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CLEMSON — Coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday has no regrets about how the Clemson football roster was put together.
The No. 17 Tigers (6-2, 5-1 ACC) dropped their first conference game on Saturday 33-21 to Louisville at Memorial Stadium. They allowed 210 yards rushing and 7.8 yards per carry, their most this season, as the Cardinals gashed them on the ground.
Multiple Clemson defensive linemen were injured during the game, including Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart and Tré Williams. That forced inexperienced players to play on the line, and Louisville dominated the line of scrimmage to help secure the upset win.
Swinney could have added a transfer portal player in the offseason to boost the line’s depth but declined, trusting the players he recruited and developed.
“We love our roster,” Swinney said Tuesday. “Sometimes you have some injuries and things like that. I don’t have any regrets on how we put our roster together this past year.”
Swinney said the Tigers need to improve against the run and added he and his staff must teach them better. Clemson ranks 59th in FBS in rushing defense, allowing 140 yards per game.
Clemson was one of four teams to not add a transfer this offseason with the other three being service academies. Since 2021, the Tigers have added two transfers (both reserve quarterbacks) and lost 43 to the portal. They have missed the College Football Playoff in the same period.
Clemson won six straight games after the Week 1 loss to No. 2 Georgia to be in position to make the 12-team CFP. However, Clemson’s loss to Louisville has derailed its hopes. It now has a 2.4% chance to win the ACC, which would land it an automatic bid to the playoffs, and a 7.3% chance to make the CFP, according to ESPN.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/dabo-swinney-said-clemson-roster-183152208.html
Author : Greenville News
Publish date : 2024-11-05 18:31:52
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