Dabo Swinney Admits He Got 'Out-Coached' During Saturday's Loss

11/04/2024 05:38 PM

Dabo Swinney took the blame for Clemson's 33-21 loss to Louisville on Saturday.

Clemson fell short at home for its first ACC loss of the 2024 season despite converting five of six fourth downs and gaining 84 more total yards than its opponent. The Tigers cratered from No. 11 to 19 in the AP poll after the Cardinals snapped their six-game winning streak.

In his post-game press conference, Swinney called the Week 10 game a "huge missed opportunity" and said he was "incredibly disappointed" in the outcome. He tipped his tap to Louisville and faulted his coaching performance.

"We didn't deserve to win. They absolutely deserved to win, and we did not, so you got to give them all the credit," Swinney said. "We looked like a very poorly coached team tonight, and that's on me."

Later in his media availability, a reporter asked if Swinney thought his team lost momentum following a bye week. He wouldn't blame the defeat on Clemson's downtime.

"There's no excuses. None. They ain't got nothing to do with it," Swinney answered. "Just flat out got my butt out-coached tonight."

While the choices didn't swing the result, Swinney made some curious decisions on Saturday.

Trialing 26-7 early in the fourth quarter, Swinney sent out his field goal unit rather than attempt a 4th-and-6 at the seven. Nolan Hauser got blocked for the second time.

After Phil Mafah scored a touchdown with six minutes remaining, Swinney opted for an extra point. Clemson thus narrowed the deficit to 26-14, missing an opportunity to convert a two and give the Tigers a chance to tie with a touchdown (and successful two-point try) and field goal rather than needing two touchdowns to win.

The coach said he "triple-checked" his charts, which advised him to attempt an extra point.

Swinney ultimately felt the loss boiled down to Louisville gaining 210 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Right after he decided to forgo the two-point attempt, Isaac Brown put the game to bed with a 45-yard touchdown run for the Tigers.

"You don't deserve to win when you can't stop the run. It's that simple," Swinney said. "It's what we always hung our hat on, and we couldn't stop the run tonight."

Related: ESPN Announcer Ripped Dabo Swinney For His Decisions On Saturday