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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney likes what the Tigers did against defending national champion Auburn. He thinks his team is capable of even more.
That's hard to imagine, particularly on offense where Clemson rolled up 624 yards to end Auburn's 17-game winning streak with a 38-24 victory. But Swinney says his team has won nothing yet, except their first three games.
''We left a lot out there, to be honest with you,'' Swinney said Sunday.
Scary thought for Clemson's opponents, considering the total yardage against Auburn was the third most in school history and the most ever against a Southeastern Conference opponent. Sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd led the charge, throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns in his third career start.
Clemson's defense gave up several big plays Saturday, including a 52-yard touchdown run by Michael Dyer and a 36-yard TD catch by Emory Blake that gave the SEC champs a 14-0 lead less than eight minutes into the game. But Clemson's defense adjusted after halftime, holding Auburn to just 150 yards the last two quarters after giving up 285 in the opening half.
Swinney was as excited as anyone as the clock ran out, invoking his Alabama pedigree - he played for the Crimson Tide's 1992 national champions - and shrieking for joy on national TV during his team's celebration.
But Swinney was much more business-like on Sunday, after grading a tape full of mistakes and breakdowns.
''We want to play our best game and we haven't played it yet,'' he said. ''That's our mentality.''
Clemson moved it into the national rankings for the first time since the end of the 2009 season at No. 21. Auburn, which carried that spot into Death Valley, fell from The Associated Press poll for the second time this season.
Auburn was ranked No. 23 in the preseason, then fell out after needing a late rally to beat Utah State 42-38 in the opener. Auburn returned a week ago following a 41-34 victory over Mississippi State.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said the first quarter, when it held a 14-0 lead, was the best his team had played. ''After the end of the second quarter, I felt like we were a very below average football team,'' Chizik said.
Chizik said his players have no option but to work harder and prepare to bounce back from a loss for the first time since losing to Alabama 26-21 in 2009. Auburn's winning streak started in that year's Outback Bowl with a 38-35 victory over Northwestern and continued through a 14-0 BCS title season last fall.
''They're going to handle it like men, and they're going to go out and practice again for the next game,'' Chizik said. ''They are going to have short memories and learn from what didn't do well, which is a lot of learning because we didn't do a lot well.''
Swinney had a similar message for his team Sunday. The offense had 10 plays killed by poor execution that could've led to big gains or touchdowns. The defense surrendered too many big plays to Auburn. ''That's really our Achilles' heel right now,'' he said.
Even Boyd has to improve, Swinney said.
''As well as Tajh played, he had two or three plays he wanted back,'' Swinney said.
Clemson players have responded well to challenges so far. The coaching staff got on them at halftime of the opener when they trailed Troy 16-13, and they went on to a 43-19 victory. Coaches did it again this past week, telling the team it wasn't physical enough to play with the national champions.
''We really took it personally when people said we were soft,'' Clemson center Dalton Freeman said. ''We had a great week of practice and really got better prepared.''
Clemson is off to its first 3-0 start since 2007 when it opened with four consecutive wins. That will be a difficult mark to match with No. 11 Florida State headed to Death Valley next weekend.
Swinney was happy his players tasted success after working as hard as they have since January.
''It keeps them dialed in and excited,'' the coach said. ''But it's just September, we've got a long way to go.''
