CLEMSON -- Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney met with members of the media again on Tuesday as part of his weekly news conference, this time to discuss his team's Saturday clash with No. 3 Florida State.
Swinney discussed numerous topics, as usual, as the Tigers ready for their second practice of the week ahead of facing the Seminoles.
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The following is an abbreviated transcript of Tuesday's presser.
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OPENING STATEMENTS: "Hard to believe this is our third home game already. Our crowd was awesome last week and we're going to need them this week. This is a great team coming in here this week. Two great programs in a rivalry game early in the season. This is Clemson - Florida State at its best. Mike Norvell has done a great job in building their program and putting it back together. They play hard and together. They have the right character and attitude.
"Their quarterback is a great player but he's also a great kid. He's a winner. He makes everyone around him better. He has a ton of character and it shines through him. I have a lot of respect for him and this team. It's a very experienced team on offense and defense. They have a bunch of guys up front who have played a lot, a dynamic group of backs and they're very physical. There is a lot of play-action and they move the pocket a ton. Their quarterback is a great creator. They have had a ton of explosive plays with his arms and legs. He can beat you in a lot of ways. They have dynamic playmakers ... No. 14, No. 4. They create a lot of challenges for us, for sure.
"Defensively they look like the Florida State teams I grew up watching. They sub guys in and out. They have physical downhill linebackers and guys in the secondary who make plays. Big and strong defensive front, athletic.
"We're excited about the challenge. We'll have to play well, for sure."
Q: What makes this rivalry so special?
SWINNEY: "I didn't know much about it prior to coming to here other than Deion Sanders and the puntrooskie. My first time being a part of it was in 2003, we were 5-4 and coming off a miserable time in my coaching life right after the loss to Wake Forest. Things were not really good here. I remember watching the tape and going holy moly. They were loaded. They were really good. Man we made a bunch of plays. Charlie Whitehurst played out of his mind. Our receivers made a bunch of plays. Somehow we made enough plays to win. If we didn't, I'm probably not sitting here. That's how my time started with them.
"Not a lot of success on the road against them. We won down there in 2006. We didn't win down there again for awhile, maybe 2016. We led almost the whole game in 2010 and their kicker kicked what looked like an 85-yarder to win the game.
"There have been huge moments, some big games. In 2009 we started out 2-3, went down to Miami and beat them when they were in the top 10. We played Florida State here and won. Them joining the ACC in 1992 and Bobby Bowden and Tommy Bowden here lifted the rivalry obviously. 2013 they smashed us here in the Valley. That was one of the worst football moments of my career. We've had divisions in the league since 2005 so we were in the same division, so that added to it. It was pretty much Clemson or Florida State for much of that time winning the division. So those things have driven a lot of what's in the rivalry.
"This is one of those games on paper that's a good matchup. This is a game where you better show up and be ready. It's great for the ACC when you have a lot of competitive balance. Our league is really good. We have a lot of good players and a bunch of great quarterbacks. This is another big battle along the way. This is typically a game of a few plays. They're all big. It's the biggest game of the year. You have to have that mindset if you're in my shoes, otherwise you're never going to be consistent. None of this matters if we go up to Syracuse next week and lay an egg."
Q: The fact that they're top five and you guys aren't, is there a chip on the shoulder for you?
SWINNEY: "No. We're not worried about none of the rankings stuff. We have played three ballgames. We lost our opener and Duke is undefeated. Florida State is undefeated. They have earned it. But they don't give trophies out after three games. There are several teams that aren't ranked who will finish ranked. None of that matters now, though. Who knows how good anybody is right now."
Q: When you face a wide receiver group who looks like they can post up for Leonard Hamilton, what kind of challenge does that present for your secondary?
SWINNEY: "It's not just having big wideouts but it's the totality of what they do. They're physical up front. It's all built on them staying on schedule on first down. You can't just stop this great receiver. They have a great running back and a dynamic quarterback. This is a complete offense in the run and pass. They create so many problems for you schematically. No. 14 is a giant. He has a humongous catch radius. No. 4 is a big, strong, dynamic player. Strong hands, strong runner and a return man as well.
"Elite players create problems. It's more than that, though. It's how they all put it together. They challenge you from a discipline standpoint. You will see competitive plays. You can't just line up and play zone against these guys. It'll come down to matchups and you have to win your matchups. We like our guys. We did not play well in the first and fourth quarter against these guys last year. We stunk. That's football."
Q: Do you anticipate Andrew Mukuba and Walker Parks being able to go this week?
SWINNEY: "We are hopeful. They're with us and working. I still say day-to-day. We'll see."
Q: You've added a new kicker?
