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CLEMSON -- Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media Sunday evening in his first teleconference of the season and following the Tigers' 52-14 win over Georgia Tech last Thursday.

The Tigers are more than two-touchdown favorites over Texas A&M. The two teams will meet in Death Valley on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by ABC.

ALSO SEE: Our early look at Clemson - A&M | Big week ahead for Clemson | Our inside look at Clemson football through week one | Clemson's 2020 verbal commitments

The following is an edited transcript of Sunday evening's Q&A with Swinney and various members of the media.

SWINNEY'S OPENING STATEMENTS: "We've had an opportunity over the last two days to study ourselves and get a head start on A&M. I'm really proud of our team and our staff. We were focused, we were ready and were able to play a lot of people against an ACC opponent this early. That can really help us moving forward. A lot of good things in the game, but we were disappointed with penalties and turnovers. Outside of that, a pretty clean first game. We had great energy.

"Offensively, to be able to run the ball the way we did against a good ACC defense, that's huge for us moving forward. 411 yards rushing. If we can do that effectively, it'll set up explosive plays for us. We only had five yards lost. The defense got turnovers and we scored. When we turned it over, the defense stopped them. All in all, 52 points ... and playing a lot of guys.

"Defensively, four sacks and eight tackles for loss. We had a really good start and with so many new people. They responded incredibly well. When the turnovers came, they didn't give up any points. The fourth-down stops, third down defense, the goal line, just great. We played hard. It was fun to see a lot of new people in the game. Tyler Davis was outstanding. To see him in his first start, he was really good. Most of their yardage came on four plays and they were very correctable things. Some missed tackles, but I'm proud of the preparation we had.

"Our special teams play was outstanding. To the start the way we did was outstanding. Will Spiers doesn't get a lot of opportunities to flip the field, but he launched that ball up there almost five seconds. We had two other punts that pinned them inside of the 20. Kickoff coverage was outstanding. Punt return was solid. Joe Ngata had one big one there on kick return to give us good field position. To hit a 51-yard field goal was good for B.T. Potter's confidence.

"A good start. We're 1-0, which is where we wanted to be. Now it's about getting into the rhythm of the season and having a normal week. A huge challenge this week.

"Injury-wise, we came through pretty well."

Q: Early impressions of Texas A&M?

SWINNEY: "We just got one tape from this year but had an extensive summer study on them. They're really talented. They have recruited very well. They're well coached. Their quarterback is a really good player. He hurt us last year. They have outstanding skill and big guys up front on both sides. This will be as good a secondary as we will see all year. They are a really good team coming off a good year in Jimbo Fisher's first year. They're going to be one of the better teams in their league. They're talented enough and have everything they need to beat us."

Q: Talk about Amari Rodgers and his status after he went through warmups last Thursday.

SWINNEY: "I think he's in a good place. I think he's really close. We'll see. He's definitely ahead of schedule. He's doing great."

Q: Could he possibly play this weekend?

SWINNEY: "I think his timeline has moved up. I would say anything is possible at this point."

Q: What is it about Kellen Mond that makes him so dangerous?

SWINNEY: "He's big. He can really run. His progression as a passer, Jimbo has done a great job with him. He can really throw the football. He's going to be very well-coached and schooled up. He knows their system very well. He played great against us in his second game in that system last year. He's an excellent leader. He's got great instincts. He can beat you throwing and passing and that is a challenge."

Q: Your thoughts on Trevor Lawrence making a play there near the goal line, a physical play, that saved a touchdown on the interceptions. Talk about balancing being aggressive with being smart as well.

SWINNEY: "You want to be smart but you don't want to let the other team score. As a player, you have to make the play required for your team. It gave us a chance to play goal line defense and create a turnover. You can't play this game scared. Yeah, you have to be smart. He's not looking for unnecessary hits. But it's a physical game. That was the play that was required at the time. You can't worry about all that stuff."

Q: You've had a number of players who have stuck around for four, five years and have gotten their chance. A guy who comes to mind is Denzel Johnson.

SWINNEY: "Yeah. I was super proud of Denzel. I think we were his only division I offer. He was someone we saw some good qualities in. If he was willing to work, I felt he could develop into a good player. He has put the work in and has stayed the course. I thought he became a good player last year. He is considered a starter for us. I'm super proud of him. It's great to see guys develop, especially a guy no one offered a scholarship to on this level. Nolan Turner is another one. Both are playing at a high level on a great team and both have earned it."

Q: With guys like that, is there a special place in your heart?

SWINNEY: "Yeah. Absolutely. I like to see a guy like Hunter Renfrow or guys who weren't highly recruited. They serve as great examples to their teammates. It's a reminder that this is a developmental game. Once you get here, none of the recruiting stuff matters. You have to go do it."

Q: Can you expand on Tyler Davis' performance?

SWINNEY: "He was outstanding. He played close to 30 snaps. He graded close to 80-percent. He graded a winner. He had three tackles, two assists, a TFL, a sack. He looked like a veteran. And that's what we have seen in practice. To see him take that to the field in that environment was great to see. I'm just so impressed with him. That's why he ran out there first. I think he graded the highest of our tackles and he is a true freshman."

Q: In fall camp you said you wanted to see your team play to see what you had. What are a few things you can now say that you've definitely got.

SWINNEY: "First of all we've got a team. We've got a good group of guys who like each other and support each other. It's so fun to see players get excited about their peers' success. That's awesome. We've developed the chemistry that I felt like we needed to have. And we're talented. We're a young, but talented team and we're going to get better. We have a team that is focused and excited and ready to play. Those are all positive things. We dominated the first game, but made enough mistakes to teach off of. We have a lot of things to correct. A lot of guys did not grade a winner. I love our special teams. We've worked really hard in that area. We've got a team that will respond."

Q: Can you talk about A&M's defense?

SWINNEY: "We've only got one game for this year. Looking at the people they've got back, their secondary is great. Their corners are long. It's a big boy matchup on the edges. Their defensive coordinator does a great job schematically. We have a long history with him from his time at Wake. They're big up front. They have recruited very well. They have a lot to work with and they are well-coached. A lot of speed on the perimeter. They're going to be a handful."

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