Overview
- Clemson fell to 3-5 (2-4 ACC) after Duke converted a two-point pass with 40 seconds left, leaving the Tigers’ bowl hopes in jeopardy.
- A fourth-and-10 defensive pass interference on Avieon Terrell with 43 seconds remaining kept Duke’s drive alive, followed by a Nate Sheppard touchdown and the decisive conversion to Sahmir Hagans.
- Duke quarterback Darian Mensah threw four touchdowns and finished with 361 passing yards as Clemson’s defense surrendered repeated explosive plays.
- Broadcast microphones captured Swinney berating his secondary after Duke’s fourth first-half touchdown, a tirade that spread widely on social media.
- Postgame, Swinney called the penalty “one of the worst” of his career and later quipped he “may get fired,” intensifying public hot-seat debate as the ACC cited its sportsmanship policy in issuing the discipline.