It seems like everyone except Clemson realizes how deep this slump has gone. What was once one of college football’s most consistent powerhouses now feels stuck in reverse. Saturday’s 35–24 defeat to SMU marked the Tigers’ third home loss of the year and their fifth straight against a Power Four opponent, their longest such skid since 1970-71. After three conference losses, there’s no chance left for the Clemson Tigers to make a playoff appearance this season. Despite messing up this badly, Dabo Swinney isn’t losing his calm.

The head coach stands firm in his belief that this tough stretch is simply another chapter in the rebuilding process. He already has a plan ready for his team, as he laid it out in the post-game presser: “Let’s go back to work. And you know, this is tough at this point, but the year. So that’s all I could say.  A lot of credibility around here. There have been a lot of great years, but this is a tough one. Try to fight our way and finish this thing the very best that we can, and then we’ll start over, just like we do every year. You know, that’s what we do every year. We have a great year. We have a tough year; we start over and then go back to work.”

The truth, though, is harder to ignore. Their most recent home wins have been over the likes of Citadel and Troy, which is a sobering reality for a program that once measured itself by championship rings. SMU averaged 6 yards per play against them with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the win. With that, even their offense was no good either.

They again failed to establish balance, rushing for just 35 yards on 30 carries, a figure that’s almost unthinkable for a Swinney-led team. Redshirt sophomore Christopher Vizzina, making his first career start in Cade Klubnik’s absence, threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, but was left carrying much of the load himself. Fifteen of those thirty rushing attempts belonged to him, which goes on to show how little help he got from the round game. Despite racking up 352 yards of offense, Clemson failed to get a first down in a row; that’s when even fans started booing them.

After which, SMU took advantage of the entire situation and went downfield in 10 plays, then kicked a long 51-yard field goal to maintain their lead with 11 minutes left in the second quarter.

T.J. Moore provided one of the few bright spots, finishing with five catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, including a stunning one-handed 62-yard grab in the third quarter that briefly cut the deficit to 16-14. Freshman Tristan Smith also caught his first touchdown in orange, while Antonio Williams added steady yardage across key drives. Defensively, linebacker Sammy Brown led the Tigers with ten tackles, 2.5 for loss, and half a sack, though Clemson still couldn’t generate a single turnover until the fourth quarter. That lone highlight, Ricardo Jones’s interception, was undone, too, when SMU answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive to seal the game.

Now, with the determination to bounce back hard, Swinney makes a bold admission: “I’ve never worked harder, and I’m gonna continue to do everything I can, and we’ll be back. We’ll win more championships. I promise you that this year… That’s all I can say. And I think we have a track record that demonstrates that. But certainly I don’t blame them. I’d be– I’m disappointed too. We’re all disappointed.” If Clemson can’t turn things around soon, the Tigers risk closing ACC play below the .500 mark since 1998.

With that, even Klubnik’s return can add more to it.

Dabo Swinney gives Klubnik’s return timeline

After days of uncertainty on Cade Klubnik’s position in SMU’s game, he didn’t show up. After suffering an ankle injury during their 41-10 win against Boston College, Klubnik’s return timeline was hanging on a thin thread. But Dabo Swinney gave a possible time of his return, and that can be against Duke after the bye week. Now, a full week to rest might add to his recovery. “I hope so,” Swinney said. “He wasn’t able to go today, obviously. With two weeks, I would think he has a much better chance. I would expect that, but I don’t know. We’ll see how this week goes.”

Now, Klubnik’s struggles were clearly visible during the pregame workout, where he was limping while throwing a few passes, which shows that he’s not ready to make a return. But despite that, his determination to return was uncanny. As Swinney praises him for his constant grit, “Cade tried. I’ve never had a guy try as hard as him to play. He truly did everything he could to give himself a chance. That kid was in the building until midnight. He was trying to prepare around the clock, doing everything he could.”

Despite his absence, he didn’t stop helping Dabo Swinney’s troops and stood tall with backup QB Christopher Vizzina, who started against SMU. This guy showed flashes of excellence, completing 29 of 42 passes for 317 yards with three TDs. Even after fumbling twice, he didn’t lose his composure, and that’s all because of Kulbnik’s support. “He’s been there all week,” Vizzina said. “I really appreciate him—just the teammate he is and the person he is. I know he hates not to be out there, but his leadership showed even though he wasn’t out there. Anything I needed all week, he was there for me. I think that just shows the relationship we have.”

Now, let’s wait and see when Klubnik makes his much-awaited return because Clemson needs him back real soon.