Dabo Swinney has funny take on Clemson-Wake Forest thriller

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney after the 14-8 win over Georgia Tech in Clemson, S.C., September 18, 2021. Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Saturday’s game between Clemson and Wake Forest was a wild overtime affair that saw the two teams put up a combined 96 points. In a game like that, no wonder it took a few years off Dabo Swinney’s life.

Swinney joked after the Tigers’ 51-45 overtime victory that he’d aged ten years during the game, going from 52 to 62.

Swinney probably is not alone in feeling that way. Clemson jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, only to surrender 28 points in the second and third quarters to trail 35-28. The Tigers needed a 52-yard field goal to tie the game at 38 with four minutes left, then won in the second overtime.

In other words, the game was stressful enough if you were at all invested in it. On top of that, Swinney had to navigate his ridiculously huge play sheet, so that probably didn’t help matters either.