Clemson's Dabo Swinney Identifies Critical Area Tigers Must Improve

While the Clemson Tigers enter Week 7 with a wide range of emotions regarding the program and this season’s underwhelming performance, there is an interesting aspect of their struggles that isn’t necessarily discussed as much on the defensive side of the football.

Clemson has forced just five turnovers in 2025 as a whole, with two of those coming in its season opener against LSU and three more versus Troy at home the following week. In the last three outings against Georgia Tech, Syracuse, and North Carolina, the Tigers have failed to force a single turnover.

Head coach Dabo Swinney elaborated on the issue earlier this week in a press conference, making an interesting analogy used by defensive coordinator Tom Allen and highlighting particular areas that need improvement in order to reverse this trend in the Tigers’ favor.

“Some of it is just finishing the plays that are there. You know, shots on goal, as Tom [Allen] likes to call it – like we had a nice sack. If we attack the ball, we might have a sack score in the last name,” Swinney said.

“So, it’s shots on goal. When we’re playing some zone stuff, it’s being a little better with our eyes. It’s having a little better, not guessing, but anticipation that comes from your preparation and your film study. It’s relentless second[-level] getting to the ball carrier and punching and stripping – it’s all of those things.”

Swinney also ensured to focus on potential opportunities to force an interception, and with future NFL talents Peter Woods and T.J. Parker headlining the defensive line, there is certainly reason for optimism.

“It’s getting your hands up, you know, that’s something I think we have to do a little bit better job [of]. It’s getting your hands up when the ball is coming out quickly and you can’t get there, so you get your hands up and maybe you get a tip,” Swinney said. “Tips are picks.”

“And then, we’ve got to finish some of the plays we’ve had, you know, an opportunity to finish on. So, it’s everything, and you know, we practice it every single week. We’re relentless about it. We started off really good, and then we’ve hit a little dry spell, so hopefully that will change this week.”

Forcing turnovers is a crucial part of a game, and winning the turnover battle is an essential key to success week in and week out. An interception or recovered fumble can help significantly in certain situations to set the offense up in good field position, thus increasing the likelihood that Cade Klubnik and company will punch it in for six.

Additionally, Clemson currently ranks 13th in the ACC in time of possession with slightly under 28 minutes per game. Cutting opponents’ drives short can help the Tigers maintain control of the game, and can undoubtedly provide much-needed momentum swings – especially on the road in hostile environments.

In most cases, teams that win the turnover battle typically emerge victorious. Clemson is easily towards the bottom of the ACC in forced turnovers, while foes like SMU and Duke lead the conference with 12.

If the Tigers can play intentionally and, like Swinney said, anticipate potential opportunities to flip the field, giving the offense a short field to work with, Clemson will ultimately find more success on both sides of the ball.