CLEMSON -- Tuesday morning Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with members of the media at his weekly news conference, this time to field questions on his team's final regular-season game, a matchup with rival South Carolina.
The Tigers (10-1, 8-0), a 14.5-point favorite, host the Gamecocks (7-4, 4-4) Saturday for a noon kickoff.
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The following is an abbreviated transcript of Swinney's Tuesday presser.
OPENING STATEMENTS: "Happy Thanksgiving everybody. We have a lot to be thankful for. I’m thankful for this team when you look at the amount of work they have put in since last January. They’re great young people who have battled their tails off all year.
"This is a season unto itself now. It’s all about this week. Shane Beamer has done a great job. What a huge win for them this past week. They played their best game and we played our best game. We’re two good teams coming off big wins. Both teams have some confidence.
“Defensively, they have a lot of talented guys, a lot of guys we recruited throughout that defense, especially up front. They’re mostly a four-down team. They do things coverage-wise to challenge you.
"Offensively, I don't know that I've seen a team get hotter than they were last week. They made a ton of plays. Their quarterback was outstanding. Unbelievable. He was incredibly accurate. Great timing and anticipation. Their receivers really showed what they are capable of last week. They really put it together last week against a really good team. They're very experienced up front. They have a bunch of guys outside. They have played a lot of ball. Their tight end is everywhere. They have really good backs. It's a talented group.
"Special teams, they have been outstanding. It's been the difference for them in a couple of games for sure.
"We're excited about the week and getting back in the valley. I hope our crowd will show up and get behind this team. I know a lot of people don't like a noon game but we need the best crowd we've ever had. Let's have everyone ready. Get here Friday if you need to.
"Our focus is finishing strong and trying to play our best four quarters. There is a lot to manage this week with Thanksgiving and families in town. We want to prepare the best we can. It's a fun, fun week for everyone. All across the country it's rivalry week. Alabama - Auburn game week was always my favorite week of the year. This is my 19th Clemson - South Carolina game. Everybody is paying attention."
Q: A lot of people try to downplay the rivalry at different places. You don't. You embrace it. Why?
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SWINNEY: "Because I grew up in Alabama. You grow up there and that's it. I've said many times, you don't leave the hospital without declaring an allegiance. They put it on your birth certificate. It was my whole life until I came to Clemson. I get it. I know how it is. I know how important it is. I've experienced every side of it. It's exactly the same at South Carolina as it is in Alabama. When I first hit the road recruiting in 2003, people didn't know me. Soon as I walked in a school, half of those people didn't like me. Coming here was a natural thing for me. It just felt normal that people don't like you. People instantly judge you because you have a logo on your shirt. That was normal to me. I've won big in these games and lost big. It's special. It means a lot to a lot of people. It never gets old."
Non-football-related & off topics
Q: Danny Ford said this week that the 2008 game was the cherry on top for you. How do you remember that game?
SWINNEY: "I'm not here if not for that game. I remember it being gloomy. It was a noon game but it felt like 6. It was such a blur going in. I knew if we won the game, Terry Don was going to have enough clout to give me a chance. I knew if we lost, he was going to have to fight harder. I don't know what would have happened. Winning that game just kind of solidified the opportunity. It was a great day for sure. I will never forget that day. Ever. A special moment and a special day the next day. I came over the next day and met with Terry Don and Billy D and President Barker."
Q: It's been nine years since you lost to your rival. Talk about the sense of loss to players in a situation like that and what you remember.
SWINNEY: "It doesn't matter what records are or streaks. You have to play well. They will get our best and we will get their best. It comes down to execution, though. You can't get distracted. The most fired up team isn't going to win. It's the team that executes the best. That's who wins. We've got great respect for them. I think Shane has done an amazing job. You see a team with a lot of energy and belief. We have to play well. You have to earn it."
Q: The specific low point for you in this rivalry?
SWINNEY: "2013. Five in a row and six turnovers. Steve Spurrier thought we had a better team. I thought we had the better team. Spurrier called me the next day almost apologizing. When you lose this game, it stinks. Period. You can win 20 in a row, if you lose it, it stinks. When you win it, it's great. It's been that way forever in a rivalry game. That was a disappointing day. We had six turnovers and still had a chance late."
Q: Speaking of turnovers, talk about your latest rash of turnovers. What do you do differently this week (in preparation)?
SWINNEY: "Davis and Briningstool have never fumbled. Guys put good hits on the ball and we lost them. You stress fundamentals and you play hard. It's one of those things we play our way out of. We've been getting takeaways, too."
Q: Rattler struggled a lot this year but might have just had the best game of his career. You additional thoughts on what he did Saturday?
SWINNEY: "He was awesome. He made some throws that you cannot defend. He made some beautiful plays, he extended some plays and his guys made a ton of plays. He's a five-star quarterback for a reason and a starter at Oklahoma for a reason. He's a really talented player. We've seen a bunch of them this year. He's definitely got all the tools."
Q: Any similartieis between him and D.J. from your perspective?
