What Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said about loss to Georgia, shunning transfer portal
ATLANTA — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney took the blame Saturday after the Tigers fell 34-3 to No. 1 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
No. 14 Clemson kept the contest close in the first half, trailing 6-0 at halftime. Georgia flipped the switch in the second half to outscore the Tigers 28-3 and outgain them 287-112. It marked Clemson's second straight season-opening loss and the worst opening loss under Swinney.
"When you get beat like that, that's on the head coach. That's on me," Swinney said. "That's just complete ownership of just an absolute crap second half."
Swinney attributed the loss to penalties in critical moments and missed tackles. He gave Georgia coach Kirby Smart credit for a nice game plan and Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck praise for executing on third-and-long plays.
This game was revealing in the divide between Georgia and Clemson. It started in 2021 when the Bulldogs became a College Football Playoff title contender and the Tigers struggled to make the four-team tournament. That same year, the NCAA allowed players to transfer with immediate eligibility, and student-athletes were permitted to profit on their name, image and likeness (NIL).
Georgia added 11 transfer players in the 2024 recruiting season. Clemson brought in zero and was one of four FBS schools not to add any. Since 2021, the Tigers have added two transfers (both reserve quarterbacks) and lost 43 to the portal. Swinney was asked what his message is to critics who point to Saturday's game and say Clemson should use the transfer portal.
MORE: Three Clemson football, Dabo Swinney overreactions after No. 1 Georgia blows out Tigers
ALUM HOPKINS FRUSTRATED : DeAndre Hopkins says 'something has to change' after Clemson football, Dabo Swinney lose to No. 1 Georgia
"People are going to say whatever they want to say," Swinney said. "... But we do what's best for Clemson year in and year out. When you lose like this, they got every right to say whatever they want to say."
It's hard to say if any transfer would have changed Saturday's outcome. Still, this will be an ongoing storyline for Swinney and the Tigers this season, and pressure could increase if Clemson misses the 12-team CFP.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football's Dabo Swinney on loss to Georgia, transfer portal
