Clemson has spent the past three weeks putting its season back together.
Now comes the game that will show just how far the Tigers have actually come.
Miami arrives in Death Valley on Saturday night unbeaten, ranked inside the top 10 and favored by 17.5 points. It is an unusual position for the Tigers at Memorial Stadium and a reflection of just how highly the Hurricanes
are regarded entering the matchup.Dabo Swinney is not arguing with that assessment.
“Obviously we know we’ve got a tough challenge next week,” Swinney said. “They may be the best team in the country. They played in the national championship. They’re really good. I’ve seen enough of them. We’ve seen that quarterback. He’s a freak show. They’ve got some dudes.”
Miami has looked the
part through four games.
The Hurricanes have opened 4-0, including a 52-3 win over Central Michigan on Saturday. They have also beaten Stanford, Florida A&M and Wake Forest while scoring at least 33 points in every game.
Quarterback Darian Mensah has quickly become one of the biggest concerns for Clemson heading into the weekend, but the challenge extends well beyond one player.
The Tigers, meanwhile, have steadied themselves since a 51-10 loss to LSU to open the year.
Clemson has responded with wins over Georgia Southern, North Carolina and Cal, pushing its record to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC. Miami is also 2-0 in conference play, giving Saturday’s matchup some early weight in the league race.
“At the end of the day, you’re both undefeated in the league, and all you can ask for is opportunity. So, it’ll be a huge opportunity,” Swinney said. “We’ll have to play, by far, our best game to have a chance to beat those guys. But we’ve got to have a great week and great preparation, and spot the ball and see if we can do just that.”
Clemson has shown improvement during its three-game winning streak, but it has not played clean football throughout that stretch. Turnovers and other mistakes remain an issue, and Swinney knows those problems become far more dangerous against a team with Miami’s talent.
“We’ll have to play much, much better in some areas and cut out some of these mistakes that we’ve made, and we certainly can’t turn the ball over as carelessly as we have,” Swinney said. “But hey, our kids will be excited to go battle.”
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney on his team finding a groove ahead of Miami
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) September 28, 2026
📸 Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co https://t.co/qvNO7spQhQ pic.twitter.com/YHKgA9Opjo
The matchup also renews an evenly split series. Clemson and Miami are tied 7-7 all-time, though the Tigers are 6-3 against the Hurricanes since Miami joined the ACC.
Saturday will be less about history and more about finding out where Clemson stands right now.
After three straight wins, the Tigers have built some momentum. Miami will provide a much different test.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney on the difficult task of facing Miami
