Dabo Swinney says his team is in a good spot health wise heading into Saturday’s Orange & White Spring Game, though running back Adam Choice and safety Tanner Muse were banged up and did not participate in Monday’s practice at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility in Clemson.
Choice and Muse both sat out Monday after being banged up a little bit in last Friday’s practice.
“We have two or three guys that we held today that I hope will be ready to go for the game on Saturday,” Swinney said.
Clemson coach excited about spring game. Swinney said Tuesday will be a meeting day for the team and Wednesday will be their mandated third day in shorts.
“We always save that day for the last week so we can use it to teach,” Swinney said. “Kind of teach them the way they need to self-manage things in the summer. We will get a little-team work too, but really it is a lot of coaching for what they have to do.
“Then we have to split the team because it takes a little while to get organized. This thing is on ESPN so you do not want to look like the village idiot running out there, so we have to get organized. It is special teams, it is substitutions, it’s coaching staffs that are split so let’s get everybody in their right role so that we can look like we know what we are doing somewhat out there.”
Clemson’s Orange & White Game on Saturday is schedule to kickoff at 2:30 p.m.
“I’m excited about the game. I really am,” Swinney said. “I’m as excited about this spring game as I have been for any of them just because of the numbers that we have. We have lot of guys … I meet with the coaches in the morning so I’m anxious to hear how they have split each of their segments because they don’t know (who they will coach) because I split the staff tomorrow afternoon.
“They have no idea what team they will be on or who they will get so they have to split their group evenly. So we will make sure we get that right.”
Swinney calls out Clemson fans, again. On Wednesday, Swinney says the coaches will flip for who coaches what team and he will name the head coaches as they get the staffs all set for Saturday.
“It should be a very good game,” he said. “I know I have said it a couple of times, but I really hope our crowd will show up. I think it is important because if they don’t, they put you all over the internet if you did not show up.
“I hope our crowd will show up and this will be a great environment. I think it is always fun to come spend a day in Clemson. We have a lot going on.”
Team to receive ACC Championship rings. There are a lot of things going on this weekend in Clemson.
Obviously, there is the spring game on Saturday. The baseball team plays Miami in a three-game series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium starting on Friday. The Clemson rowing team is also hosting a regatta, while the football team is hosting its ring ceremony.
“The team is going to get them Wednesday night at dinner and then our seniors are going to get there rings at halftime (on Saturday),” Swinney said. “So I’m excited about that … the three-time ACC Champion rings. It is going to be a great day.”
The QBs will not be live. Clemson quarterbacks Kelly Bryant, Hunter Johnson, Chase Brice and Trevor Lawrence will be split among the two teams.
Swinney said one team will have two and the other team will have the other two. He also said the quarterbacks will not be allowed to be tackled in spring game.