What Emmitt Smith said about Clemson's playoff chances, ACC lawsuits, attending first Tigers game
CLEMSON — NFL and college football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith knows Clemson's 34-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia stung.
The blowout defeat caused the Tigers (0-1) to fall from No. 14 to No. 22 in the coaches poll and No. 25 in the AP poll. They look to rebound against Appalachian State (1-0) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ACC Network) at Memorial Stadium.
Despite the poor Week 1 showing, the former Florida Gator and Dallas Cowboy is optimistic coach Dabo Swinney's team can turn its fortunes around to become a College Football Playoff contender.
"The good thing about having an early loss (is) as you start to gain momentum, and your team comes together, you get some wins on your belt (and) you get on the run, you never know how the end of the season may end," Smith told The Greenville News. "They started off with the best, the No. 1 team in the nation. … Now, it's about not having a mental let down (Saturday) and allowing Appalachian State to come in and shock you."
The Mountaineers play in the Sun Belt, but they are a pesky team against power schools. They have a 3-5 record in their last eight games against power conference teams with each decided by seven points or loss.
Smith added he doesn't think Clemson should leave the ACC amid dueling lawsuits in different states between the university and conference. The former running back believes the ACC is the best place for the school.
"The SEC is already full, so don't come there," Smith said. "You're better off staying in the ACC than going into the SEC because ain't gonna be many more national championships. … I think being in the ACC, that conference has the ability to offer something that the SEC doesn't offer. I think the ACC, whether you got Duke, you got Stanford now, you got great quality schools in there, I think it offers something different."
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Why Emmitt Smith is attending Clemson football's home opener
Saturday will be Smith's first time attending a football game at Memorial Stadium. He took an official visit to Clemson in 1987 but never saw a game there despite his brother, Emory Smith, playing running back for the Tigers from 1993-96.
Smith is coming to Clemson for his Ready to Rescue initiative, which is focused on breaking down the stigma around opioid emergencies. He will host a tailgate ahead of the Tigers' home opener to inform students and the local community on opioid risks and how to save a life in an opioid emergency with NARCAN nasal spray, an over-the-counter treatment designed to rapidly reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency. Smith will also present game balls to local heroes in honor of Saturday being First Responders Day.
Smith lost teammates to accidental overdose in the 1990s and had loved ones impacted by opioid use. These events inspired him to partner with Emergent BioSolutions last year to raise awareness on the issue.
"It supersedes whether or not I'm a Gator, you're Clemson Tiger, Cowboy fan or Carolina Panther fan," Smith said. "This right here is a neutral ground. This right here impacts everybody. Opioid overdoses don't care who you are or who you cheer for.
"This is something that you can put all your differences aside and focus on the one thing, and the one thing is the person's life that you have a chance to impact."
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: Emmitt Smith: Clemson should stay in ACC, 'SEC is already full'
