Approaching 10th Anniversary of Clemson Making Opponent 'Lugubrious'

Nearly a decade ago, the Clemson Tigers and their fans learned a new word meant for them; yet flipped the script

Clemson picked up a big win while learning a new fancy word | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The meaning of Lugubrious is to look sad and disappointed or dismal. Almost 10 years ago, in 2015, that word was introduced to many who had never even heard of it before.

CBS Sports analyst Aaron Taylor, a Notre Dame alum who won the Lombardi Award and was a unanimous First Team All-America selection at offensive tackle in 1993, stated that the Clemson Tigers would not be prepared for the sixth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Clemson fan base would be left "Lugubrious" afterwards. 

Clemson would prove that wrong, ultimately secure the win. Head coach Dabo Swinney would have the last word, too, firing back at Taylor and the network.

“I don’t know who Aaron Taylor is, but I guess he is an analyst or commentator,” Swinney said. “The comment was we were not going to be ready. Clemson wouldn’t be ready, and our crowd was going to be lugubrious when the game was over. I don’t know how to spell that. I’m hooked on phonics. I sound it out. Lugubrious. But I did look it up, and lugubrious means to look sad and disappointed.

“So I want to wish Notre Dame and their lugubrious crowd safe travels back to South Bend, and we will show up in 2020. We look forward to that trip. So I appreciate the education that we got this week - the vocab lesson. The first thing our players said to me when they came to the locker room was Man, that leprechaun was a little lugubrious looking!”

Fast-forward almost 10 years, and Swinney would again be asked by the CBS Sports Network crew, including Aaron Taylor, if he knew how big a deal that was at the time, and he would say, "I don't, but that was hilarious."

"I loved it and remember it like it was yesterday,” Swinney said, "I literally looked up lugubrious. That never made my spelling bee. So, once I learned it, I kind of filed it away, and so that was fun."

Luckily, Dabo Swinney's infectious and upbeat nature was the main takeaway from the back-and-forth between him and Aaron Taylor. 

Saturday night in primetime against LSU at home will feature a duel between two top Tigers teams. LSU has been speaking confidently about their chances and even reminding others who plays in the true Death Valley. 

Clemson will be looking to show the answer is them while also looking to send another opponent home feeling "lugubrious." Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.