CLEMSON — Late Tuesday morning Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media at his weekly news conference, this time to reflect back on an open date and extra preparation for Saturday’s opponent – Duke.
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The Tigers (3-4, 2-3) will host the Blue Devils (4-3, 3-1) at 12 p.m. ET. Clemson remains a 3.5-point favorite at BetMGM.
The following is an abbreviated transcript of Tuesday’s presser.
Opening Statements
“We’re ready to get back into the fight around here. Last week was a great week, great prep. I’m proud of the guys and how they got back to work. We also spent a day helping build a habitat home. That was a great thing for our players to experience. We got to meet the homeowner as well. A good weekend.
“We’ve got some guys in a better spot today from an injury standpoint. We’ll put out an injury report on Thursday. Today and tomorrow we’ll ramp up practice and see who’s game ready and who’s got some work to do and then we’ll report that on Thursday.
“I’m proud of our guys. There has been some disappointment this season, but also some positives within our team. T.J. Parker got married last week. That’s an awesome thing. If he doesn’t come to Clemson, he doesn’t meet his precious wife. A cool moment for them.
“Homecoming this week. I know there is a lot going on there. I know the students are resilient and they’ll figure out a way to make it a great week. We’ve got 33 days left in our season. It’s crazy and it has flown by. I’m thankful that we still have an opportunity to go compete and be the best version of ourselves and have the best possible finish we can have.
“Duke is another great opponent. It’s one of the best executing offenses in the country and they do it at a high level. It starts with their elite quarterback. He’s a special player. They are well-coordinated. You give them a patch of grass, they take it. They do a nice job of moving him from different launch points. They take five, six, seven shots a game. They’re aggressive. They’re coming off a tough loss against Georgia Tech.
“They play well together up front. Their receivers are very good players, they’ve got good backs, good players all around. Their tight end, No. 85, is very crafty. Really good offense … 460-something yards a game. We have our hands full. We have to play well and execute at a high level and eliminate big play busts. We have not done that. We have to find a way to take the ball away and do good job on the perimeter.
“On the other side, same thing. Very aggressive defense. A four-down group, downhill linebackers and a lot of tight, man coverage. They’re a group that wants to force the issue. They have a really good front. No. 97 and No. 7 are two of the better ends we’ve seen. I really like their linebacker group. They have an All-American at corner. Well-coached group.
“We need to play complementary football. Our last outing we didn’t do that. We have another opportunity this week.”
Question: Did Cade Klubnik practice at all yesterday?
SWINNEY: “He did. He did.”
Question: What do you make of your offensive line and the injuries you’ve had there?
SWINNEY: “It’s been frustrating. This group we’re playing, they’re a veteran group but they’ve had continuity there. We’ve had a lack of continuity for sure and we’ve had to mix and match. Tristan has missed a good bit of time, Sadler has had some ups and downs and Walker has been available a couple of games but not a full version of himself. 85-percent of Walker is probably as good as it’s going to get. Elyjah has been missing.
“We’ve still got enough. We have to take what we’ve got and make it work. Blake has been very steady for us. We’ll see. Hopefully we’ll get some good news on Elyjah this week as they re-evaluate him.”
Question: Sadler was good news?
SWINNEY: “Best case scenario. I’d say there is a chance (he plays Saturday). Big day today and tomorrow. Best-case scenario for him and Wesco. Wesco’s situation was really scary. I’m just thankful. That was a tough Sunday at the hospital with him and his family. We’ll be cautious with him in the spring. We’ll keep him away from contact.”
Question: Was Cade a full participant at practice last night?
SWINNEY: “He did everything we asked him to do last night.”
Question: How much self-scouting did you do during the open date?
SWINNEY: “We self-scout ourselves every week. We cross-scout every three games. The defense studies the offense and vice versa. We’ve done that for years around here. We do that to prepare for each opponent, too. Our defensive staff studies the opponent’s defense and vice versa for collaboration purposes. I would think most teams do that. Definitely, a big self scout (during the open date). You look at what you need to address whether it’s scheme, tendencies or personnel.”
Question: Have you seen a difference in Christopher Vizzina since the second half of the SMU game?
SWINNEY: “Yes. That was huge for him. He just hadn’t played. We’ve seen a lot of progress. We practice this game far more than we play it. You play about two percent and practice about 98-percent of the time. He’s gotten better, but you want to see him go play and he did that. He’s played the last three games. I thought he did a nice job. I don’t think we did a great job of helping him in some areas. He was 29-of-42 and we had four or five drops, too. I thought he competed his butt off. It’s not easy to do for a guy who hasn’t played. It’s given him a big shot in the arm. Now he’s got something he can hang his hat on, something that’s tangible. He’s got something that he can google. It’s given him some confidence.”
