Consecutive wins over Florida State and then-No. 20 Louisville have Clemson, the preseason fourth-ranked team, in position to become bowl eligible when the Tigers host FCS opponent Furman on Saturday.
The Tigers (5-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) avoided a losing conference record with a 20-19 win at Louisville last week. They have not endured a losing season in conference play since 1998.
They finish the regular season with a matchup against in-state rival South Carolina after this week’s game.
Because of this season’s struggles relative to expectations, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s Tuesday press conference was mostly about looking ahead to the offseason and transfer portal.
“To me, that never stops,” Swinney said about keeping an eye on the transfer portal and trying to retain players. “That’s always just a part of what we do in college football. That’s spring. That’s summer. That’s fall camp. That’s in-season.
“That’s not just like, ‘OK, this week is the week we sit down.’ That’s always just a part of what you do.”
The Tigers prevailed against Louisville despite going 1-for-13 on third-down conversions and allowing 385 yards to the Cardinals.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has 2,323 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions after throwing for 3,639 yards with 36 touchdowns and six interceptions last season.
His completion percentage has increased, however, from 63.4% in 2024 to 67.6% this season.
He passed for a season-low 187 yards in the win over Louisville while completing 22 of 34 pass attempts without an interception or touchdown.
Furman (6-5) went through a stretch of four losses in five games before beating VMI 32-14 at home last week.
The Paladins will close out the regular season against the in-state Tigers this weekend.
“It certainly will be a monumental challenge,” Furman coach Clay Hendrix said. “We’ll come up with a plan. We’ll show up. Our kids are going to compete. I’m excited to get one last game with our senior class.”
Furman sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden has completed 265 of his 381 passes (69.6%) for 2,788 yards with 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Clemson is the first Power Four opponent for the Paladins this season. They opened the 2024 season with a 76-0 loss at Ole Miss.
–Field Level Media
