One of the most noticeable changes in Clemson’s 38–10 win over North Carolina wasn’t in the box score — it was on the sideline. After spending the early part of the season coaching from the booth, defensive coordinator Tom Allen moved down to field level on Saturday, a decision that head coach Dabo Swinney said came directly from Allen himself.
“He said, ‘I need to come down to the field and see if I can get this bunch rolling like they need to,’” Swinney said. “It was great — absolutely.”
Swinney added that the move reflected Allen’s instincts and leadership style more than any directive from the staff.
“He prefers to be in the box. That’s one of the first things we talked about early on,” Swinney said. “I just kind of went up to him last week — just to — I’m like, ‘Hey, have you thought about maybe coming down?’ And he was like, ‘I’m coming down.’
I want these guys to be where they think they need to be to be successful. You know, Tony [Elliott] loved being in the box, Brent [Venables] liked being on the field. I mean, I’ve had all the above. Obviously we played our best game — I’m not saying that’s the reason we played our best game — but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The shift paid off immediately. Clemson opened the game with four straight three-and-outs for minus-five yards, finally showing the kind of complementary football Swinney has been searching for all year. The Tigers held UNC to just 53 rushing yards and 10 total points, their most complete defensive effort of the season.
Swinney emphasized that he gives his veteran staff room to make their own adjustments.
“These ain’t rookie coaches,” he said. “I don’t make them do anything. I want them to do what gives them the best chance to be successful. I’m not going to micromanage that.”
Allen’s presence on the field brought a spark to a unit that had struggled to start fast. His black hat was noticible active moving up and down the sidelines supporting his defensive unit.
With an open date behind them and the defensive play caller among his players, Clemson responded with the urgency and energy that had been missing through September.
“We had four straight three-and-outs for minus-five yards,” Swinney said. “They just made their mind up they were tired of it. Hopefully, we’ve got the poison out of them, and they’ve woken up and realized who they are.”
The numbers — and the body language — suggested the move worked. Clemson’s sideline buzzed with energy throughout the first half, and the defense fed off it. If the Tigers have indeed “found their bunch,” as Allen hoped, his seat on the field might become a permanent one.
