David Hood
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Senior Writer for TigerNet.com, Heisman Voter. CFB Writers Association, ACCSMA. Longest-tenured writer covering Clemson for the same publication.
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Articles by David Hood
‘We’ve got to help this kid out’: Morris challenges Clemson offense to step up
CLEMSON - Chad Morris wants Clemson’s offense to stop making every touchdown a long-distance endurance test. The Tigers need somebody to make a catch, make a defender miss and turn an opportunity into an explosive play. With Virginia Tech coming to Memorial Stadium, Clemson’s offensive coordinator acknowledged that a passing game that has produced just two touchdown passes through six games remains far short of expectations. “That’s not something that we’re used to,” Morris said.
‘The games you dream of’: Hokies eager for Clemson’s primetime stage
Quentin Reddish will have family in the stands and a childhood dream unfolding under the lights. Luke Reynolds will have a familiar opponent across the line and little interest in letting its championship reputation dictate the night. For Virginia Tech, a trip to Death Valley brings plenty to anticipate — and plenty to fix before kickoff.
James Franklin praises Clemson’s talent ahead of Death Valley trip
James Franklin knows Clemson’s head coach from years of friendship and its defensive coordinator from a shared sideline. He knows Death Valley from his days at Maryland. And he knows better than to judge the challenge awaiting Virginia Tech solely by the Tigers’ record. “I think there’s no doubt in my mind, and probably anybody that really studies college football closely, it’s one of the more talented rosters,” Franklin said Monday.
‘I just want to win’: Swinney keeps focus narrow as Hokies loom
CLEMSON - Dabo Swinney wants Clemson to finish strong. But before the Tigers can make a move in the ACC race, he says they must change something that has followed them through the first half of the season. They need to win the turnover battle. Speaking Tuesday at the Smart Family Media Center, Swinney identified that as a priority as Clemson prepares to host Virginia Tech for Homecoming on Saturday. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Going sideways: Clemson’s passing game gives defenses little to fear downfield
CLEMSON - Clemson fans learned to hate the sight of a pass traveling sideways when Rob Spence was calling bubble screens and wide receiver screens. Years later, the frustration feels familiar. The offense is supposed to go downfield. Right now, it is going sideways. Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds threw 26 passes against Charleston Southern on Saturday. On 21 of them, the target was within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.
Postgame Thoughts: The defense took a step forward; the offense took another step sideways
CLEMSON - This was supposed to be the afternoon Clemson’s offense finally exhaled. Instead, it spent much of Military Appreciation Day gasping for something explosive. The Tigers beat Charleston Southern 37-0 on a cool, sun-splashed afternoon in Death Valley, and there was plenty to like. The defense was dominant. The special teams were excellent. Nolan Hauser was magnificent. But the offense? Against a defense that surrendered 470 yards a week ago, Clemson looked far more ordinary than explosive.
Swinney praises Tigers' effort but says there is still work to do
CLEMSON - The scoreboard told Dabo Swinney his team had dominated. The fourth quarter told him something he liked even more. With the outcome long since decided, Clemson emptied its bench Saturday afternoon against Charleston Southern. The starters were on the sideline, the reserves were getting their opportunities, and there was every reason for the Tigers to lose their intensity. They never did.
The Buc Stops Here: Clemson defense tosses shutout as Tigers top Charleston Southern
CLEMSON - On a cool, sun-dappled afternoon on Military Appreciation Day in Death Valley, Clemson did what it was supposed to do. Even if it was never pretty on offense. The Tigers scored on offense, defense, and special teams; Nolan Hauser delivered the second-longest field goal in school history; and Clemson rolled past Charleston Southern 37-0 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Clemson improved to 4-2 with the victory, while Charleston Southern fell to 3-4.
Clemson vs Charleston Southern Prediction: Tigers try to work out the kinks against Bucs
There are games you circle because of what they mean in the standings. Then there are games you use because of what they can do for the rest of your season. For Clemson, Saturday needs to be the latter. The purple uniforms will come out, two F-15s will scream over Memorial Stadium, and Clemson will celebrate its military heritage on one of the most meaningful Saturdays of the year.
