Clemson Tigers Defense Struggling To Get Stops in Recent Losses

For the majority of the Clemson Tigers’ season, they have struggled to pair up the offense with the defense to play complementary football.

However, Clemson had more total yards, first downs and time of possession against the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday football. It would lose the game by one point.

So, what is the issue? Getting key stops.

Duke head coach Manny Diaz had no problem of rolling the dice on Clemson’s defense, going for it five times and converting all five times. Each conversion on a drive ended up being a touchdown for Duke.

On the opening drive of the game, the Blue Devils went for it twice and converted both times. The first was a 4th-and-3 from the Clemson 46-yard line, where quarterback Darian Mensah hit receiver Cooper Barkate for a first down.

The next fourth-down conversion on that drive came initially from a 4th-and-8. However, defensive end Jahiem Lawson jumped offside and shortened the play by five yards. Not only would Duke convert, but it would score a touchdown a play later.

On the final Duke drive of the game, the same thing happened. Two fourth downs, two conversions.

With a chance to end the game on a 4th-and-1, the Clemson defense allowed Mensah to complete another pass for a first down. Then, later on in the drive, a pass interference call put the Blue Devils in a goal-to-go scenario, which they would later convert.

Every time Clemson has had a chance to get the stop it needs to win games, or even get back into games, its defense has struggled to get off the field. Not only does that extend drives, but it makes the unit tired and more susceptible to giving up big plays.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said that complementary football has been how national championships have been brought to the program. However, it just can’t find that style in 2025.

“We have not been able to, and when we have been at our best around here, that’s how we’ve won so many games,” Swinney said after the game. “You score, you get a stop, next thing you know, you get a field goal, and then it stretches, and then special teams makes a play. That’s complimentary football, it’s how we’ve won so many games, but we just haven’t done that. I wish I could tell you why.”

This happened to the Tigers against SMU as well. When the offense finally got going, the Mustangs kept the Clemson defense on the field.

Down by five points, Clemson allowed SMU to convert three third downs to take important time off the clock, with the final third down ending up being a touchdown to put the game into a two-score game. The Tigers had to hold their opponent to a fourth down, but another pass interference gave the Mustangs a fresh set of downs.

In Clemson’s loss to Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets converted eight of their 15 third-down conversions, which eventually led to a win off a walk-off field goal to begin the downward spiral that the team has taken.

Good teams get the stops when it matters, and Clemson has pushed teams to the brink of danger; it just can’t get that knockout blow.

The Tigers will be back in action next weekend at home against Florida State, where they will look to get those key stops necessary for wins against top opponents.