HC Dabo Swinney calls out Clemson's gaping flaw against Steve Sarkisian's dominant Texas offense

The number 12 seed Clemson Tigers are up against number 5 ranked Texas Longhorns in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Despite taking the lead early, the Tigers struggled to keep up with the Longhorns offense for most of the game.

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney spoke to ESPN about his team's performance in the first half just before he returned to the locker room at halftime:

"We’ve got to get in there and talk about it. I mean we can’t stop them right now, so we’ve got to find a way.Good job getting a couple turnovers, but we’re just feast or famine on defense. And that ain’t a good thing."

Clemson struggled to stop the Longhorns' run game during the first half. The Tigers allowed 289 yards in the first half, with 148 on the ground. The Longhorns had a 28-10 lead as the teams went in for halftime.

These struggles are nothing new for Clemson. Their defense, which was fairly strong last season, has visibly regressed in 2024. Coming into the game with Texas, their defense has given up 22 points per game and 369 yards a game.

However, there has been one positive element to the Tigers' defense in the game so far. During the first half, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers' pass was intercepted, with the defense returning the ball to the endzone for the Pick Six touchdown.

However, a penalty against the Clemson defense meant that the interception remained, but the TD was removed. In the end, Clemson would get no points from the drive.

Clemson unable to crack the run game

The Tigers have struggled to stop the Longhorns' run game. Despite having two highly skilled quarterbacks in Ewers and Arch Manning, the Longhorns have somewhat relied on the run game in the first half.

This is partly because of the recent struggles Ewers has faced. Due to his ankle injury, his mobility has been limited, forcing him to rely on his passing. Ewers has sometimes struggled with throwing easy interceptions and turning the ball over.

The Longhorns have utilized the run game to combat this, allowing talented players like Jaydon Blue to shine. Blue scored a 38-yard field goal to put the Longhorns into the lead in the first half.