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Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson proved to be a dramatic affair filled with momentum swings.
Duke looked unstoppable, gaining 199 yards in the first quarter and leading 21-7. But Clemson woke up with three straight touchdowns to take a 28-21 lead. The Tigers appeared to be in control again with six minutes remaining on Duke’s final drive.
The 46-45 loss to the Blue Devils was another low point in what continues to be a disappointing season for Clemson. The Tigers have lost four home games for the first time since 1998.
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks with an official on Nov. 1, 2025 during the NCAA football game against the Duke Blue Devils at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. (Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
With seconds left before halftime, cameras captured Swinney furiously yelling at players along Clemson’s sideline.
After the game, Swinney reflected on some of the devastating losses he had been a part of during his long coaching tenure at Clemson. He then joked about the possibility of being fired after the heartbreaking loss to Duke.
“No,” Swinney said when asked if this was the most frustrating season he’s had since being the head coach at Clemson. “2010, I’d put this one and 10 probably right there… those two. I mean 10, brutally. We lost five games by six points or less, two in overtime.”
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney communicates with a referee during a game against Louisiana State University at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina on August 30, 2025. (Ken Ruinard/USA Today Network South Carolina)
“[I] might get fired today,” Swinney said, recalling feeling uncertain about his job status after a disappointing loss to South Carolina more than a decade ago. “Graham (Neff, Clemson’s athletic director) is sitting in the back there today, so I don’t know. I can’t say I would blame him.”
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Swinney later downplayed concerns about his job, telling FOX Carolina he remains focused on winning.
“We’ve got to win some games. I’m just worried about trying to beat Florida State,” Swinney said.
Duke running back Nate Sheppard had a 3-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds left, and the Blue Devils followed with a two-point conversion from Darian Mensah to wide receiver Shamir Hagans to seal a win at Clemson for the first time since 1980.
“Going extra innings in Death Valley is not really a good plan,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “To win in regulation in a place you haven’t had in 45 years? This is a big step for our program.”
Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz high-fives players Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. (Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Trailing 45-38, Duke started the game-winning drive at their 6-yard line. Mensah led an 11-play drive, converting two fourth downs to set up Sheppard’s scoring drive.
There was no hesitation from Duke’s Diaz, who kept the offense on the court, and Mensah quickly found Hagans for the decisive points.
Clemson hosts Florida State next week.
