CLEMSON | Sunday evening Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media in his weekly teleconference, this time to speak more on his team's 17-14 win over Syracuse and also look ahead to a week of preparation ahead of next Saturday's matchup with No. 23 Pitt (5-1, 2-0).
The No. 24-ranked Tigers (4-2, 3-1) are a 3.5-4-point underdog to the Panthers. The two teams will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET next Saturday in a game televised by ESPN.
Become a subscriber at Tigerillustrated.com!
The following is an abbreviated transcript from Swinney's Sunday evening teleconference.
ALSO SEE: Clemson: Who they are | Clemson's tempo task | It's that kind of season | Too close for comfort | Late-week Recruiting Insider | Clemson's verbal commitments
OPENING STATEMENTS: "Great win by our guys against Syracuse, a division opponent. We certainly made it hard on ourselves in a lot of areas. We have a resilient team. We have had four straight one possession games. The guys are playing hard. It is frustrating to see us struggle offensively and miss so many opportunities, but we have to keep grinding. Sooner or later we will work our way through it. It's all about winning, though, and we won on the road, so I am proud of that. Guys are playing hard and compete.
"No turnovers, and that's two games in a row which is a positive. We had red zone touchdowns. I thought D.J. had his best game. We had five drops and he missed a couple of throws. But two games in a row and I think he is heading in the right direction. Trotter did a solid job, outside of the obvious (snap). Davis Allen was tremendous. We did make some big plays but again, too many missed opportunities. The drops were huge and the snap was critical. We had some missed blocks, especially outside at receiver. Just overall consistency is an area where we have to improve. It takes 11, not eight or nine or ten.
"Defensively, the name of the game is points and we did hold them to 14 points. Our coverage wasn't as good. It's the worst we have been in the rush game as far as yards-per-carry. We held them to 26 yards overall in the second half, so we made some good adjustments there. We had several PBU's, most on the season, but we also gave up the biggest pass play on the season. The interception was huge. We had several missed tackles that cost us. They were two-for-two on fourth down. A lot of mistakes, but again, guys kept battling and competing.
"Our special teams have been the difference in the game the last two weeks. We did some good things there.
"Again, not pretty but a win is a win. I'm proud of our resilience. We will have to play a lot better this week. This is a really good team we are getting ready to play. We will have to play a lot cleaner.
"Injury-wise, from that game we are in a pretty good spot. Hopefully we will get some guys back for this week."
Q: Is Will Shipley at a point where he might be back now?
SWINNEY: "I don't know. I haven't seen him since we got back from Syracuse. We'll see where he is tomorrow and go from there."
Q: Did you watch any of Pitt yesterday? This year?
SWINNEY: "Oh yeah. I saw a good bit of it. They're a good team. Their quarterback is special. He is a sixth-year guy, smart, efficient, he has 21 touchdowns and one pick. He keeps them out of trouble. He is a true dual-threat guy. They have excellent receivers. That No. 3 is probably the best we have seen all year. They're top 10 nationally in offense. We will have our hands full with this bunch. Very experienced, confident, group. Pickett is the highest-rated quarterback in college football. Defensively, they're aggressive and in your face. They also have a veteran group with a lot of depth. They're going to challenge you. That No. 8 for them inside is a great player."
Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone message board!
Q: There was a lot of mixing and matching up front on offense again Friday night. Any combination where you say that's going to work? Are you at that point yet?
SWINNEY: "That's kind of been the story of the year. We're musical chairs on the offensive line. We've had three different centers and we have had injuries. Not great continuity. We felt great coming out of the BC game and then boom, Rayburn is out. Trotter hadn't played all year and then he plays 70-something snaps Friday. Jordan McFadden is our best player. There is no question about that. He's been a great player for us all year. Bockhorst was consistent Friday. Walker did not have a very good game but only practiced two days the last two weeks (concussion). Same thing with Putnam."
Q: You mentioned dropped passes. It is rare for your program but it's been a theme all season. What do you attribute that to?
SWINNEY: "It is beyond frustrating. We have practiced well. Early on we were missing plays. Now the quarterback is putting the ball on the money. The second series and that's going to be a 50-yard play. Nobody is around Ross. Ross just kind of stepped funny and lost his focus on the ball. We had the crazy snap, we overcome third and 16 and then we don't make the catch. Just frustrating because I know we are better than that. We made some plays, too, now. That play Ross made down on the goal line was unbelievable. He must have been 15 feet up in the air. That play Joe had in the end zone was great. We're just in a funk now and have to keep working our way through it."
Q: You said you felt good about the offensive line in the preseason. Has it been injuries or guys just not playing as well as you thought they would?
SWINNEY: "We thought Tayquon, John Williams and Dietrick were going to be a factor but they're out for the year. We've had other injuries, too. And then it's just continuity and chemistry. Some guys have played well. The biggest thing is just musical chairs every week, but you know that's where we are. I like our guys. We've had some youth and experience that has hurt us some but we'll come out of the other side better."
Q: Do you know if Rayburn will be able to go Saturday?
SWINNEY: "No. He'll be out."
Q: Where is D.J. now? How would you assess where he is now?
SWINNEY: "He graded a winner and took care of the ball two weeks in a row. He missed one but otherwise put the ball on the money. He really managed the game well, ran the ball effectively, got us in the right calls and like I said, he made some beautiful throws. That's really two games in a row where he has taken a step forward. Now, we've just got to be better around him."
Q: Do you still feel like you're getting close (to breaking out) on offense?
SWINNEY: "We're a lot closer than people on the outside think. It's just a matter of finishing on some plays and getting 11 guys together. Everyone has to be on the same page. Just communication and continuity with 11 guys getting their jobs done. It's all a reflection of us as coaches. Player performance ... we (coaches) are responsible for that.
"Everyone is working their butts off. I feel like I am back in 2010 again. We lost five games by six points or less that year. This group, at least, is finding a way to win. So I am proud of that and we are doing some good things but we are nowhere near where we need to be or can be. We just have to put it all together."
****************************************
**** ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS: You can now read the premium message boards at Gamecockcentral.com, Warchant.com, UGASports.com and other sites in the Rivals.com network. Click HERE to get access to their premium message boards!
