Dabo resilience: Clemson wins after fans boo Tigers off field vs UNC - USA Today

Yet again, things got testy for Clemson, but the Tigers prevailed.

The Tigers were off a dreaded start against North Carolina, as Bill Belichick's squad had completely outplayed Dabo Swinney's team in the first half, and "Death Valley" let it be known how dissatisfied it was.

Clemson started the game with a three-and-out and the boo birds immediately came out from Memorial Stadium, and it was just the start. North Carolina scored touchdowns on its first two possessions with relative ease while Clemson could only muster a field goal.

The Tar Heels jumped to a 17-3 as the Clemson offense struggled, but showed life before halftime by going down the field with a long 17-play, 88 yard drive. It was on the cusp of finding the end zone, but Clemson couldn't get it in and sent the field goal unit onto the field.

Clemson took the 17-6 deficit into halftime after the poor first 30 minutes of football.

The second half turned out much better. The Tigers have narrowed the gap to 17-15 in the fourth quarter before an hours long lightning delay.

Something must’ve been said during the delay as the Tigers were a different team out of the break. After it held the Tar Heels to a field goal, Clemson closed the game on a 13-0 run, with the offense flourishing and defense clamping down for a 28-20 victory to move to 2-1.

“I love my team, they got down 17-3, they never quit, they kept battling. That’s what football is. I told them we’ve got 8 minutes, don’t worry about anything that’s happened, let’s just play this play. Let’s go win second down, let’s go win third down, let’s go score,” Swinney said postgame on the ESPN broadcast. “You don’t win many games like we just won.”

Swinney's buyout at Clemson would amount to $57 million if the university fired him without cause on or before Dec. 31, 2026, according to a copy of his contract obtained via USA TODAY Sports.

If Clemson fired Swinney without cause beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, the money due to him would be "the sum of the remaining base salary and supplemental compensation that would otherwise have been due" to him, plus an amount equal to the royalties that would have been payable to him.

Swinney does not have a duty to mitigate damages, which according to an amendment to his contract that went into effect on Aug. 22, 2023, would be paid out in equal installments over the remainder of his contract.

Per an amendment to Swinney's contract, effective Jan. 1, 2022, he receives $3.5 million annually in royalties, paid in equal monthly installments, for the duration of his contract — as well as performance bonuses and supplemental compensation. Here is a look at what he is owed in the latter category over the remainder of his contract, beginning with the 2026 college football season: