CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is not sure exactly who he will put out there against The Citadel this weekend.
The 17th-ranked Tigers (8-2) have completed Atlantic Coast Conference play, but not without an injury list that goes on for much longer than he’d like.
Swinney said that nine offensive linemen missed practice early in the week and that Tiger fans might see a few names and numbers they don’t recognize Saturday when Clemson faces an in-state, FCS opponent in the Bulldogs (5-6).
“I mean we just have what we have,” Swinney said. “We just have to make it work.”
The Tigers, who are a seven-touchdown favorite over the Southern Conference team, should have more than enough depth to handle the absences. Still, it’s a list of injured players that even shocks long-time coach Swinney.
The offensive line, already missing starters in Tristan Leigh and Marcus Tate, had one of their replacements in Elyjah Thurmon injured on the first play of a 24-20 victory at Pitt last week and is gone for the season.
And the big guys up front aren’t the only place Clemson is hurting late in the season. Swinney said receiver Troy Stelatto will miss the rest of the year because a thumb injury that required surgery. Last year’s top receiver, Troy Brown, who’s missed the past few games, won’t be available before the postseason.
Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, out the past two weeks against Virginia Tech and Pitt, won’t play this week either with an ankle injury.
“We have no excuses,” Swinney said. “We have some walk-on guys that are going to have to come through for us. And then again, we have some guys that are going to have to maybe play out of position and try and get everybody healthy.”
Clemson finishes the season at home on Nov. 30 against surging state rival in No. 19 South Carolina, which has won its last three against ranked teams.
Swinney is one of college football’s ultimate walk-on success stories, earning a scholarship as a senior on Alabama’s national championship squad in 1992. So he’s miffed about the NCAA House settlement proposal that will limit his team to 105 spots. The Tigers have 136 in the program this year, meaning Swinney will have to say goodbye to a lot of people.
“It’s terrible,” Swinney said. “It’s the worst thing in my whole coaching career.”
Bulldogs second-year coach Maurice Drayton won’t ever forget Swinney and his staff’s kindness to his son, Montrel, who came to a coaching clinic at Clemson after he had undergone open heart surgeries. Drayton, then a Coastal Carolina assistant, said the Tigers coaches “just took in Montrel and loved on him. It was one of the best experiences of his life.”
“When I think of coach and what he’s done and his program,” the elder Drayton said, “better not say anything bad around me.”
The Citadel, which went 0-11 in Drayton’s first season a year ago, has won five games already, its most in a season since going 6-6 in 2019. The Bulldogs come into this one after winning three of their past four games, including a 30-17 victory over Wofford last week after falling behind 14-0.
Clemson, as it does, will let its senior players run down Death Valley’s hill alone to honor their accomplishments. This year’s list of seniors includes All-American linebacker Barrett Carter and leading rusher Phil Mafah, who is two yards shy of 1,000 yards this season. Swinney said the group will run down as a group a week later when the Tigers host rival South Carolina.
The Tigers have done all they can to make the league title game. Now, they’ll need help. Clemson will have to hope No. 11 Miami loses one of its final two or No. 13 SMU, who leads the chase with a 6-0 league mark, drops its last two conference games.
Clemson is seeking its eighth ACC championship game trip in the past 10 seasons.
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