SWINNEY: "How about that? Y'all already know before I know sometimes. Y'all get all the answers. We got my man Weitzy (Jonathan Weitz) coming back. We called him from the bullpen. We need a little bit of maturity there. I haven't lost any confidence in Robert Gunn. This guy is talented, freaky talented. He's just a young player, a freshman who has to work himself through a funk. And it started the week of the Duke game. He was amazing all through camp. This is a great kid who cares a lot. Sometimes you just need to catch your breath. We've had two other guys on the roster who haven't stepped up.
"Weitz, I found out he was in school. He was shocked to get a call from me on Sunday. It's either going to be a great story or it's going to be terrible. It won't be anything in between. He's got a boss up in New York pissed off at me. Weitz was in our program for four years and was our backup. He was just behind B.T. Potter. He spent the whole spring in France studying abroad and hanging out at the Eiffel Tower. He had a great summer and has his life planned out. He starts his job in two weeks and is graduating with his Masters. He's already got an apartment in New York.
"He was 7-for-8 yesterday and hadn't kicked a ball since April. Hopefully he'll be ready, but we have to have a change there. We'll see what happens."
Q: Will he start against Florida State?
SWINNEY: "Yes. He'll start. We have a long week of practice. Gunn will do kickoffs. He has no issues there. He just has to settle down. He's mad and trying so hard and kicking field goals like a kickoff. He'll work his way out of it. This is just mental and technical. He'll look back on it and go, 'Man, that was a crazy year.' But we have to give our guys something different.
"Y'all remember Catanzaro his freshman year. We had five games that came down to losing by six points or less. We knew we'd have to make some kicks. Just seemed like every game came down to a kick and we couldn't make a kick to save our life. And Catanzaro left as one of our best ever. And Robert is more talented than Catanzaro."
Q: What was the longest field goal conversion for Weitz yesterday?
SWINNEY: "He's pretty solid inside of 45. We're going to Syracuse next week, so maybe he can moonlight. If we have to have a long one, Robert would be the guy. We just need to make some layups right now. He's a full-time grad student now. We were fortunate he was available."
Q: How many people do you call when you have an idea like this?
SWINNEY: "I just found out that he was in school. I called him. That was it. I wanted to know if he would even be interested. Once we got to that point, he jumped in the car and drove up here. He called his parents along the way. That's really it. Then we got everything squared up with compliance and the AD. We have the acclimation period. He has to do three days in shorts, so he'll meet that timeline. He's a full-time grad student but was in Charleston, golfing, having fun and getting ready to start his career. He has a great job lined up in New York. It's a crazy situation. He said his boss was understanding and excited for him, so I appreciate that.
"Jonathan is a great kid. We actually have the same birthday. Great family. He came in as a preferred walk-on guy. He got better and better and was our backup to B.T. Potter. I think he was at total peace with his life. It's crazy how things work out. He's excited and he understands the opportunity. This is something he worked for for several years. Opportunities come in different ways.
"We'll see what happens. I don't know if my heart can take it if it comes down to a kick. He's a mature, grown man. He's kicked some. Where he is in life maturity-wise definitely helps him. I told him, 'Hey look, just make a great effort.' He's a smart kid. He's been a part of a national championship team and has had some great experiences. I just think he has good perspective. He'll give it everything he's got. And Robert has, too."
Q: What was your conversation like with Robert?
SWINNEY: "I told him I hadn't lost any confidence in him. He just needs to catch his breath. I told him I needed to give someone else an opportunity."
Q: Snapping been OK?
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SWINNEY: "Yes. It's been great. Really good."
Q: What's your team's mindset in practice this week?
SWINNEY: "We have a veteran team, a lot of maturity on this team. But again, they're all huge. There is more juice for some games, but they're all huge. You have to prepare the same every week otherwise you create inconsistency in your program. They were great at practice last night. It's another big battle this week. Every single battle we have on the schedule left will be huge. You have to be in the moment of where you are. We have to have the right mindset when it comes to preparation and how we attack that."
Q: You mentioned a lingering injury issue with Tink Kelley last night. Are you going to be able to use him, still?
SWINNEY: "We're going to see how he is. He did practice last night. We'll see how he goes today and tomorrow. He is a very talented kid, super dynamic. He's very similar to Tyler Brown. He is battling an injury he is trying to work through."
Q: Are you happy with Cade's progression to this point?
SWINNEY: "Yes, I am. He's just gotten better and better. It just comes with experience. He's very confident. He's got a great understanding. He knows where to go with the ball. Cade can really run. Every time he has an outing, he grows. He's a young player. This is another great opportunity for him to develop. He's got beautiful arm talent. He's gotten better every week and that's what you want. He's one of those guys that learns. He'll continue to. He has a great future and a great career ahead of him. Garrett has been pleased with him. The more he plays, the more comfortable he will get with all aspects of the position."
Q: Florida State seems to have hit on quite a few of their portal acquisitions.
SWINNEY: "It's no different than any other recruiting process. Just because you like them and evaluate them doesn't mean they like you. It's a two-way street. They have done a nice job of recruiting and identifying and filling some needs that they have."
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