SWINNEY: "Probably. They made a change at Oklahoma and he moved on. Quarterbacks get a lot of blame sometimes. D.J. didn't play well at times last year but we weren't very good around him either. Rattler is a very talented player. Both have had their ups and downs. Outside of two games, D.J. has played well for us. He's a winner and a great leader. He's committed. I don't know Spencer but I have a lot of respect for him as a player."
Q: Did they do some things different with Rattler Saturday?
SWINNEY: "They took a lot of shots. He made some throws - max protection, they blocked them and they caught what he threw. He got the ball to their backs in the flats. He hit a third and 20 and a third and 17 on some deep crossers."
Q: How would you characterize D.J. as a runner now?
SWINNEY: "He's just confident now. He's gone from a guy who wasn't very confident running the ball to now. He's faster than you think. He's more athletic than you think. He's big and strong and breaks a lot of tackles. He's 238 pounds, so he's tough to get down. He's got a good understanding of how to set things up. He has good vision as a runner. He's not Barry Sanders but he's got good vision and can see it. He has just worked really hard at it."
Q: Your seniors are dealing with a lot of emotions this week. Do you have conversations with them about that this week?
SWINNEY: "We kind of do that last week. With Thanksgiving and a lot of families coming in, it's been better to do that the previous week. We try to make this all about the game. Certainly they know it's their last game in the valley so we want to play well. We want to finish the right way and with no regrets. There will be plenty of time to reflect later."
Q: Your thoughts on Marcus Tate's improvement this year?
SWINNEY: "Incredible improvement year over year. The game was fast for him last year. He could play left tackle for us. He practiced a lot at left tackle this year. He's a great kid and has grown. I'm disappointed that he's not going to finish but I am thankful that he played 11 games. It's not an ACL. He'll bounce back and be ready to roll."
Q: What is it about Trenton Simpson that makes him so effective in space?
SWINNEY: "You don't see many guys at 240 who can accelerate like him. He's strong and very natural in space. He's got two years of experience at it. He's got nine games inside the box, which is different. The best thing for our team now, though, is to do what we are doing now with him at SAM. He was pretty productive in that role. He can come off the edge, run people down, he can cover and is a unique talent. He'll most likely be an in-the-box guy at the next level."
Q: Where do you stack up your schedule against CFP playoff contenders?
SWINNEY: "It's hard to win. There are a lot of narratives that people put out there. All you have to do is pay attention, though. It's hard to win consistently. Any team can have a bad day. I mean any team. It's a tough, tough game and there is a lot of parity. Anybody can have a bad day."
Q: Beaux Collins availability for Saturday?
SWINNEY: "He's going to be ready, ready to roll."
Q: The challenges of facing Jaheim Bell at running back?
SWINNEY: "I don't think they want him to be their tailback but they're trying to win. It shows their confidence in him and how talented he is. It shows good coaching. They've gone to some wildcat stuff, they've gotten Joyner back involved. He's a good player and a good decision-maker back there. Bell is a big dude when he's back there. I think they've just done what they need to do to be successful."
Q: How was Randall in practice yesterday with the broken bone in his hand?
SWINNEY: "He has strong fingers and it's going to be protected. He did fine. We'll see how he is on Saturday. Hopefully he'll get used to it this week. Ball security is a concern, though, if you watch our last few games."
Q: Mack Brown said this week he is already hearing from players who intend to transfer. Do you feel the transfer portal windows are helping some?
SWINNEY: "Guys are going to leave regardless of when. We've had a couple of guys leave already. They're going. It doesn't matter when they go in officially. It doesn't really affect anything. At least you have a window, I guess, where you can say it's official. If guys are going to leave, they're going to leave. Right now, we're focused on South Carolina. I'm not focused on any of that stuff."
Q: Watching the film, what did Tennessee not do defensively against South Carolina?
SWINNEY: "They missed some big tackles which led to some big plays. Coverage issues. I didn't think they affected the quarterback who was very comfortable. He had a lot of time to get comfortable. They didn't make the competitive plays. It seemed like every play where they were in a position to make, they didn't make."
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Q: Was there a moment during recruiting where you felt Shipley was going to be a great fit for you?
SWINNEY: "First time I met him when he came to our camp. It was early. Just watching him work, his presence, spending time with his family. He's got an energy and a confidence to him. You just see it and feel it and then watch the tape and it's like holy smokes. We knew he was special when we had him in camp. He was just different from the get-go."
Q: Anything unique about Antonio Williams' demeanor? The difference between his demeanor and Shipley's?
SWINNEY: "He's the opposite of Shipley. You see Shipley and hear him. You hear him when he's not on the field because he's yelling and cheering. That's who he is. Antonio, you never hear him. He's quiet, about-his-business, confident ... very confident. He has never carried himself like a freshman. He has a lot of knowledge and wisdom, especially from a technical aspect. The game has never been fast for him. Once he learned our offense and terminology, he took off. He got the mechanics of the offense down just like that. He's ultra-competitive. You'd just never know he's in the room. You'd never notice him until he gets on the field. He loves to compete and play. Shipley is not cool and calm. He's angry on the field and a ball of energy. He's the biggest supporter of everybody else."
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