Why Dabo Swinney was livid after Clemson football win at Florida State

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was disgusted by something he saw in the Tigers' 36-24 win over the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday. What angered Swinney wasn't anything that happened after the game kicked off. Prior to the game, a plane carrying a banner over the stadi

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What is the story about?

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was disgusted by something he saw in the Tigers' 36-24 win over the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday.

What angered Swinney wasn't anything that happened after the game kicked off.

Prior to the game, a plane carrying a banner over the stadium called for FSU coach Mike Norvell's firing

, along with that of Florida State Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins.

It was equal parts a new level of frustration for a Seminoles fan base that has grown tired of losing -- and a new low. The banner misspelled Norvell's name.

After the game, Swinney blasted the person or persons responsible for the banner and called it "embarrassing," among other adjectives.

"That was embarrassing what I saw above

the stadium," an unprompted Swinney said near the end of his postgame press conference with reporters. "It was embarrassing."

Swinney added:

"Florida State's better than that. That's not good for these kids. Listen, hey, I get it, man. You know, everybody's got contracts and all this type of stuff, but man, that bothered me. And they didn't even spell his name right. Didn't even have the freaking 'R' in the name."

Oct 31, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; A banner referencing Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell and the chair of the board of trustees Peter Collins flies above the stadium ahead of the matchup against the Clemson Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Swinney called it disrespectful and said repeatedly that Norvell is a good person.

"It's just disrespectful. Mike Norvell's a good man. You ain't gotta like him as a football coach. You ain't gotta like me as a football coach. That's a good man right there. That's a good man, and he's a hell of a football coach."

Norvell's recent record on the field says otherwise. Since starting 13-0 in 2023 and being left out of the final four-team College Football Playoff in favor of one-loss Alabama, the Seminoles have followed it up with two straight losing seasons.

FSU fell to 3-5 after Saturday's loss to Clemson and will need to win three of its remaining four games to automatically qualify for a bowl game. Norvell is 10-22 overall since the start of the 2024 season.

Swinney added:

"I know Florida State's better than that. There's so many good people at this place and in this program. I've always had a lot of respect for Florida State. Bobby Bowden is one of my heroes in life. And I was -- he ain't gonna say, but I'll say it: I was freaking disappointed to see that."

Swinney joked that he may be the next target of a banner when the Tigers return home to Memorial Stadium.

"Hell, they may be flying one around Clemson the next time I'm home, but I doubt it. I doubt it. But whoever did that, man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. That's what I would say. Ain't nobody trying to lose. This job is hard, OK? And that ain't -- that's not what's best for those kids out there that are fighting. They fought every second. Every second of that game, their kids fought.

"And I just, I walked out there pregame looking up there and it really bothered me. I know it's a tough situation, and it went our way tonight, but Mike Norvell is a good man. He's a husband. He's a father."

Clemson vs Florida State live updates: Score, highlights, analysis

📸 Coley Cleary SMG USA TODAY Sports https://t.co/TL9iTDeEjr pic.twitter.com/Z53nI0UpR8
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) October 31, 2026

'It's like a bloodsport now,' Dabo Swinney blames society for Mike Norvell banner ahead of Clemson-FSU

Swinney said the banner was part of a larger problem with today's society.

"I don't know why we think because people make money and this and that, that you just have the right to just destroy people as humans. I don't know where we became this as a society where it's just OK to just tear people down. It's like a bloodsport now. You lose a game, 'fire everybody. Everybody stinks.' You know, how about we just support the kids? We just support the team. We count them all up at the end of the year and we go from there."

He closed by saying his sympathies were with Norvell.

"My heart goes out to Coach Norvell and his family and that team that just fought their butts off every single play," Swinney said. "I'm sure somebody had a lot of fun, felt really good about themselves to fly a freaking plane and a banner around this amazing stadium, Doak Campbell. It's an amazing stadium, Bobby Bowden Field. It's shameful to me."

Clemson visits Syracuse (4-4, 2-4) at JMA Wireless Stadium in Week 10. Florida State faces Boston College (4-4, 2-3) at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill.

What Dabo Swinney had to say after Clemson football win over FSU

Here's Swinney's full postgame press conference after the Tigers' 36-24 win over Florida State:

Clemson football schedule 2026

Clemson will face Syracuse (4-4, 2-4) at JMA Wireless Dome in Week 10 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff is Noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.

All times Eastern.