CLEMSON — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney is optimistic the Tigers can end the 2025 regular season strong after beating Florida State 24-10 on Nov. 8 at Memorial Stadium.
“If we can find a way to bottle that up, we can have a great finish.” Swinney said Nov. 8.
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Clemson (4-5, 3-4 ACC) played complementary football with the Tigers scoring 18 unanswered points to start the game and committing no turnovers. Clemson’s defense chipped in to force two turnovers and hold FSU (4-5, 1-5) to a season-low 10 points.
Clemson won its first home game against Power Four opponent since Oct. 19, 2024, snapping a six-game streak. The Tigers also avoided their third straight loss, which hasn’t happened since 2010, to keep their bowl-game hopes alive.
Clemson will need to win two of its final three games to be bowl eligible unless there aren’t enough 6-6 teams to fill every bowl slot, which could give a 5-7 Clemson a shot based on its academic progress rate.
Swinney said he is proud of how his team responded after losing a heartbreaker to Duke 46-45 in Week 10.
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“It’s hard to get out of bed when you have a game like that,” Swinney said. “You can’t even really describe the feeling. But as I told them, I’d rather know that feeling of heartbreak and anguish than to never be in this arena.”
What Dabo Swinney discussed with Nick Saban
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban said he spoke with Swinney leading up to the FSU game. Despite being former rivals who faced each other in the national championship twice, Swinney said they had a conversation where Saban wished him well despite Clemson’s rough start.
MORE: How Dabo Swinney reacted to son Clay scoring on Clemson trick play vs FSU for 2-point conversion
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“‘Listen, if you coached long enough, and you coached long enough, sooner and later, you’ll have a season like this,'” Swinney recalled of his conversation with Saban. “‘There’s opportunity in every situation, and I know you’ll take advantage of this opportunity.'”
Saban said on ESPN’s “College GameDay” he doesn’t think Swinney will leave Clemson despite the Tigers’ struggles this season.
“It would surprise me,” Saban said on Nov. 8. “In my conversation with him, he never mentioned that. He was totally focused on what his teams needs to do to have success.”
What Dabo Swinney said about Cade Klubnik injury
Swinney said Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik didn’t practice much leading into the FSU game after having a quad contusion that he suffered against Duke. Klubnik appeared to roll his ankle in the fourth quarter vs. Florida State, too.
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Still, Klubnik said his ankle will be “good” for Clemson’s next game against Louisville (7-2, 4-2) on Nov. 15 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Swinney expects the same.
“He’s just unbelievably committed,” Swinney said. “He’s tough as they come, and the kids cares so much.”
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney on Nick Saban, Cade Klubnik injury after Clemson beat FSU