Fall finally comes to Clemson, and it should feel like college football
CLEMSON - Fall has been taking its sweet time getting to Clemson. It has teased the Upstate here and there, dropping a few leaves and cooling an occasional morning, only to retreat again beneath another afternoon that felt suspiciously like summer. That should change Saturday. Fall is expected to come walking onto Clemson's campus in the morning, right alongside the first tailgaters carrying coolers across parking lots and pulling jackets over orange shirts.
Finding the beat: Champ Thompson helping Clemson defense get in rhythm
CLEMSON - Champ Thompson has spent much of his life listening for the right beat. Sometimes it comes through his headphones before kickoff, usually from Young Jeezy and the early-2000s rap that Thompson prefers. Sometimes it comes inside a Manhattan boardroom, where a three-day microinternship with Def Jam Recordings showed him that making music is only a small piece of building a music empire. And lately, Thompson has started hearing it on Clemson's defense.
Swinney: Clemson must stop 'playing two opponents every single week'
CLEMSON - The opponent changes every week. Dabo Swinney believes one of Clemson's biggest problems hasn't. Too often, the Tigers have been playing against themselves. As Clemson came out of its open date and turned its attention toward Charleston Southern, Swinney's message Tuesday morning at the Smart Family Media Center was less about the Buccaneers and more about what he wants to see from his own team. "At the end of the day, it's about Clemson," Swinney said.
Purple, pageantry and purpose: Clemson looks to reset against Charleston Southern
CLEMSON - Purple will replace much of the orange Saturday afternoon in Death Valley. American flags will be prominent. Veterans and active-duty service members will be recognized. Clemson's military heritage will be celebrated, and the day will carry reminders that Memorial Stadium was named to honor Clemson alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Military Appreciation Day has long been one of Clemson's most distinctive home games.
Clemson’s special teams are becoming a strength under Bisaccia
Rich Bisaccia came back to Clemson with more than four decades of coaching experience, 24 seasons directing special teams in the NFL and a reputation as one of the best in the business. Five games into his return, Clemson is already seeing the results. In a season where Clemson has struggled to find consistency on offense and endured some difficult stretches defensively, special teams have quietly become one of the Tigers' most dependable areas. Nolan Hauser has become a weapon.
Wild weekend shows Clemson still has a chance to make things interesting
There are a few teams in college football right now that look like they belong at the grown-ups’ table. Georgia. Miami. Ohio State. Notre Dame has made a pretty convincing argument, too. After that? Good luck. If this past weekend proved anything, it is that the gap between pretty good, supposedly good and completely ordinary is razor thin. One bad quarter, a couple of turnovers, a missed assignment or a busted coverage can turn a Saturday upside down.
Open date checklist: Five things Clemson has to fix
An open date won’t rebuild an offensive line, transform a freshman quarterback into a veteran or erase what LSU and Miami exposed during Clemson’s first five games. But it does give the Tigers something they desperately need: time. Clemson enters the break 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, with seven regular-season games remaining and its larger goals still attainable. The Tigers return Oct.
Six Clemson players who raised their stock through five games
The first five games of Clemson’s season have produced plenty of questions. They have also produced some answers. The Tigers reached their open date at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, with ugly losses to LSU and Miami mixed around a three-game winning streak. The offense has struggled to find consistency, the defense has had its own growing pains and Clemson has already made a change at quarterback. But while the Tigers haven't always won, several players have. Some have elevated their NFL stock.
What’s an athlete worth? Clemson hiring to sharpen roster strategy
CLEMSON - Building a roster means putting a price on talent. Clemson is hiring two new directors to help determine what to pay — and whether that investment pays off. TigerNet has learned Clemson is seeking a director of athlete compensation and a director of roster strategy and analytics, expanding its athletic department’s front office to strengthen recruiting, retention and financial planning across all sports.
What Investment Decisions Are Retirement Plan Sponsors Navigating Right Now? (Webinar Registration)
Home Resources What Investment Decisions Are Retirement Plan Sponsors Navigating Right Now? (Webinar Registration) Retirement plan sponsors are invited to join CIO Mike Vogelzang and members of the CAPTRUST Investment Group for a live Office Hours conversation focused on the market and investment trends shaping retirement plan oversight, investment menus, and participant outcomes.
