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CLEMSON -- In conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media Sunday in a 4 p.m. zoom call ahead of next Saturday's ACC Championship Game versus North Carolina.
The Tigers (10-2, 8-0), an 8-point favorite over the Tar Heels (9-3, 6-2), have a conference-leading 20 ACC Championships.
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The following is an abbreviated transcript of Sunday's zoom call with Swinney.
OPENING STATEMENTS: "We're excited to be back in this game, represent the Atlantic and be in the great city of Charlotte. It's a big goal of ours. We're excited about the opportunity. We have great respect for Coach (Mack) Brown and the job he has done at North Carolina and the year they have had. They have a lot of dynamic playmakers, none more so than their quarterback who has had a Heisman-type year. Should be a great atmosphere."
Q: An epic meeting the last time you faced UNC up in Chapel Hill. What do you remember about that game and also your thoughts on Mack Brown since he has been back?
Non-football-related & off topics
SWINNEY: "He has done an amazing job, building a culture and solidfying their organization. It has impacted their recruiting which ultimately impacts the product on the field. They have a lot of great players and an excellent staff. That game was a crazy day. I believe it was an early game. It came down to the last play. Our guys made a great play. Maybe Skalski was in on that play. Isaiah Simmons might have been on it. It was a tough, hard-fought game, as was the last time we played them in the ACC Championship game because it came down to an onside kick. I have a lot of respect for Coach Brown and their program."
Q: When you reviewed the tape from yesterday's game, how much of the struggles were on DJ and how much were on the receivers? Do you have a clearer idea today?
SWINNEY: "Oh yeah, a much clearer idea. It was a combination of a lot of things. One time early we had Briningstool wide open and we get hit. We did not do a great job of protecting on that play. We missed a throw to Antonio who was open. We hit a couple more and we dropped them. We had critical drops and missed plays. Those things add up. We had turnovers and empty possessions and you're out of rhythm. It's a recipe for getting beat. Our kids competed. I love how they competed. We just have to congratulate South Carolina.
"We had plenty of opportunities to win it. The turnovers really hurt us and caught up with us. We gave up a lot on defense. D.J. had some plays he'd like to have back but he's a long way away from being the only reason we lost the game. He doesn't return kicks, play safety and catch the ball. I still love how they competed. We competed all the way to the end. We didn't get a chance there at the end with a fumble on the kickoff return. I just congratulate South Carolina and Shane. They just won it."
Q: In addition to the passing game, what else stood out to you about yesterday after watching it again today?
SWINNEY: "Again, missed plays, turnovers and then some critical big plays on defense where we just didn't do what we needed to do. They made us pay for it. We had a couple of miscues up front as well. Just a combination of all those things. It's a rivalry game so it can come down to a few plays. Missed opportunities, turnovers, drops. Even with all the things we had that went on, we still had a chance there at the end. Special teams, the two returns where we had no returns ... those were empty possessions. Field position was tough. Their punter was tremendous.
"I know we like to focus on the bad when we lose the game, but we did a lot of good things, too. We had plenty of opportunities. We have to give their guys credit, too. They were behind the entire game but they kept battling. We weren't able to respond to their field goal there at the end. We had three big drops that I felt like could have made a difference for us. It just wasn't our day."
Q: Can you share how you're moving forward with the quarterback situation this week? Is DJ still the guy?
SWINNEY: "He's still the starter. DJ was a long way away from being the reason we lost the game, that’s for sure. He doesn’t return kicks and play safety and catch the ball. He can only control his part.
"He's got his share of things he can do better. But he will definitely start the game."
Q: You're dealing with the loss to South Carolina for the first time since 2013 and the first home loss in 40 games. What do you do to make sure you get over this one and this doesn't fester?
SWINNEY: "We'll move on like we have always done. The last time we lost, we went back to work. This is what you do. This is a championship game, another great venue and a great environment. You keep good perspective. You learn and you teach. You make sure your guys understand what is reality and what is not, especially at a place like Clemson when you lose the game. I wish we would have won eight in a row but we didn't. At some point you have to give South Carolina credit. As I said yesterday, there is probably a reason why no one has won eight in a row. We have had a lot of great days. We don't linger around in wins or losses. We just go to work."
Q: You said that Drake Maye was having a Heisman-type season. You have competed against and coached some of the best this league has ever seen. Does he have some of the same characteristics you saw with Trevor Lawrence and Jameis Winston?
SWINNEY: "Absolutely. He's a great one. He can only do his job, right? Teams win, but he has all the attributes. We loved him. We recruited him and offered him out of high school. He's a winner. He's got a great, competitive streak to him. He has a lot of confidence that he can make the play required. He has a high football IQ. He's an excellent leader. He can move around and run with it. He's a complete player at that position."
