Just about everything went wrong for Clemson yesterday as they lost to ACC rival Duke 28-7. But there was a particularly awkward moment between head coach Dabo Swinney and quarterback Cade Klubnik that might have been a sign of things to come.
In the middle of the third quarter, with Clemson trailing 13-7, Klubnik came off the field on fourth down, where Swinney was ready to shake his hand. But in a moment so far you could have easily missed it, Klubnik snubbed Swinney’s hand.
Swinney looked shell-shocked by Klubnik failing to shake his hand, staring in his direction while walking past him. That snub didn’t stop Swinney from keeping Klubnik on the field for the rest of the game – which he easily could have done.
Nevertheless, things didn’t improve and only got worse after that. Clemson did not score again and the end result was a stunning loss to Duke.
Many fans believe that this was a sign that Swinney’s message is no longer getting across and that he could be out of a job by the end of the year.
I missed this last night. Uhhhh uh oh pic.twitter.com/uARnMSkjsB
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 5, 2023
“Introducing your 2024 DC Defenders head coach Dabo Swinney!” one user wrote.
“I will be surprised if he’s not in the transfer portal at the end of the season,” another said of Cade Klubnik.
“These kids don’t give a f- about this man and his pastor platitudes anymore I can promise you that much,” a third said.
Clemson should be able to get back on track with games against Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic over the next few weeks. But if they don’t, things might unravel quickly.