Tait Reynolds earning respect of veteran players with toughness, leadership
CLEMSON - Tait Reynolds may still be learning how to play quarterback at the college level, but Clemson’s veteran players say the freshman has already figured out something just as important. How to earn a locker room. Reynolds has done it by taking hits, getting back up, owning mistakes, encouraging teammates and carrying himself like Clemson’s quarterback even though he is still one of the youngest players on the roster.
Midterm grades: Clemson defense earns high marks at corner, run game a concern
Clemson’s defense has done enough to help the Tigers win three games. It has also shown why beating better opponents will require more than improvement on offense. The open date provides a chance to evaluate a unit whose first five games have included encouraging responses, costly breakdowns and stretches when it needed to provide one more stop. The Tigers enter the break at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Matt Luke has no regrets about Clemson’s OL portal approach: ‘You may take some lumps’
CLEMSON - Matt Luke is not pretending Clemson’s offensive line is where he wants it to be. He is also not looking backward. After a rough afternoon against Miami exposed Clemson’s protection issues and again raised questions about the Tigers’ decision not to add a veteran offensive lineman from the transfer portal, Clemson’s offensive line coach said Tuesday he has no regrets about the approach. “I don’t think regret,” Luke said.
Midterm grades: Clemson offense has to improve during the open date
It's time for grades. Although Clemson has not reached the midpoint of its regular season — that comes after the next game against Charleston Southern — the open date gives us a chance to evaluate the Tigers over five games. Clemson has found reasons to believe its offense can get better. Through five games, it has provided considerably less evidence that it is good enough. The Tigers enter their open week at 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after Saturday’s 41-13 loss to Miami.
Monday update: Swinney details injuries, OL issues
Dabo Swinney saw enough on the film to believe Clemson is improving. He also saw more than enough to understand why those improvements have not yet translated into the kind of football the Tigers expect to play.
Clemson has room to grow — and a schedule that leaves room to recover
CLEMSON - The hardest part of Clemson’s schedule is behind it. Whether the Tigers can take advantage of that is the question that will define the rest of their season. Nobody should walk away from Saturday’s 41-13 loss to No. 4 Miami believing Clemson is on the verge of becoming an elite football team. The Hurricanes exposed too many weaknesses, particularly along the offensive line, for that argument to hold up.
Thoughts: Miami gave Clemson a painful look at what it used to be
CLEMSON - There was a time when Clemson was the team that could let an opponent hang around without ever really letting it get close. The other team would have its chances. A promising drive. A defensive stop. A moment when the crowd stirred and the possibility of an upset seemed real. Then Clemson would win a matchup up front, shut down that opportunity and spend the rest of the evening explaining the difference between competitive and elite. Saturday night, Miami was that team.
Rain stays away, but Hurricanes deliver the storm
CLEMSON – The rain stayed away. The Hurricanes didn’t. No. 4 Miami brought a storm of its own to Death Valley on Saturday night, overwhelming Clemson 41-13 to end the Tigers’ three-game winning streak and hand them their first Atlantic Coast Conference loss. The Hurricanes improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while Clemson fell to 3-2 and 2-1.
Clemson-Miami prediction: Can the Tigers find a way when the numbers say no?
Clemson has spent the last three weeks finding ways to win. Saturday night, the Tigers might have to find something they haven’t shown. A passing game. That is the uncomfortable reality as fourth-ranked Miami arrives in Death Valley with an unbeaten record, the nation’s top-ranked rushing defense and a quarterback whose statistics look like somebody turned down the difficulty setting on a video game.
Miami digs into old Chad Morris film to prepare for Clemson offense
Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman is looking well beyond Clemson’s four games this season to prepare for Saturday night. His staff has pulled plays from 2013, 2014 and 2020, searching for clues about how offensive coordinator Chad Morris might attack the Hurricanes. It is part of a broader effort to prepare for a Clemson offense that now features a mobile freshman quarterback and an increasingly dangerous running game.
Three safeties, one purpose: Allen puts Clemson’s best pieces in play
CLEMSON - Tom Allen’s formula for defending offenses built on speed and space starts with a simple idea: Get more of Clemson’s best athletes on the field. That has meant putting Ronan Hanafin, Jerome Carter III and Corey Myrick together in a three-safety look, a combination Clemson’s defensive coordinator said Tuesday was planned throughout the offseason. The personnel allows Allen to move Hanafin closer to the ball while keeping players on the field who can cover, run and tackle.
