Coach Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers, fresh off of a huge recruiting win, welcomed James Franklin's Virginia Tech Hokies to Clemson, South Carolina for a Week 8 tilt that the Hokies led, 10-3, at halftime. The Tigers have become an afterthought in the ACC title race but got a compliment from Miami coach Mario Cristobal recently as they headed into gridiron battle against the Hokies.

The Tigers' struggles out of the gates caused Swinney to take accountability.

“It's all coaching…That's 100% coaching…Pitiful…That ain't the players, that's us,” Swinney said in an emotional halftime interview on ESPN.

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Clemson rallied and took 16-10 lead into the fourth quarter, suggesting that Swinney and his staff may have gotten things right in the film room and in the locker room in support of their team.