Georgia Tech coach Brent Key made major changes to his staff this week, dismissing several assistants as the Yellow Jackets struggled through a four-game losing streak. A season that began with high expectations had taken a disappointing turn.
Georgia Tech halted that skid Saturday, earning an upset win on the road against Clemson. The Tigers, coached by Dabo Swinney, managed just 228 yards in a 20-6 loss at Memorial Stadium.
The defeat dealt another blow to Clemson’s hopes of reaching the ACC Championship game. It also left the team dealing with injuries to both quarterbacks. Starter Tait Reynolds left for the locker room early with a leg injury, while backup Christopher Vizzina threw for 133 yards and an interception before going to the hospital after the game with an injury of his own.
Swinney said the team would have to find its own way out of its current struggles. “It’s difficult, but ain’t nobody coming to save us, nobody cares, we’ve got to find a way to get it done,” he said.
Clemson has now lost nine of its past 11 home games against Power Four opponents. That’s a striking change for a program that, under Swinney, won a school-record 40 straight games at Memorial Stadium from 2016 to 2022.
“It’s frustrating; we’ve not played well at home coming off two really good wins,” Swinney said. “Really expected us to play great today. Great week of practice, but again, it didn’t go our way. It’s frustrating, but we don’t make any excuses. We’re not blaming it on injuries. We didn’t get it done. It’s my job.”
Georgia Tech ran for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Swinney said it is difficult to win when a defense can’t contain the run.
“When you can’t stop the run, you don’t deserve to win,” he said. “But you got to score enough points. We’re not doing enough on offense. You don’t win the line of scrimmage, you don’t deserve to win; they did, give them credit.”
Clemson finished 7-6 in 2025, Swinney’s worst record since 2010, prompting questions about his future. A lopsided season-opening loss to LSU added to the scrutiny, as did renewed attention to the $57 million buyout Clemson would owe if it fired him this fall.
Swinney is owed $60 million beginning in 2027, though a declining buyout schedule would reduce the amount to $57 million if he is dismissed this fall. His contract has no mitigation clause, so Clemson would not owe less if he took another coaching job.
Clemson finishes its ACC regular-season schedule next Friday against Duke. Georgia Tech will host Wake Forest in Atlanta next week.
