Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney spoke with the media on Tuesday at his press conference. His second-ranked Tigers play Texas A&M Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
Swinney on his previous experience going to A&M
“Yeah! I was a part of that butt whooping in ‘04. I couldn’t get home soon enough. We got destroyed out there. I remember it all too well. That’s the only time I had been to Texas for a football game…they absolutely kicked our tails all over the field. It was a great experience to see that venue. It’s an incredible game-day environment. One I know our guys are excited to play in. Hopefully, we can do a little better than we did 14 years ago.”
Swinney on the use of virtual reality
“They are going to have a hard time getting prepared for Kyle Field. We haven’t been there, none of these guys have been there. Basically it’s a good tool when you’ve got a guy that’s not been somewhere, you can go there. We use it in recruiting a lot. You want to know what it’s like to be at Death Valley? Well they can put that on. What’s game-day like? It’s not like you’re watching a video of game-day, you’re literally there. It’s a pretty cool thing. We have used that and have for quite a while from a preparation standpoint. We have the ability to go visit places virtually.”
Swinney on there being no tension at quarterback position
“I just think that’s the character of our team. I think Kelly, it starts with him. He’s a great leader, a great young man, and a great person. He understands, and he gets it. That’s just one of the reasons I’m so proud of him because he’s been a great example to his teammates. Everybody wants to be the guy, but everybody has to earn it, and he understands that. He handles it well. He’s embraced Chase (Brice) and Trevor (Lawrence) very well.”
Swinney on playing multiple quarterbacks
“I think it’s a year by year basis. I ain’t trying to keep nobody happy. I had two transfer. I had two quarterbacks who were here last year, who aren’t here anymore. So I ain’t trying to keep nobody happy, I’m not trying to keep nobody from transferring. I just wanna win, and the best player is going to play. I love all my players, and I try to encourage all these guys. I try to get them better year in and year out, but at the end of the day the best player is going to play.”
Swinney on playing big road games
“The same things that win at home, win on the road. It’s not any different. You take care of the ball. You physically win your match ups. You play with unbelievable effort. Your playmakers make plays. You’re sound in the kicking game. Then you’ve got a great chance to win. When you go on the road, that what I’ve tried to instill in our program here. How come all of sudden you’re not going to play well on the road. Fans don’t play. They can yell and be loud and that’s great, but what does that have to do with doing your job. You can either do your job or you can’t.”
