo Swinney has officially hit a breaking point. Clemson's head coach absolutely loses it on his defense, which has given up 28 first-half points to Duke... at home. pic.twitter.com/TJQTsnIjko
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 1, 2025
The game went down to the wire, with the Blue Devils pulling out a 46-45 victory.
The loss to Duke — Clemson came in with a 37-17-1 record against the Blue Devils all-time — adds more frustration for a Tigers program that was expected to win the ACC and contend for the College Football Playoff National Championship before the season.
It also puts the team at risk of missing a bowl game for the first time under Swinney, who has been the coach for 18 years, and would mark the first time they missed a bowl game since 2004.
While not much has gone right for Clemson, Swinney still very clearly cares about how this season finishes and doesn't want players to mail it in.
The Tigers will host fellow ACC disappointments in the Florida State Seminoles next weekend.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!