Q: Do you adjust some team goals in the wake of yeserday?
SWINNEY: "Not really. We have two goals left. We want to win the ACC and win the closer. We have a chance to hit four out of our five goals. Do that and we will have had a great year. We set goals to allow us to compete at the highest level. We still have an opportunity to hit four of our five preseason goals. It's a huge goal for us to win the league. When we have won the league, it has always led to bigger things. Not winning the state championship a couple of times in the past has kept us out of some bigger opportunities. When we've hit all five, we have won it all a couple of times. That's why they are what they are. We have two goals left - win the ACC and win the closer. Hit those two goals and we will have had a heck of a year at Clemson."
Q: You said last night that you wished you had gotten Shipley the ball more. Can you talk about the reasons he didn't get it more?
SWINNEY: "There are some read things where it didn't happen and then the play call didn't go to him here or there. We had a missed possession there at the end. We had some missed plays that happened. Hindsight is 20/20 for sure. I wish we could have gone back and done a couple of those."
Q: Coach Streeter said after the game that wide receivers didn't particularly win against man coverage. Any reason why so much struggles there?
SWINNEY: "There were several times where they won and we dropped it or we missed the throw or the protection let us down. They did a good job of playing some outside, technique leverage and we came back and Beaux made them pay. Then he got hurt. Definitely not our best day."
Q: You have a negative turnover margin in your last five games. Any common denominator there and how much of a concern is it going into this weekend?
SWINNEY: "It's a huge concern. If we lose the margin this week, we'll lose the game. When we have lost to these guys (South Carolina), that's been the common denominator. We when we lost five in a row to them, we lost 15 turnovers to their three. It's a big concern going into this game and it's frustrating. It's fundamental stuff ... guys getting the ball out and away from their body. It's been an issue. We've also shown that we can do an outstanding job. The first seven games, we had three turnovers. We're very fortunate to be 3-2 in those five games where we have lost the margin. It's amazing that we have been able to overcome that and had an opportunity yesterday but just didn't get it done."
Q: Speaking of turnovers, what about the gadget play on the kickoff return? Where did that play come from?
SWINNEY: "It's something we've had and we felt it was a good time to do it. He kind of got tripped up there. He had the ball out from his body and it came loose there. He's one of the best players we have and I'd hand it to him over and over. We have to coach and play our way through it. It's a huge disappointment right now. We had all the momentum after the safety and you're up nine with a chance to get good field position and then it's an empty possession. We felt good about the return late and us having a great kicker and then we turn it over. That's football. When you compete in this arena ... hey, we've been more blessed than not. It has bounced our way a lot. That was a tough play for us."
Q: Did you put that play in yourself?
SWINNEY: "We put that play in. We've had it in for much of the year. It's been in our background for a long time."
Q: A day later, your evaluation of the safety position? Mukuba?
SWINNEY: "He had a rough day. Listen man, I love that kid. He has battled all year. He didn't practice Monday and Tuesday. He has had a little bit of a sore knee. He is an incredible competitor. It's a game he is gong to want to forget. Plenty of fundamental things and eye and technique things. He'll have a lot more good days than bad days in the game of football because he is a great player. When you play that position, there is nowhere to hide at times. You don't get those plays back but you can learn from them and that's exactly what he will do. It's a one-person route. It's one of those plays in the game that was a very difficult play. They got us on a double-move later as well. Tough day. JP got banged up and he came out and had to go back in. I will say that about our guys. I saw a bunch of brothers out there competing for each other. They kept believing. That's all you can ask of these guys. No one wants to win more than them. You want to compete for this league title now. That's our focus now."
Q: How do you feel like Cade has been doing in practice and developing this year?
SWINNEY: "Doing good. Doing really good."
Q: Dave Doeren has said that December has turned into one of his least-favorite months of the year with roster management and the portal. How do you personally manage that?
SWINNEY: "It's a lot because you have recruiting. They made this a dead week (for recruiting). You've got bowl prep and there is always a lot of travel and plane time. We'll have two weeks to recruit, so we'll be busy with that. A week of that will be all recruiting and then another week will be recruiting and practice. You may practice in the morning and then go recruiting at night. We have signing day on Wednesday, the 21st. Fortunately for us, our class is almost done. We have a lot of guys who have committed and a lot of guys who will be in early in January. We have a clear picture of what our class will look like. Then you have the added piece with the portal which creates a different deal. Now your roster can look very different by the time you reach your bowl game. Everyone has to deal with it. You manage it the best you can."
BLACK FRIDAY Weekend SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: Get a full year of Tigerillustrated.com, The No. 1 Authority On Clemson Football & Recruiting, for just $22 or $1.83 a month! That's a 78% discount!!!
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Offer valid through 11.28.22
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