When Dabo Swinney and the Tigers kicked off their 2023 season against the Duke Blue Devils, there are few, if any, who would have predicted this result.
Clemson was the heavy favorite heading into this matchup, and they continually dealt self-inflicted wounds in their 28-7 loss to Duke. There’s no doubt that the Blue Devils played a strong game, but it is as clear as day that the Tigers did themselves no favors with their sloppy tackling and turnovers in the red zone.
It is difficult to find positives from a performance like this as each No.9 Clemson fan likely feels the same deflated feeling. What could have been a great start to another Clemson football season quickly turned into a nightmare. This was the most frustrating game I’ve watched since I started covering Clemson football.
Here are five takeaways from Clemson’s crushing opening week loss to Duke.