Question: The announcement was just made about the Palmetto Bowl possibly being played on Black Friday. Your thoughts?
SWINNEY: “I don’t know. They’ve asked me about that here. I’ve always voted for it here on Saturday. We just need to beat Duke this weekend. If they want to move that game, that’s their decision.”
Question: Where is Jeadyn Lukus now in your rotation?
SWINNEY: “He’s just competing. Ashton played well. Avieon has played well. They’ve played at a high level for us. Ashton has really settled in. I guess Mike just didn’t put him in last week.”
Question: What’s been your biggest obstacle at safety with depth?
SWINNEY: “They’re just playing the guys they think give us the best chance to win. That’s really it.”
Question: Anyone behind the scenes starting to stand out?
SWINNEY: “Absolutely. Blanchard and Brooking, we think they’ll be good players for us. We’ve held them. We like Bentancur. We think he’s got a bright future. Logan Anderson has a chance to be a really good player. We have several guys like that all throughout the roster.”
Question: You said last night you wished the running backs behind Adam had gotten in more.
SWINNEY: “We didn’t do a good job of managing the reps. Sometimes coaches get caught up in the moment. We have to do a better job of managing the rotation. These guys have demonstrated that they know what we’re they’re doing. We have to do a good job of committing to it.”
Question: What’s been the key to TJ Moore progressing?
SWINNEY: “Grisham has done a great job with that group all across the board. Antonio Williams has come in here and has developed into a star. That was Grisham’s first signing class … Adam and Cole. Adam is in a different role now. Tyler Brown has developed … all those guys. T.J. is a second year player. He had some big moments as a freshman. He’s just maturing with his understanding of the big picture of the offense and defense. He’s a smarter player but still has work to do. I’m proud of him.”
Question: Where is Juju Preston now in his development?
SWINNEY: “He’s cooking. He’s in the crockpot. He’s one of those guys that we see flash at practice. I know he looks like this microphone but he’s put on 15 pounds. He’s developing physically. He’s always played big. I’ve been proud of Juju. When he showed up, you could tell he was overwhelmed. He has bought in. He’s been one of the best guys in Power Hour. Hopefully he’ll have a chance to get some snaps throughout the rest of the season. He can play in four of those games. He’s practicing and competing. He’s a kid … the arrow is up by his name. He has attacked the weight room.”
Question: Some of these coaches who have been let go with $50 million buyouts, what does that say about the state of college football now?
SWINNEY: “It’s a season of chaos. It’s the world we live in. It’s crazy. It’s a crazy profession we signed up for. It’s hard. You have a lot of really good coaches who have won a lot of games but they’re getting fired because they haven’t won championships and you have others who have won championships that people want fired. It’s like a blood sport. People love to see people get fired. There’s a part of society that likes to see that. It’s all about the playoff. You don’t get much time anymore. I think John Wooden, it took him 17 years before he won a championship.”
Question: Was there more of a focus to getting the running game going during the open date?
SWINNEY: “Absolutely. We didn’t play well inside. I didn’t think we did a good job putting it together against SMU. It’s not about rushing for 200 yards. It’s about being efficient. The group we’re playing is 82nd nationally in rushing but it’s because they’re third nationally in passing. It’s not because they’re a bad rushing team. To me, it’s about being efficient. We’ve done a lot of good things in the passing game, but we’re not running with the type of efficiency that we need.”
Question: What will it take for you to work Tyler Brown in more this season?
SWINNEY: “Probably Antonio graduating. There’s only one ball. With Wesco being down, that will create more opportunities for Tyler, Tristan and Cole. He plays our slot, but we have a pretty good guy there in Antonio. When we’ve gotten in a rhythm, you’ve seen all those guys have opportunities.”
Question: Is any coach safe anymore who’s not consistently making the playoffs?
SWINNEY: “Similar to the NFL in that regard. I’ve been fortunate here because I’ve been the head coach here for 17 years with a long track record, but they could get rid of me tomorrow. You have to win your fair share. I do think it’s unfair. There are 136 teams. There are 17 teams playing for one championship in this league. We’ve won it eight of the last 10 years. We won’t win it this year. But yes, there are a lot of great coaches who have lost their jobs because they haven’t won championships. There aren’t many coaches who have won championships. If that’s the way it’s going to be, it’s going to be hard to have a program.
