Dabo Swinney liked how Clemson matched up with Georgia; talent wasn’t the issue

During Sunday evening’s Zoom conference call, Dabo Swinney addressed the talent gap question following Clemson’s 34-3 loss to Georgia . Despite the lopsided result, Swinney expressed confidence that the Tigers “matched up well” with the top-ranked Bulldogs, highlighting it as a positive takeaway from the tough season opener.

\”The scoreboard doesn’t indicate that,” Swinney acknowledged. “But we’ve been a part of games where we’ve blown somebody out, too. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have the talent. Sometimes it can get away from you, especially in openers.”

Swinney was disappointed that Clemson didn’t seize the opportunity to compete against the nation’s No. 1 team, but he emphasized the experience would ultimately benefit his team. “It’s going to make us better. It’s going to help us develop and grow our team. I’m excited about that,” Swinney said. He stressed the importance of using this game as a teaching tool to address mistakes and details that determine the outcome of high-stakes matchups.

Clemson will look to bounce back in their home opener against Appalachian State at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Swinney remains positive, noting that his team matched up physically with Georgia and that the experience will help them improve moving forward.