As bad as it was for Clemson at Notre Dame Stadium over the weekend, it was one loss.
The Tigers dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten with a thud Saturday, trailing Notre Dame 28-0 before eventually losing 35-14 in what was their worst loss since that 21-point Sugar Bowl drubbing delivered by Ohio State two seasons ago. It was Clemson’s worst loss to an unranked team since 2011.
But there’s more football to play.
Clemson still has three regular-season games left starting Saturday against Louisville. Coaches and players have talked this week about not letting last week’s loss beat them twice.
While he hasn’t had to redirect his team often, Dabo Swinney has been as good as any coach at getting his team to quickly turn the page after a setback. Saturday’s loss was just Clemson’s 10th since Swinney led the Tigers to the first national championship of his tenure during the 2016 season. Each time, Clemson has won its next game.
The last time the Tigers lost back-to-back games in the same season? You have to go all the way back to Swinney’s third full season in charge in 2011. The Tigers lost to NC State that November before falling to rival South Carolina the following week.
Both of those games, though, were on the road. Clemson’s date with Louisville on Saturday will play out inside Memorial Stadium, where the Tigers have won 38 straight games dating back to that ‘16 season.
But given the way the teams have been playing of late, this weekend’s game doesn’t figure to be an easy one for Clemson. The Tigers, who needed to rally from 11 down in the fourth quarter to beat Syracuse during its most recent home game, have taken a step back on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. Clemson hasn’t helped itself with a minus-5 turnover differential in the last two games.
Meanwhile, Louisville has won four straight games and five of six after a 1-2 start. The Cardinals have a top-30 defense nationally and are always a threat with dual-threat quarterback Malik Cunningham, who ran for more than 100 yards in Louisville’s six-point loss to Clemson a season ago.
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