Miami’s Cristobal sees Clemson team gaining momentum after rocky start
Mario Cristobal has watched Clemson’s season move well beyond its opening loss at LSU. What Miami’s coach sees now is a team that gets stronger as games go on. “They didn’t get off to the start they wanted in game one, but since then have been playing really high level football in a lot of different ways,” Cristobal said Monday as the Hurricanes prepared to visit Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Clemson has won three straight since its 51-10 loss at LSU, including its first two ACC games.
Swinney sees few weaknesses in No. 4 Miami ahead of Death Valley showdown
CLEMSON - Dabo Swinney has studied No. 4 Miami’s offense, its defense and the players who make both work. His assessment ahead of Saturday night’s visit to Death Valley was blunt: He cannot find much of a weakness. “This is a team that, in my opinion, really don’t have any weaknesses,” the Clemson coach said Tuesday.
Whatever the down demands: Tom Allen finds new ways to use Clemson’s defense
Four defensive ends on the field at once. Four defensive tackles in another look. A safety lining up like a linebacker and an end moving inside. Tom Allen is finding places for Clemson’s defensive pieces, and against Cal, the picture came together. The Tigers held the Golden Bears without an offensive touchdown in Friday night’s 24-10 win. Cal managed 86 rushing yards and 119 passing yards, and its only touchdown came on a fumble return. Clemson intercepted quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele twice.
Clemson faces historic home underdog role against Miami
Death Valley has seen its share of imposing visitors. It has rarely seen the home team given this little chance to beat one. Clemson is a 17.5-point underdog to No. 4 Miami for Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium. According to historical betting lines compiled by David Bearman and shared by ESPN’s David Hale, only two visitors have been favored by more at Clemson in the past three decades: Florida State in 1995 (20 points) and 1997 (21).
Sunday update: Swinney says Clemson is finding belief ahead of Miami
Clemson hasn’t become the finished product Dabo Swinney wants just yet. But after watching his team travel across the country, lean on its defense and running game and come home with a 24-10 victory over Cal, Clemson’s head coach believes the Tigers are becoming something perhaps more important. A team that believes it can win. “They’re just coming together, building some calluses, I would say,” Swinney said Sunday evening.
Thoughts from Berkeley: Clemson is maximizing its roster — and finding an identity
BERKELEY, California - Clemson came 2,500 miles west and found something that might be even more important than another win. The Tigers are beginning to discover an identity. It isn't always pretty. It isn't the Clemson of a decade ago, when Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence could turn a Saturday night into a track meet. And there are still plenty of things that need fixing. But Clemson's 24-10 victory over Cal Friday night showed a team that is beginning to understand what it can be.
Swinney sees toughness emerge as Clemson pounds Cal on the ground
BERKELEY, California - Dabo Swinney wanted Clemson to become a tougher football team this season. On Friday night in Berkeley, he thought the Tigers finally looked like one. Clemson leaned on its running game, limited California to three offensive points and left California Memorial Stadium with a 24-10 victory that gave the Tigers their third straight win and kept them unbeaten in ACC play.
Reaction: Clemson finds its formula — run it, defend it, win it
BERKELEY, California - Maybe Clemson had to travel 2,500 miles to figure out exactly what it wants to be. Run the football. Play defense. Don't make the freshman quarterback carry the offense. And when you have a chance to land the knockout punch, give the football to Gideon Davidson. Clemson's 24-10 victory over Cal wasn't always pretty, but there was plenty to like in the numbers Friday night at California Memorial Stadium. Start with 255 rushing yards. That's the number that matters most.
Gid Rush: Tigers strike gold in California
BERKELEY, CA - Clemson came all the way to California to find its footing. The Tigers found it on the ground. Sophomore Gideon Davidson rushed for a career-high 159 yards, including a game-clinching 75-yard touchdown, as Clemson leaned on a resurgent rushing attack and a dominant defensive effort to beat California 24-10 Friday night at California Memorial Stadium. Davidson carried 22 times and Clemson piled up 255 rushing yards while holding Cal to just 86 yards on 27 attempts.
