Swinney says Clemson's loss to Duke 'almost indescribable' - ESPN

DURHAM, N.C. — Monday was judgement night for Clemson, and coach Dabo Swinney expects the jury will deliver a scathing verdict.

Clemson arrived in Durham ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason poll and was an overwhelming favorite to beat a Duke team that hadn't toppled a top-10 program since 1989.

The Tigers left Durham battered, bludgeoned and utterly baffled after a 28-7 loss that saw Clemson stumble through four drives inside the red zone that ended without points.

«That's the weirdest game I've ever been a part of,» Swinney said. «I've been beat. I've had my butt kicked. But that's the strangest game I've ever been a part of.»

Clemson had 12 more first downs, 48 more yards, and both threw and rushed for 200 yards — a stat, Swinney noted afterward, that had correlated to a 108-0 all-time record for the Tigers before Monday night.

The downfall for Clemson was a woeful red-zone performance that saw two short field goals blocked and two fumbles by the offense following a first-and-goal at the 1.

In all, Clemson turned the ball over three times.

«It's almost indescribable what I just saw,» Swinney said. «It's incredibly frustrating when you had so much opportunity.… It's routine stuff. The basics. The fundamentals. Basic, basic stuff.»

Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 209 yards and rushed for 34 more, but a scramble on fourth-and-7 midway through the fourth quarter ended with a turnover on downs when Klubnik slid short of the marker. A flag was thrown for targeting on the play, but officials still awarded possession to Duke, which Swinney admitted afterward was the correct call.

Swinney said the play would be a learning experience for Klubnik, who was making his second career start for Clemson after the Tigers'