CLEMSON — Coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday has no regrets about how the Clemson football roster was put together.
The No. 17 Tigers (6-2, 5-1 ACC) dropped their first conference game on Saturday 33-21 to Louisville at Memorial Stadium. They allowed 210 yards rushing and 7.8 yards per carry, their most this season, as the Cardinals gashed them on the ground.
Multiple Clemson defensive linemen were injured during the game, including Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart and Tré Williams. That forced inexperienced players to play on the line, and Louisville dominated the line of scrimmage to help secure the upset win.
Swinney could have added a transfer portal player in the offseason to boost the line’s depth but declined, trusting the players he recruited and developed.
“We love our roster,” Swinney said Tuesday. “Sometimes you have some injuries and things like that. I don’t have any regrets on how we put our roster together this past year.”
Swinney said the Tigers need to improve against the run and added he and his staff must teach them better. Clemson ranks 59th in FBS in rushing defense, allowing 140 yards per game.
Clemson was one of four teams to not add a transfer this offseason with the other three being service academies. Since 2021, the Tigers have added two transfers (both reserve quarterbacks) and lost 43 to the portal. They have missed the College Football Playoff in the same period.
Clemson won six straight games after the Week 1 loss to No. 2 Georgia to be in position to make the 12-team CFP. However, Clemson’s loss to Louisville has derailed its hopes. It now has a 2.4% chance to win the ACC, which would land it an automatic bid to the playoffs, and a 7.3% chance to make the CFP, according to ESPN.
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The initial College Football Playoff rankings release Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), and the Tigers will know how difficult their path is. Swinney said he will not be watching the show but is optimistic.
“A lot can happen in college football, so I’m not worried about any rankings,” Swinney said. “I haven’t been worried about any rankings. I’m just worried about trying to win the game that we got in front of us and go from there.”
Peter Woods, Shelton Lewis injury updates for Clemson-Virginia Tech
Swinney said Woods is still “day to day” with an undisclosed injury. Woods exited in the second quarter of Saturday’s game but could play against Virginia Tech.
Swinney added wide receiver Tyler Brown, who attended Greenville High School, is still “week to week” but is “getting better” as he recovers from ankle surgery. Brown has only played in four games and could redshirt to preserve a year of eligibility.
Swinney added Capehart and cornerback Shelton Lewis will miss Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech. Swinney said Capehart could be “out for a while,” and Lewis is likely out for the regular season with a toe injury. Swinney says Lewis’ injury is similar to what wide receiver Antonio Williams had last season.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Dabo Swinney on CFP rankings, Peter Woods injury
