Dabo Swinney won the game Saturday night. Then he spent part of his news conference sticking up for the coach he beat.

Clemson topped Florida State 36-24 in Tallahassee. Before kickoff a plane flew over Doak Campbell Stadium pulling a banner that read "Fire Novell" — with Mike Norvell's name spelled wrong.

Swinney brought it up on his own after the game. He called the banner "embarrassing," "shameful" and "disrespectful."

'They didn't even spell his name right'

"That was embarrassing what I saw above the stadium. Florida State's better than that," Swinney said. "That's not good for these kids. That bothered me." He also pointed out that the banner did not even spell Norvell's name right.

He said he has always respected the Seminoles and called the late Bobby Bowden one of his heroes in life.

"Mike Norvell is a good man. He's a husband, he's a father," Swinney said. "I don't know where we became this as a society, where it's OK to tear people down. It's like a blood sport now."

He finished with a pointed message for whoever paid for the plane. "Whoever did that, man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Pressure keeps building

The loss dropped Florida State to 3-5 and 1-4 in the ACC, tied with Georgia Tech for last place. The Seminoles have not beaten Clemson at home since 2014.

Norvell is 10-22 since winning the ACC title in 2023. Earlier in the week school president Richard McCullough wrote to supporters, admitting fans are frustrated but urging them to fill the stadium.

Many fans had left by the fourth quarter with Florida State down 29-10. The Seminoles still cut it to one score with five minutes left.

Norvell was not asked about the banner. "You've got to win, that's what it comes down to," he said. "I understand the frustration. We have high expectations for what we want it to be. I believe in these players."