What Dabo Swinney said about Tigers response vs Syracuse 'especially when you're Clemson'
In what was a watershed moment in Clemson’s 2023 football season, the Tigers showed that Syracuse was all wet.
Clemson beat the previously undefeated Orange in all phases Saturday afternoon, holding them to 30 points below their scoring average and 222 yards below their total offense average.
What remains to be seen is whether the Tigers’ 31-14 victory was an indicator they are considerably better than what some observers had concluded after the team’s 2-2 start, or if Syracuse’s 4-0 start was simply the product of opening the season against four teams with a combined 4-12 record.
But given the Tigers’ recent history head-to-head, what with four of the past six games between the two decided by six points or less, they take nothing for granted when playing the Orange — particularly on the road.
Regardless of how good Clemson is and how “not good” the Orange might be, they have developed quite the knack for giving the Tigers fits.
Bottom line: The victory was crucial for Clemson as it sets the tone for the remainder of the season. A win gives the team a jolt of confidence after last week’s gut-busting overtime loss to Florida State; a loss could have resulted in a downward spiral that would have been difficult to reverse.
This Clemson team has proven that not many victories are going to be achieved easily, particularly as the rest of the ACC schedule includes games against teams that entered Saturday with a combined 16-5 record.
Game 6 will be Oct. 7 at home against Wake Forest.
“We’ll rest, get home and try to find a way to win another game and get some momentum going,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s a long season.
“What I think this win says more than anything is when you come off not just losing, but how we lost a couple games and the disappointment that comes with that, especially when you’re Clemson and the amount of criticism and noise that these kids have to deal with, I’m proud of how they responded.”
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The Tigers have an open date after Wake Forest, but it’s after the midseason break when things truly get interesting. Clemson has back-to-back road games against Miami and NC State, then plays host to Notre Dame as the Tigers continue to recover following the early season setbacks.
The way they played against Syracuse will have to be replicated if they are to experience a complete reversal of fortune, extend their school-record streak of consecutive seasons with 10 or more victories, and enhance their bowl prospects.
The postseason might not be what Clemson fans are accustomed to, but after an 0-2 start in the ACC, one can’t be too picky about bowl destinations.
If the Tigers can piece together a 6-2 league finish and nonconference wins against Notre Dame and South Carolina, that would undoubtedly assuage much of the angst being felt by those who wave the orange banners.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney on Clemson football response vs Syracuse
