Turnover-filled Clemson loss to Duke ‘almost indescribable,’ Dabo Swinney says

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The No. 9 Clemson Tigers entered the 2023 college football season with its worst preseason ranking since 2015. 

The Tigers may be out of the rankings after a brutal Week 1 performance. 

Nate Wiggins, #2 of the Clemson Tigers, attempts to tackle Riley Leonard, #13 of the Duke Blue Devils, as he runs the ball during a football game at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Sept. 4, 2023. (David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Duke Blue Devils upset Clemson 28-7 Monday night, beating its first top-10 team since 1989, in a turnover-filled mess for the Tigers. 

DUKE'S RILEY LEONARD PLEADS FOR EXTENSION ON HOMEWORK AFTER UPSET WIN OVER CLEMSON

Dabo Swinney brought in Garrett Riley to run the offense after he was named the Broyles Award winner, given to the top assistant in college football, in 2022. Cade Klubnik, a former five-star recruit, officially took over the reins at quarterback after the Tigers struggled at the position in 2022 with DJ Uiagalelei. 

The changes were supposed to put Clemson back on track after missing out on the College Football Playoff the past two seasons. 

Instead, the Tigers turned the ball over twice inside the Blue Devils 10-yard line in the second half and missed two field goals for Clemson’s worst ACC loss since 2014. 

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

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham,