CLEMSON -- Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney again addressed members of the media late Tuesday morning at his weekly news conference.
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The Tigers (2-1, 1-0) are preparing to face new conference member Stanford (2-1, 1-0) Saturday night in Death Valley.
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The following is an abbreviated transcript of Tuesday's presser.
OPENING STATEMENTS: "We have another opportunity at home this week ... Homecoming, too, which is always a big deal here on campus. There will be a lot of people coming back to campus. We don't get many of these days. Every day we get in the Valley is special. Our fans have really supported us through these first two games at home.
"It's another undefeated team in our league coming in here. We want to build momentum. Good football team. This is a well-coached team and on both sides of the ball. They play hard. They play hard with great effort in all three phases. That, to me, is a reflection of the respect of their coach. They're fundamentally sound. They compete their tails off. We have to match the energy and effort they play with.
"Offensively they have a lot of experience up front. They have a very good quarterback, one of the better athletes we will see at that position. He can run and throw and they do a great job schematically with him. They have three really good backs, too. This quarterback, though, he makes them go. He's got some weapons outside, too. No. 13 ... he's a superstar. He is a great, great, player. They have a really good tight end, too. Schematically, they do a great job of utilizing the gifts of this quarterback. He can move. They're going to run him and they're going to boot him all day to create some space and explosives down the field. We have to cover them and also do a great job in the screen game.
"Defensively, they're stout up front. They play really hard. They move around a lot. They have shown a good bit of three and four-down. We have to do a great job of ID'ing these guys. These guys don't let up. From the opening snap to the last play, they have the same level of intensity."
Q: This is just the second time in history a team from the West coast has come to Death Valley. Does that feel weird?
SWINNEY: "So Long Beach State (the other one). It's kind of crazy. One of my great friends in this business is David Shaw. I've got to call him this week. Here we are. That's the newness of this era of college football. There will be some matchups traditionally that won't happen as much but some new, intriguing matchups, too."
Q: No. 13, their wideout, he seems to use his body well and is a twitch guy.
SWINNEY: "No question. He has great ball skills. He's elite in his break points and has great drive off the ball. He's a finisher. He makes contested catches. He's a very good player. You better know where he is at all times. Very impressed with him."
Q: They're really good at stopping the run. Do they just devote numbers to it or ...
SWINNEY: "They mix it up. We want to ID them up front well but also ID how they're going to play us on the back end. They'll do what they need to do to stop the run. They're freaking tough up front. They're thick and strong and know how to penetrate. They move around. If you really watch them, they have a lot of unblocked dudes. They have some twitchy guys off the edge, too. They've got some speed. It's a good group up front."
Q: Injury-wise, how are Peter and Tyler now?
SWINNEY: "Doing well. Still day to day. Getting better everyday."
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Q: Peter was listed out for sure last week but Tyler wasn't, yet he didn't play. What happened there?
SWINNEY: "He (Tyler) was close. He did pregame (warm-ups). He just wasn't quite ready. Peter, we knew, wasn't going to be available for that one. But again, he's still day to day. Hopefully he'll be ready to go this week."
Q: Is it more about sustaining explosiveness this week or is there something more you need to see from your offense?
SWINNEY: "It's about creating consistency in our performance. You don't get to carry touchdowns over to the next game. Our quarterback is playing really well. You won't score 59 points every game but you want consistent execution and not doing things that beat yourself ... penalties, not lining up right, turnovers. We won't be perfect but we need consistency. If we can continue that, you'll have a chance to have a good year."
Q: How does your preparation change when you face a team where you have no history?
SWINNEY: "It doesn't. It's still football. It doesn't matter who you play. You play teams, logos, but the players change. You have more familiarity with their scheme or their coaches, but that's what you prepare all week for. They're 3-1 and have played four games. They've got tape we can study so you get some identity. It's just football. You prepare for what they do. It comes back to us and how we prepare, execute and adjust and win matchups."
Q: What did you see from your offensive line Saturday?
SWINNEY: "We've played three games and have not given up a sack. Mafah averaged 15-something a carry. We had about 8.2 yards a carry. Just great preparation, great physicality and they're really together up front. As we felt coming in, we've got some good functional depth there. We have some guys who can do some stuff for us and we're developing some younger guys, too. Hopefully we can stay healthy. They'll give us a chance every week. You're seeing the work that they have put in. Blake is a third-year starter. Tristan is a red-shirt junior. Linthicum is a redshirt junior. Parks is a fifth-year player. We're starting to put it all together."
Q: Do you feel your wideouts are blocking better downfield thus far?
SWINNEY: "Oh yes. No question. Good execution. Everyone is winning their matchups. Adam had a great man-to-man runoff. Wesco did, too. Those guys take a lot of pride. Big plays in the running game come from guys straining downfield. I tell our guys that all the time."
