Charleston Southern coach Gade Giardina walked into Saturday with plenty on his mind, and none of it had to do with the point spread.
His father, Frank Giardina, died Oct. 11 at age 72, and the loss hung over the Buccaneers’ trip to Clemson. Still, Giardina made sure he was where his dad would have wanted him: on the sideline, coaching as hard as he could.
“Doggone, my dad, he would want nothing less than for me to be coaching my heart out out there, getting our guys better and trying to show them Jesus in every way we can,” Giardina said after the game.
The result was lopsided from the start. Charleston Southern entered the matchup as a 43.5-point underdog and had a 99% chance of losing, according to ESPN’s analytics. Clemson turned that into a 37-0 win, its first shutout in five years.
Even so, the game carried extra weight for Giardina, now in his fifth season leading the FCS program. He said his father had been “very sick” for several years, and the family was grateful he was no longer suffering.
Frank Giardina spent more than four decades in college athletics, primarily as a broadcaster for Marshall, the Cincinnati Reds, East Carolina and Penn State, while also serving as an athletics administrator at Penn State. A Marshall alum, he was described in his obituary as a Christian and a “natural storyteller” who “took pride in shining a light on overlooked moments and preserving forgotten tales.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he was moved by Giardina’s comments earlier in the week about his grief and his father’s life. The two spoke at length before kickoff, and Swinney said the moment stuck with him.
“I just thought that was awesome how he honored his dad,” Swinney said.
Their connection goes back to 2000, when Giardina walked on at Alabama as a kicker and holder and Swinney was on the staff running the walk-on program in Tuscaloosa.
Charleston Southern did manage to move the ball early, reaching deep into Clemson territory on two of its first three possessions. But missed chances hurt the Buccaneers right away, with one missed 50-yard field goal and one botched snap on a 35-yard attempt.
Afterward, Giardina said he and his family had been overwhelmed by the number of messages they received from friends and supporters offering condolences. He also said that getting back to coaching has been the most grounding part of the grieving process.
“My dad was sick for a very long time, so it’s more relief than grief for me,” he said. “...
Just getting back into your passion and what you feel like God’s called you to do is really my best way of grieving. I’ve really leaned on our players.”
Earlier this week, Giardina said his father lived long enough to see “one more Bucs win,” after Charleston Southern upset No. 21 South Carolina State, the reigning HBCU national champion, last Saturday. Frank Giardina died hours later.
Giardina also said Tuesday that his father passed at 4:24 a.m. on Oct. 11, a detail that carried special meaning because his son Frank - named for his grandfather - was born on April 24, 2011, or 4/24.
Giardina called that coincidence a “God wink.”
“Kind of a redemptive work there to say, ‘You know what? Every time I’ve gotta think about my dad’s death, I get to think about my son, and I get to think about Christ and what he did for me and my dad to get us all in a better place when we die,’” Giardina said. “So, nothing but smiles for me from a life well lived by my dad.”
In Other News...
Clemson Faces A Defining ACC Test Under The Lights
A midseason ACC game with real stakes is waiting at Death Valley, where Clemson is set to host Virginia Tech in Week 8 with both teams trying to keep pace in the conference race. Clemson enters at 4-2, Virginia Tech at 5-2, and the numbers from FanDuel Sportsbook reflect how tight the matchup could be, with the Tigers installed as a 2.5-point favorite.
For Clemson, this is more than just another home date under the lights. With Miami and Wake Forest sitting ahead in the standings, the path to the ACC Championship Game is already getting narrow, and a win here would help the Tigers stay in the thick of it while putting a direct rival behind them. Virginia Tech has the same incentive, which is why this one feels like the kind of October game that can shape the rest of the conference season. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Virginia Tech Homecoming Test Carries Early ACC Stakes
Clemsons annual Homecoming date brings a little extra noise to Memorial Stadium, but the bigger storyline is the one hanging over the matchup with Virginia Tech on Oct. 24. The Tigers will kick off at 7 p.m. on ESPN coming off a 37-0 shutout of Charleston Southern, while the Hokies arrive after a 34-24 win over Georgia Tech, giving both programs some early momentum as ACC play starts to tighten.
For Clemson, this is the first game in a five-game conference stretch that could go a long way toward shaping the league race, and Virginia Tech is in position to make the opener uncomfortable. Homecoming usually comes with its own buzz, but the stakes are far more practical here, with conference standings in play and a chance for either team to build on a recent win before the schedule gets heavier. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Now Faces A Very Different Florida State Offense
Florida States backfield took a major hit in the double-overtime loss to Miami, with running back Ousmane Kromah suffering a dislocated and fractured injury to the bones connecting his foot and ankle. He will require surgery, and while the team did not issue an official medical update, the injury could keep him out for the rest of the season.
Now the Seminoles turn to a bye week before their matchup with Clemson, and the offense may look very different by the time that game arrives. Tre Wisner is expected to see a bigger role in the running game, leaving Clemson to prepare for a backfield without one of Florida States more important pieces. [Read more 🡒]