CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney got a bit of encouragement for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game from an unexpected source in South Carolina's Steve Spurrier.
Swinney said Tuesday that Spurrier told him to keep his head up after the Gamecocks 34-17 win in the rivalry game this past weekend.
``He was great,'' Swinney said.
As the two exchanged handshakes, Spurrier told Swinney that he had lost several times as Florida coach to state rival Florida State, then rebounded to win the Southeastern Conference championship.
``And he said, 'That's what's important. You guys can do it. Good luck to you, go get it done,''' Swinney recalled. ``I thought that was very nice of him, very encouraging, him trying to kind of pick me up.''
Three times in 1993, 1996 and 2000, Spurrier followed a loss to the Seminoles with an SEC crown. In 1996, the Gators also got revenge on Florida State with a 52-20 victory in the Sugar Bowl that lifted Spurrier to a national championship.
In 1994, the Gators and Seminoles tied at 31 before Florida won the SEC title game over Alabama 24-23.
The 25th-ranked Tigers (8-4) face No. 12 Georgia Tech for the ACC championship in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday.
Swinney was a walk-on receiver at Alabama before joining the Crimson Tide coaching staff in 1993. He has close ties to several current South Carolina coaches like assistant head coach Ellis Johnson and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.
Still, Swinney didn't expect the morale boost from the head ball coach, especially not after Spurrier ended a two-game losing streak in a hotly contested rivalry that often defines the season for fans of both sides.
``That guy's been around a long time,'' Swinney said. ``He didn't have to say that to me. So I appreciated that.''
Wednesday
March 12th, 2025
4:52AM
