Clemson contained by Miami, but Tigers are 'getting tougher' - ESPN

CLEMSON, S.C. — Miami handed Clemson its second-worst home loss under Dabo Swinney, beating the Tigers 41-13 on Saturday night. Afterward, Swinney said he felt confident his team could still compete for an ACC title despite the result, saying «the season ain't over.»

Clemson has gotten blown out in its only two games against Top 25 opponents this season — the opener against LSU and against Miami. The home loss Saturday was its worst since 2013, when Clemson lost 51-14 to eventual national champion Florida State.

Swinney said the final score against the Hurricanes was not indicative of how his players competed. Instead, he lamented multiple missed opportunities in the red zone that could have made the game more competitive.

Late in the second quarter, Clemson had a third-and-1 from the Miami 2-yard line but got a false start penalty and had to settle for a field goal. Then in the third quarter, down 17-6, Clemson went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Miami 18-yard line. Miami stuffed the direct snap to running back Gideon Davidson. The Hurricanes then scored on a 14-play drive that lasted 7:58 to essentially put the game out of reach.

«These guys are gaining experience. They're getting smarter,» Swinney said of his team. «They're getting tougher. They're learning. We've got a lot of young guys that are growing up right before our eyes.

»[Miami is] a team that I think could win it all. We're a work in progress, but the season ain't over. We've got a long way to go. It's a season. This one stinks. We played a really good team and they were better than us today, but we've got to see if we can get better next time we play, next time we play, next time we play and then at the end of the season we'll hopefully be a football team