Clemson's Swinney takes blame after 'absolute crap second half' in loss to Georgia (2024)

ATLANTA— Georgia had just rained touchdowns on Clemson in the second half, and Dabo Swinney had to bathe in it.

A deluge of questions about the coach's transfer portal philosophy were not vanishing after a 34-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia. It was a contest where the Tigers were stingy in the first half, brutalized in the second.

Four out of five Bulldog drives in the second half crossed the goal line, including scores from Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys and Miami's Colbie Young.

To the fans who saw a loss this decisive, who witnessed Georgia's downpour of points and believed the sky was falling — because other programs are using the portal and Clemson is not— what would Swinney say?

"We do what's best for Clemson year in and year out," Swinney answered. "When you lose like this, they got every right to say whatever they want to say."

Swinney has long held that his critics are wrong, that the Tigers' fall from the top of college football's mountain has nothing to do with the changing winds of the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era and the transfer market.

He didn't appear moved by another poor result on Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, either.

But he understood the anxieties his team's performance had just created. Even if few expected the Tigers to beat the Bulldogs— because a preseason No. 1 hasn't lost an opener since 1990—the hope was to, at least, be competitive.

They were, for a half, trailing just 6-0 at the break.

Then, Georgia came out of the locker room firing. Clemson failed to notch a touchdown, extending a streak of 31 straight drives without a six-pointer against the Bulldogs, which stretches all the way back to a 2014 loss.

Whether or not the narratives about the portal are true, the brutal nature of Clemson's loss did nothing to quiet criticism. A program that made six straight playoffs has been on the outside looking in for three straight seasons.

And the Tigers just opened their fourth with a "butt-kicking," as Swinney put it.

"When you get beat like that, that's on the head coach. That's on me," Swinney said. "That's just complete ownership of just an absolute crap second half.

"But you got to give Georgia credit. We got to move on. We got to learn from it."

What went wrong

In all four quarters, the Tigers were lagging behind the Bulldogs. At first by a little. But eventually by a lot.

The yardage spread was 160 to 76 at halftime. It was 117 to 16 in the second quarter alone.

The Bulldogs had an ability to create explosive plays with the inches of daylight they were afforded, while the Tigers tried — and failed — to piece together smaller chunks.

In the second half, Clemson snapped.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck led the Bulldogs on back-to-back 75-yard touchdown efforts to open the third quarter. That second-half breakdown shined a light back on the first half, because Clemson's offense missed opportunities to build some semblance of momentum.

Clemson's third drive could have gone deep into Georgia territory, but what would have been an 11-yard throw from Cade Klubnik to Antonio Williams on third-and-9, down to the Bulldog 37, was nullified by an illegal formation.

"I thought we had a pretty good first half in terms of moving the football. Then it would be penalty— penalty when we really can't have it," Klubnik said. "Moving the ball, hit the backside hook outside to Antonio. Penalty."

What ended as a 33-yard drive was the Tigers' longest of the quarter, and it amounted to nearly half of their first-half yardage.

The ground game failed to find traction, amassing just 22 yards on eight carries in the first half. Klubnik and his receivers couldn't string big plays together, completing six straight in one stretch, including gains of 36 and 12 yards.

But the other four went for a combined four yards.

Georgia dominated in the "big play" category, including runs of 10-plus yards and passes of 15-plus. The Bulldogs had 13 such plays.

Clemson had three.

"They can expose you quick," Swinney said. "Missed tackles, a couple of busted assignments. They got us on the wheel route. We didn't fit up the reverse on the jet sweep, get off the block right there.

"Next thing you know bam-bam, it's a couple scores. It's tough. That's a tough thing against a great team."

What went right

There was some stinginess from the Clemson defense in the first half, allowing just 34 yards on 11 carries.

But that was eventually obscured by the Tigers' second-half breakdown, because Georgia racked up 135 yards on 16 rushes in the second half.

"I thought lines of scrimmage, there's going to be a lot of good stuff we're going to see on tape," Swinney said, "but in the second half, just missed tackles."

Klubnik played a mostly clean game, as well. His lone turnover, an interception on a deep throw to Tyler Brown, didn't come until the final quarter. Brown tripped before Georgia safety Malaki Starks swooped in acrobatically.

It wasn't as shaky as Klubnik's opener at Duke last season, but not especially inspired. Klubnik finished 18-of-29 passing for 142 yards.

"There were a lot of bright spots with Cade," Swinney said. "He's also one of those guys I'm really proud of from just comments in the locker room. That's what leaders do. That kid will show up Monday ready to go."

Turning point

That first-quarter drive that stalled was big.

But, just as important, the Tigers nearly answered Beck's first touchdown drive of the second half. Down 13-0, they drove all the way to the Bulldogs' 9. Klubnik tossed a nice ball to Williams in the corner of the end zone.

Williams lost it in the lights.

After a Nolan Hauser chip-shot field goal, Georgia marched right down the field, again, and extended the lead to 20-3. Everything snowballed.

"It was definitely there. That one kind of sucked to not hit," Klubnik said. "Definitely wish we had that one back. Missed opportunity."

Up next

Heading into this matchup, Swinney emphasized it was just one game.

If the Tigers won, they'd still have to play a gritty App State program the next week. If they lost — as they now have — the Mountaineers weren't going to feel sorry for them.

It's a night game in Memorial Stadium, which should make for a good environment in Clemson's home opener. The Tigers badly need a pick-me-up.