"Dabo Swinney is a rat": LSU fans accuse Clemson HC of "snitching" after A.J. Haulcy gets suspended for first half in season opener

Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney has come under fire after the NCAA's decision on A.J. Haulcy's suspension. Last season, with the Houston Cougars, the safety was ejected in their final game for unsportsmanlike conduct: he had got into a fight, and the punishment included a carry-over penalty.

That means Haulcy won't be participating in the first half of the LSU Tigers' season opener against Clemson on Aug. 30.

"In the last game of the 2024 season, A.J. Haulcy was ejected from the contest, initially listed as unsportsmanlike conduct but clarified postgame the officials ejected the player for fighting," the NCAA told Pete Thamel as per ON3.

Fans accused Dabo Swinney of snitching on the safety so that Clemson has a first-half advantage against the LSU Tigers:

"Dabo a rat, and Clemson just showed their whole a**," one tweeted.

According to Hunt Palmer, the LSU Tigers were unaware that A.J. Haulcy had a carrover penalty and his potential ejection. He said that Dabo Swinney's team brought the issue to light in front of the NCAA, which has sparked backlash from college football fans.

Haulcy began his collegiate journey with New Mexico in 2022 before transferring to Houston a year later. Last season, the safety helped the team to a 4-8 record and failed to qualify for the bowl games. Nevertheless, Haulcy recorded 74 total tackles and five interceptions and was honored as a First-Team All-Big 12.

LSU HC Brian Kelly opens up about A.J. Haulcy's situation after Dabo Swinney's suspected snitching

On Thursday, Brian Kelly shared more information on A.J. Haulcy's situation ahead of their season opener against Dabo Swinney's team.

Kelly said that they are also waiting for more information regarding the suspension and that they will make game plans accordingly.

"We're waiting for clarification on (Haulcy)," Kelly said (as per On3). "We were informed about the situation on Wednesday, so we'll see where that ends u.p. We're practicing him and preparing to play him, so we'll wait on further guidance.

"I think it's a little bit of the conference and the NCAA rulings, in terms of what the circumstances are at the end of the game. Our conference has been great at providing support and we'll wait for the decision and plan accordingly."

The LSU Tigers last played Clemson during the 2020 season, winning 42-25. Can they repeat that result without A.J. Haulcy in the first half?

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Bhargav