Clemson vs. Cal prediction: Late night, long trip and a big test for the Tigers
Clemson finally found something last Saturday. Now the Tigers have to find out whether they can take it with them 2,500 miles across the country. After rallying from a 17-3 deficit to beat North Carolina 28-20, Clemson heads west Friday night for its first ACC trip to California, where a 10:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff, a talented passing quarterback and a Cal defense with a nose for the football await. For Clemson, this is as much about building on last week as it is beating the Golden Bears.
Cal coach Tosh Lupoi sees regenerated energy in Clemson
Tosh Lupoi has seen Clemson from the other sideline before, back when the Tigers played on college football’s biggest stages and traded punches with Alabama for national championships. As Cal prepares to host Clemson on Friday night (10:30 p.m. EDT/ESPN), Lupoi sees something stirring again. And much of it starts with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds. “I think they’ve got a new regenerated energy rocking with Tait Reynolds,” Lupoi said this week.
West Coast warning: ACC teams have won in California, but struggled afterward
The flight west has not been the problem for ACC football teams. It is the baggage they have carried home. Clemson will become the 13th traditional ACC program to visit California or Stanford since the Bay Area schools joined the conference in 2024 when the Tigers face Cal on Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The previous 12 visitors have handled the cross-country trek surprisingly well, winning eight times.
'Good for our soul': Tyler Brown’s late TD gives Clemson offense a needed jolt
CLEMSON - Tyler Brown knew what he was supposed to do. He also knew what Clemson’s offense needed. Brown broke loose late against North Carolina with the Tigers protecting a lead, and somewhere between the backfield and the end zone, the Clemson receiver understood the safest play might be to hit the ground. Instead, he kept running.
‘He’s got that moxie’: Tait Reynolds starting to take hold of Clemson offense
CLEMSON - Dabo Swinney has seen this before. A young quarterback gets his opportunity. Teammates begin to notice. Confidence builds. The offense starts taking on a different personality. And suddenly, what once looked like a quarterback competition starts looking more like a team finding its quarterback. That process is underway at Clemson with Tait Reynolds.
Inside the numbers: 3 time zones, a 10:30 kickoff and Clemson’s California adventure
Clemson is headed west this week, and almost everything about the trip to California is unusual. The opponent is unfamiliar. The destination is nearly unprecedented. The kickoff time will have Clemson fans reaching for coffee instead of sweet tea, and the Tigers arrive in Berkeley after a game Saturday that included a freshman quarterback, a 14-point comeback and enough lightning to make everyone wonder if the football gods have something against Clemson playing on time.
Monday thoughts: Clemson turns a corner, starts California dreaming
CLEMSON - Maybe Clemson finally turned a corner Saturday. Now the Tigers are about to find out what is waiting on the other side. For most of the first two games of the season and much of the first half against North Carolina, Clemson looked like exactly what it is: a young football team searching for confidence, searching for an identity and sometimes searching for the right guy to block. Then something changed. The Tigers trailed North Carolina 17-3 and were being booed in their own stadium.
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Swinney: Clemson ‘grew up’ in comeback win over UNC
CLEMSON - Dabo Swinney has spent weeks waiting for his football team to grow up. Saturday afternoon, Clemson finally did. The Tigers fell behind 17-3, stumbled through much of the first half, missed opportunities on offense and then spent more than two hours waiting through a weather delay with the outcome still hanging in the balance. And somehow, through all of it, they never blinked. “We weren’t perfect, but we grew up,” Swinney said after Clemson rallied to beat North Carolina.
Clemson grew up a little in comeback win over North Carolina
CLEMSON - Maybe Clemson grew up a little Saturday. The Tigers were left for dead in the heat of a steamy September afternoon, trailing North Carolina by two touchdowns, hearing boos from their own fans and looking for all the world like a team whose season was starting to slip away before September was even over. Then the wind blew. The clouds rolled in. The temperature dropped. Lightning flashed around Death Valley. And Clemson changed with the weather.
Storming Back: Clemson rallies past UNC after long weather delay
CLEMSON - North Carolina controlled the game early. Mother Nature interrupted it late. Clemson simply refused to lose it at the end. The Tigers erased a 17-3 deficit, endured a weather delay of more than two hours and scored late to complete an improbable 28-20 comeback victory over North Carolina Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
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