Dabo Swinney lives to struggle one other day—after one more lightning delay.
The Clemson coach, t after a disappointing 2025–26 season and blowout season opener towards LSU, seemed to be in dire straits at halftime, surrounded by a refrain of boos with Clemson down 17–6. However he engineered the Tigers’ second straight win of the 12 months, with Clemson beating North Carolina 28–20—and maybe shopping for again a while as Clemson head coach.
“You don’t win many video games like we simply gained,” Swinney stated after the sport. But it surely was sufficient.
The Tigers began off torpid towards Invoice Belichick’s Tar Heels, scoring simply six factors within the first half. Followers booed Swinney off the sector after Swinney opted for a secure area aim on the finish of the quarter somewhat than going for a landing. Then they started pouring out of the stadium, signaling that frustration with their longtime coach was boiling over.
The Tigers made a comeback within the second half, although, and entered a mid-fourth-quarter lightning delay down simply two factors. This was the third lightning delay the Tigers have encountered in as many video games: They skilled a two-hour delay earlier than kickoff on the street at LSU and one other two-hour delay final week at dwelling towards Georgia Southern. However Saturday’s delay was the primary mid-game stoppage.
But once more, for practically two-and-a-half hours, the groups waited for the climate, together with each lightning and n, to go. When the crew resumed mess around 5:25 p.m. native time after a quick warmup, there have been about eight minutes on the clock; after a Tar Heels drive, Clemson had simply over 4 minutes to take again a win.
By the point the Tigers secured a gutsy 28-20 comeback, Dying Valley had principally emptied out due to the mixture of lightning and frustration—a incontrovertible fact that Swinney alluded to in his on-field interview. However the lack of followers didn’t matter—the Tigers celebrated on the rain-soaked area.
Now, Swinney might not be in as dire straits as beforehand thought. The coach has been criticized for being sluggish to embrace faculty soccer’s latest phenomenon of “unrestricted free company,” created by way of the limitless switch portal and revenue-sharing/NIL offers, which have helped propel a number of applications to success. But when the Tigers wish to transfer on from Swinney, they’d must cough up a $57 million buyout—with no offset.
However no less than for now, he’ll enter Week 4 with two wins beneath his belt—lightning be damned.
UNC’s Invoice Belichick, in the meantime, faces issues of his personal. Regardless of a greater on-field displaying than final 12 months (UNC got here into the sport 2–0), the Tar Heels have had a tumultuous month after GM Michael Lombardi was positioned on administrative go away pending a personnel investigation. Earlier this week, after d, UNCs of an investigation into the soccer program that led to the resignation of defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Invoice’s son.
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