“Coaches don’t make those decisions. Administrators do. How much do they believe in the people they hire? It’s a process. Football is hard. It’s a few plays. It’s a ball bouncing one way or another. It’s momentum, confidence, belief, injuries. There are a lot of things that go into it. You can make some quick judgments and set yourself back. Some people will be patient and some won’t. Look at Tony Elliott. They hung in there with him and stayed the course after three straight losing seasons.
“How long was Frank Howard was here? He had 11 seasons where he started out 1-3 or worse. I probably won’t get that. Clemson people are loyal, committed, people. Very patient. We won nine my first year and six my second year. We lost five in a row to the Gamecocks and they were patient with me. They’ve been patient with me. Clemson people are incredibly patient.”
Question: So you wouldn’t worry about your job with another off year next year?
SWINNEY: “I don’t worry about anything. I give all the glory to the good Lord. The good Lord orders my steps. When I got fired at Alabama, I knew God had a plan then. Nothing has changed. I don’t worry about things I don’t control. I just do my best everyday. I just try to live my life and help people and serve people and teach.”
Question: Who are you referring to when you talk about wanting you fired?
SWINNEY: “Just random people, whomever. We have a world now that is loud. It’s really loud if you listen to it, but I don’t participate in that.”
Question: How often do you have conversations with other coaches about the current state of college football?
SWINNEY: “All the time. All the time. I’ve got a lot of friends in this business. I spend a week with about 18 coaches in February. We solve a lot of problems. It makes us feel better for a minute. It’s hard to really understand the totality of this job when you haven’t done it. There are a lot of people in and out of coaching that I talk to. It’s part of it. We’ve been incredibly blessed here, but we’ve had a lot of great years, a lot of great moments. Ain’t nothing different. This one hasn’t gone the way we wanted it. This team has done the work. It’s my responsibility to get the team where they can be and it hasn’t worked. It just hasn’t worked this year.”
Question: Are you trying to get that extra year with Tristan Smith?
SWINNEY: “I think he deserves it. I don’t know how he couldn’t based on some of the precedents out there. It would be a shame for him to not have the same opportunity other kids have had. We’re going to support him in that.”
Question: With Brian Kelly out, you’re now the second winningest coach in college football behind Kirk Ferentz. Did you ever think you’d see that?
SWINNEY: “That’s good to know. We’ve actually won some games. It’s God’s plan for my life. It’s nothing I’ve done. God has put the right people in my life. I would have never dreamed that I’d be the winningest coach in the ACC or Clemson. I never thought about it. I just go to work and put my head down. I don’t think about it. It’s God’s plan. He gets all the credit for that. I’ve had great coaches and unbelievable support in the administration. I’m thankful for that. I’m also encouraged by that, especially when you’ve had a tough season.
“I’m built from failure and it’s how I’m shaped. I’m shaped from failure and pain. That’s why I’ve been successful. When you get into situations like this, you stay the course and have confidence. For me, I relish these opportunities because I’m getting a chance to teach. I love to teach and mentor. I use the game to build and equip young men. We haven’t had many of these opportunities.
“Right now we have to find a way to win November. We have to find a way to beat Duke.
“My first year here, we lost 45-17 to Wake. Kathleen drove up and had all the boys up. I’d never been to Wake Forest. I was like, this ain’t good. We were 5-4 and we were destroyed. We think we’re getting fired. Me and Billy were supposed to go recruiting the next day. We were recruiting a kid up in North Carolina and we came back and it was like, ‘OK, I guess we’re good.’ Will and Drew got baptized that Saturday. Sunday we were back in the office. Monday came and we were still here.
“We were playing Florida State. We had a group of people who didn’t quit, a group of people that came together and still had faith in the end of the story and we won 27-10. It was one of the greatest moments I’ve ever been a part of. Charlie Whitehurst went off. Tommy Sharpe was our center, about 260 pounds. We just got hot. So it’s never too late to become the best version of yourself. Then we beat Duke 40-7 the next week and then we beat the Gamecocks 63-17. Next thing you know you go from possibly getting fired to going to smoke Tennessee in the Peach Bowl. Coach Bowden gets coach of the year. We didn’t let failure define us.
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“In 2008 I had a 3-4 team with five games to play in November and somehow, someway, we went 4-1. We were 4-4 in 2023 and went 4-0 in November and it gave us some juice into the following year. So you keep going and focus on what you can control. You keep getting up and battle. If you keep doing that, you’ll break through.
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“We can fight for these seniors and we can have a blast fighting for Clemson. We have one of the longest postseason eligibility streaks in college football history. We can still accomplish some things. Where you focus is where your energy flows. We’re going to battle everyday.”