Swinney Sets the Stage: Clemson's Quest for Red Zone Redemption

With fall camp just around the corner, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney took to the podium last week to address the media and provide an in-depth preview of the Tigers' 2024 season.

Following a 9-4 campaign that concluded with a 38-35 victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, Clemson enters their season opener against Georgia, riding a five-game winning streak. This impressive finish came after a rocky 4-4 start to the season, a period marked by offensive struggles that Swinney hopes to rectify this year.

“I appreciate the opportunity to kick this thing off in this 2024 season; it's gonna be a lot of fun. As coaches, we love this time of year. We start over in January; that's what we do. It's just the nature of our world, but it all builds to this. Everything builds to getting back on the field, everything,” Swinney said, setting the tone for the upcoming campaign.

Reflecting on the offseason, Swinney emphasized the continuous cycle of preparation that defines college football.

“You're starting over in recruiting and offseason programs, mat drills, a new team, new leadership, new roles, spring practice, summer workouts, meetings, etc. It all builds to right now, and getting back on the field, getting an opportunity to go play games, get a judgment every week, good or bad.”

With administrative meetings set to start on July 30 and the first day on the field scheduled for August 1, Swinney highlighted the importance of these initial steps.

“We'll be starting on the 30th, as far as our admin meetings and report day, and then the first day on the field will be August 1. So, a lot of work to do, excited about it. Lots of opportunities to improve in all areas.”

© Susan Lloyd/Clemson Sports Talk

Cade Klubnik looks to improve in his second season as the starter in Garrett Riley’s offense.

This season, a key focus for the Tigers will be the offense, now in its second year under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Swinney expressed confidence in the progress that can be made with more familiarity and fewer injuries.

“Offensively for us, I think the biggest thing is just year two, making a big jump. With Garrett coming in last year, obviously, we did not have everything at our disposal. We had some injuries and things like that. The biggest thing is just taking a big jump in year two.”

One player Swinney is particularly excited to see develop is junior quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik, an energetic and sometimes erratic playmaker, finished his first season as a starter, going 290-450 passing with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

“Certainly for Cade, coming off of first year as a starter, seeing him take that next step. That's really what you wanna see,” Swinney noted. 

Swinney also took time to focus on the importance of new offensive line coach Matt Luke’s group, as their protection of Klubnik will be vital in the opener—and throughout the season.

“Figuring out who our best five and best ten are on that offensive line. I think we've got really good experience there for the first time in a while.”

In addition, Swinney touched on the depth and health of the wide receiver group, a critical component for offensive success, and recognized the need for a more potent passing attack.

“We’ve got ten guys on scholarship at receiver, and they're actually all healthy. So we're in a good place there. Hopefully, through that competition, we'll be able to create the type of playmaking and big plays that we wanna have at that position.”

Another area of emphasis for the Tigers will be reducing negative plays and improving red zone efficiency. Swinney pointed to running back Phil Mafah as a cornerstone for the ground game.

“Mafah is gonna set the tone for us. I'm excited about the competition behind him," Swinney stated. “The biggest thing for us—offensively—to take the next step is just cutting down on the negative plays. I've said too many turnovers and those types of things.”

Expressing his enthusiasm for the depth at running back, Swinney hinted at an exciting competition behind Mafah.

“Excited about the competition at running back too, I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. We’ve got a very competitive group behind him, and kinda seeing how all that sorts out will be a lot of fun.”

As for overall performance, last season's opener at Duke featured a microcosm of what would haunt the Tigers’ offense in the first eight games of the season—and, in fairness, the entire campaign to a degree—the red zone.

“We gotta improve in the red zone scoring area, and then our pass offense has gotta take a big step forward for us this year,” Swinney recognized. “That was a big area for us of emphasis defensively last year, and we took a big step forward—hopefully, we can do that on the offensive side.”

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