Clemson falls 20-16 to Virginia Tech at home, and the pressure on Dabo Swinney grows
Virginia Tech scored the last 10 points to beat Clemson 20-16 at home, dropping the Tigers to 4-3 and fueling criticism of Dabo Swinney.
Clemson led Virginia Tech going into the fourth quarter at home on Saturday night and lost anyway. The Hokies scored the game's final 10 points to win 20-16. The result drops the Tigers to 4-3 and badly damages their chances of reaching the ACC Championship Game. It also sharpened fan criticism of Dabo Swinney, the coach who built the program into a national power.
ClutchPoints reported that Clemson struggled in the first half and couldn't hold its position late. The offense kept giving the ball back, converting only 3 of 14 third downs. Quarterback Tait Reynolds threw for 153 yards. Virginia Tech's Ethan Grunkmeyer threw for about the same total but had two touchdown passes, and that was the difference. Fans online also blamed Clemson penalties in the last two minutes. ClutchPoints ran a separate piece on why Hokies coach James Franklin didn't play for a tie when Virginia Tech trailed 16-13. His team went for the win and got it.
The reaction around the program was harsh. ClutchPoints collected social media posts calling for Swinney's job, including one fan who wrote before the final whistle, "If you lose this at home, it might be over." Swinney has won two national titles and nine ACC championships, and those standards are now being used against him. The outlet noted that the loss came soon after a significant recruiting win for Swinney, which made the timing worse.
For Virginia Tech, the win is a third straight sign that the season is taking shape. The Hokies are 6-2 overall and 3-2 against ACC opponents. They followed a 34-24 home win over Georgia Tech by winning in Clemson. Their two losses, at California and at home to Pittsburgh, came by a combined seven points.
What it means for the next game
Clemson goes to Florida State on Saturday, October 31, in a game on ACC Network. ClutchPoints wrote that the trip now carries little championship meaning. The Tigers are 2-2 in ACC play, with league wins over North Carolina (28-20) and at California (24-10) and losses to Miami and Virginia Tech.
Clemson's record doesn't show how narrow the margins have been. Over seven games the Tigers have scored 150 points and allowed 149. Leave out the 37-0 win over Charleston Southern and the 22-7 win over Georgia Southern, and Clemson has been outscored 142-91 by its five power-conference opponents. The offense has scored 10, 13 and 16 points in its three losses: a 51-10 rout at No. 11 LSU, a 41-13 loss to No. 4 Miami and Saturday's defeat. The offense that went 3 for 14 on third down against Virginia Tech has to do better in Tallahassee if Clemson is going to stop the slide.
Virginia Tech has an extra day to prepare. The Hokies play at No. 23 SMU on Friday, November 6, on ESPN. They've scored 280 points and allowed 164 this season, and they'll go to Dallas with a road win over Clemson that, until recently, few programs in the league could claim.
