It's Laptop Week For the Tigers and the Wolfpack

Needless to say the Clemson Tigers and the N.C. State Wolfpack are not exchanging Christmas cards after their last couple of games.

CLEMSON — Needless to say the Clemson Tigers and the N.C. State Wolfpack are not exchanging Christmas cards after their last couple of games.

Not only have the games been incredibly close, with each of the two of the last three games being decided by seven points, there has been some gamesmanship — and downright dirty play — on both sides.

Two years ago saw former Wolfpack defensive lineman Bradley Chubb taking towels from players and head coach Dave Doeren accusing the Clemson staff of cheating for their social media department’s use of a laptop on the sideline.

But even with the events of recent years — Swinney and Doeren are friends, but fierce competitors.

"You said coaches alleging laptops, I haven't alleged any laptops," Swinney said with a laugh. “Dave sent me some Adidas towels back and apologized. I'm like these are Adidas, these aren't even our (Nike) towels. So I guess Bradley Chubb still has them hung up in his apartment in Denver somewhere.

"It's an incredibly competitive game for both teams, but we have had some crazy stuff though. Y'all remember (former Clemson offensive lineman) Isaiah Battle punched some guy at the game one year. Oh my god. He lost his mind. And then we had one of their coaches push Deshaun Watson one year. I had to call him and apologize for Isaiah, and he had so call me and apologize for his coach pushing Deshaun."

"Last year, I don't really understand the laptop stuff, I’m not sure — but you know. It's all good. I get along fine with Dave." 

Then last season, the Tigers may have hit the Doeren-led Wolfpack with the ultimate trump card.

The Clemson Tigers dismantled the N.C. State Wolfpack by a final score of 41-7.

In fact, the game got so out of hand that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney allowed his coaching staff to have a little bit of fun at the Wolfpack’s expense in the fourth quarter.

A year removed from Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren accusing the Tigers of having an laptop on their sidelines during the game in Raleigh — which later was cleared by the ACC office because it was for the Tigers’ social media team — a laptop once again was seen on the Tigers’ sideline.

This time on a play-card — a massive poster board held up to signal in the plays to the offense.

“That was the ultimate troll wasn’t it. Isn’t that what y’all call that,” Swinney joked. “That was a troll … I was hoping y’all might notice that. The coaches wanted to have a little fun with that and I said, ‘Well, hey, if you earn it (with your play on the field) put it up there."