CLEMSON, SC (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney isn’t sure exactly who he will field against The Citadel this weekend.

The 17th-ranked Tigers (8-2) has finished Atlantic Coast Conference playbut not without an injury list that goes on much longer than he would like.

Swinney said nine offensive linemen missed practice early this week and that Tiger fans might see some names and numbers they don’t recognize Saturday when Clemson faces an in-state, FCS opponent in the Bulldogs (5-6).

“I mean we just have what we have,” Swinney said. “We just have to make it work.”

The Tigers, a seven-touchdown favorite over the Southern Conference team, should have more than enough depth to handle the absence. Still, it’s a list of injured players that shocks even longtime coach Swinney.

The offensive line, already missing starters in Tristan Leigh and Marcus Tate, had one of its replacements in Elyjah Thurmon injured on the first play of a 24-20 victory at Pitt last week and is out for the season.

And the big guys up front aren’t the only place Clemson is hurting late in the season. Swinney said receiver Troy Stelatto will miss the rest of the year with a thumb injury that required surgery. Last year’s top receiver, Troy Brown, who has missed the last few games, will not be available before the postseason.

Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, out the past two weeks against Virginia Tech and Pitt, won’t play this week either with an ankle injury.

“We have no excuses,” Swinney said. “We have some walk-on guys that are going to have to come through for us. And then again, we have some guys that are going to have to maybe play out of position and try to get everybody healthy.”

Clemson closes the season at home on Nov. 30 against surging in-state rival No. 19 South Carolina, which has won its last three against ranked teams.

House settlement

Swinney is one of college football’s ultimate success stories, earning a scholarship as a senior on Alabama’s national championship team in 1992. So he’s worried about the proposed NCAA House settlement that will limit his team to 105 spots. The Tigers have 136 in the program this year, which means Swinney will have to say goodbye to a lot of people.

“It’s terrible,” Swinney said. “It’s the worst in my entire coaching career.”

Citadel trainer

Second-year Bulldogs coach Maurice Drayton will never forget the kindness of Swinney and his staff to his son, Montrel, who came to a coaching clinic at Clemson after he underwent open-heart surgery. Drayton, then a Coastal Carolina assistant, said the Tigers’ coaches “just brought Montrel in and loved him. It was one of the best experiences of his life.”

“When I think about coach and what he’s done and his program,” the elder Drayton said, “better not say anything bad around me.”

Bulldog’s update

The Citadel, which went 0-11 in Drayton’s first season a year ago, has already won five games, the most in a season since going 6-6 in 2019. The Bulldogs enter this one having won three of their last four games, including a 30-17 win over Wofford last week after falling behind 14-0.

Senior day

Clemson, as it does, will have its senior players run down Death Valley’s hill alone to honor their accomplishments. This year’s list of seniors includes All-American linebacker Barrett Carter and leading rusher Phil Mafah, who is two yards shy of 1,000 yards this season. Swinney said the group will run down as a group a week later when the Tigers host rival South Carolina.

ACC title chance

The Tigers have done everything they can to get to the league title. Now they need help. Clemson must hope No. 11 Miami loses one of its last two or No. 13 SMU, which leads the chase with a 6-0 league mark, drops its last two conference games.

Clemson is seeking its eighth ACC Championship trip in the last 10 seasons.

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