It was a busy Clemson weekend, and the football team’s win in Syracuse grabbed the biggest spotlight. Dabo Swinney’s group came away with an 18-13 road victory to move to 6-3, and that result also locked up bowl eligibility for the 28th straight season. That’s the kind of run worth pausing on, even with bigger questions hanging over the offense.
Those questions are centered on one glaring problem: the red zone. Nine games into the 2026 season, Clemson sits No. 137 out of 138 FBS teams in red zone touchdown percentage, according to Chapel Fowler of The State Newspaper.
The Tigers have been inside the opponent’s 20-yard line 30 times and have scored touchdowns on only 11 of those trips, a 36.7% rate. Only Florida International is worse at 35.5% after going 11 for 31.
Through nine games, Clemson football ranks No. 137 out of 138 FBS teams in red zone touchdown percentage at 36.7%. Tigers have been inside the opponent's 20-yard line 30 times this year and only have TDs on 11 of those possessions. Only team worse is FIU (11 for 31, 35.5%)
- Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) November 8, 2026
Clemson’s next game comes at home against Georgia Tech, before the schedule tightens up again.
On the women’s basketball side, Sunday brought a much cleaner result. Clemson handled UNC Greensboro 72-44, and Edie Clarke was the difference.
She finished with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, added 11 rebounds, and chipped in three assists, two steals and a block. She also went 1 for 3 at the line.
With the rest of the Tigers struggling to find a rhythm offensively, Clarke’s double-double stood out in a big way.
Shawn Poppie’s team will now turn to a much bigger stage, hosting South Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Littlejohn.
Clemson’s men’s soccer team also had a tournament run cut short. After beating Duke in the opening round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, the Tigers fell to North Carolina, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. Clemson entered the matchup at 13-2-2 and left it at 13-3-2 after a match that swung back and forth.
UNC struck twice in the first half, Clemson answered to force overtime, and the teams stayed scoreless through the first 10-minute extra period. But six minutes into the second overtime, North Carolina earned a penalty kick after a foul in the box and converted it to end Clemson’s ACC Tournament run.
The Tigers now wait for NCAA Tournament seeding, which will be announced a week from Monday, Nov. 16.
In Other News...
Clemson Has Every Reason To Watch NC States Risky Gamble
North Carolina State appears ready to make one of the boldest coaching swings in the sport, with Philip Rivers reportedly working to finalize a deal to take over as the Wolfpacks next head coach. The former NFL quarterback and NC State alumnus would replace Dave Doeren, bringing a familiar name back to Raleigh but also a rsum that looks very different from the standard college coaching hire.
For Clemson, the move is worth watching closely because it could reshape a division rival in a hurry, for better or worse. Rivers has coached at the high school level, but he has not coached in college, which leaves plenty of questions about how quickly he could handle the demands of recruiting, staff building and the day-to-day grind of running a major program. If NC State is willing to embrace that gamble, the Tigers will have a front-row seat to see whether it pays off. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Criticism Of Lane Kiffin Just Got Harder For LSU To Ignore
Lane Kiffins latest loss to Alabama has only sharpened the scrutiny around LSUs season, and Paul Finebaum did not waste time turning up the pressure. After the defeat, Finebaum questioned whether Kiffin has truly figured out how to beat elite opponents, pointing to a pattern that has followed him even as he has found success against lesser competition. For a program trying to measure itself against the SECs best, that kind of criticism is hard to shrug off.
LSUs current record and the road ahead only add to the tension, because the Tigers still have games left that will say plenty about where this team really stands. Kiffin has managed to build momentum at times, but the lingering question is whether those gains will translate when the stakes rise and the opponent is at the top of the conference. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Late-Season Path Just Got A Lot More Dangerous
Clemsons late-season stretch now looks a lot less forgiving after the latest AP Top 25 poll dropped. South Carolina is up to No. 20, Duke is getting votes and even owns a better record than Clemson right now, while the Tigers themselves are still outside the rankings. That leaves a November path that suddenly carries more weight, especially with Georgia Tech up next before the schedule tightens for the final two games.
Georgia Tech offers a chance to steady things, but the real pressure is building around what comes after. Duke and South Carolina are both positioned to make Clemson earn every bit of progress down the stretch, and the poll only sharpened the sense that these last two matchups could decide how the season is remembered. For a team trying to climb back into the national conversation, the margin for error just got a whole lot thinner. [Read more 🡒]