Q: How is Collin Sadler's injury? Wesco? DeMonte Capehart?
SWINNEY: "All getting better. Collin is day to day. Wesco is back practicing. He's a little sore. If we had to have him, we could have put him back in. Capehart is getting better everyday, too."
Q: How beneficial do you think it is to have played so many guys over the last two weeks?
SWINNEY: "It's a good situation but frustrating, too, because you want to continue to play to a high standard. It's a great opportunity to develop your team. To play as many as we've played so far, it's a blessing for us. We're coaching these backups like they're starters. Hopefully it'll be beneficial to us down the road. There will be some of those guys we will really need later."
Q: Watching the broadcast, there seems to be some happy moments between you and Garrett Riley. How does it make you feel to see him have some success early after what you went through last year?
SWINNEY: "It's been awesome. Last year we missed a lot of opportunities. We see things differently than the person on the outside looking in. We know our players and we know how close we have been on some things. So it's fun to see players put it together. We saw this in the spring and in fall camp. It's great for it to come to fruition. We have so many guys involved in it, too. Hopefully we can keep it going. You should get better. And we've taken another step. Now it's about developing consistency week in and week out. I wish I could say we'll score 60 points every game. That'd be great. Sign me up for that. I just want us to play consistent."
Q: With what you have known about your team all along, what you're saying now and you go back to the UGA game and people were saying the game had passed you by and you were not recruiting the portal ... and you were even criticized by someone for the racial makeup of your offensive players, do you at this point want to stick it to them?
SWINNEY: "No. I couldn't care less what people say. I don't let any of that in my mind. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody. I'm just trying to love these guys here, man. I just want us in the best position to win. I don't need validation from anybody. I know who I am and where I've been and where I am going. None of that stuff bothers me. People say whatever they want. We've created a society where people are attacking one another, destroying people and creating narratives. I just rise above it. I don't participate in any of that stuff.
"It's not about what you say or they say but it's about what you do. What you do is a reflection of what you believe. Growth follows belief. Your belief will drive your habits and how you think ... half full or half empty. You have to create a belief that is greater than your fear that you can't. If you live your life from the outside in, you'll won't accomplish anything.
"It's sad that it's OK in our society to destroy and attack people, making things up and having no accountability. When I was young, beat writers, reporters would call you and they'd say look I'm going to run this story. I just want to make sure I have it right. Now, people just write stuff that they heard from their Aunt Jean at the grocery store. My coach told me in high school that 'I heard' and 'they said' are the two biggest liars in America.
"It's sad ... the way we almost celebrate attacking people in our society. It's especially hard on young people because that's (social media) their world. It's not my world. I choose not to participate in that stuff. I know what's real and what's not. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody. I'm just trying to beat Stanford this week."
Q: You mentioned how coach Riley has grown from last year to this year. Is coaching development like player development at times?
SWINNEY: "Sure. We all get better with experience ... doing life together especially in a team environment. We grow. I grow every year and get better every year. That's on everybody."
Q: We've talked about Cade's confidence and he's enjoyed a lot of success. What do you see everyday in practice that gives you confidence this isn't going to his head?
SWINNEY: "He's the same guy everyday. He wasn't any different after the UGA game on Monday than he was yesterday after the N.C. State game. You want to block out all of the good and bad. You fall in love with the preparation. It's fun to win. OK, can you do it again? He's got a good undrerstanding because he went through a lot and battled a lot last year. He really hadn't battled adversity until last year.
"He's got a good balance. He understands that it can turn fast. You have to lock in on what you are doing and be committed to doing what it takes every week. He has a routine and that's important in how you get yourself ready. He's got a great spirit about him. You're seeing a transformation of a young player who is growing into more of a veteran."
Q: There seems to be a faster tempo with your offense to this point. How did that come about?
SWINNEY: "It's from success ... rhythm. You can drive the tempo when you're creating rhythm in what you do, mixing it up and getting first downs. The main thing is we are playing with precision and creating explosives and running the ball at a high level. When all of that is working, you can drive the tempo. We certainly want to play fast when the opportunity presents itself."
Q: It's early but you said last night that you expect most of the offense back. You'd put Cade in that category, too?
SWINNEY: "I don't know why he wouldn't be back. He's a junior. You may have someone who may want to move on somewhere else but our anticipation in where we are on paper, we feel good. We are building good momentum with this group and have more on the way."
Q: How much easier is it to recruit now that COVID (extra year) is out the door?
SWINNEY: "What helped was the portal because guys had opportunities to move on. That helped on some of the sixth-year stuff. We don't have many surprises in our program. We have a good feel for what's going on in terms of who's staying or who's leaving. We have some guys who could come back for another year - fifth or sixth year. It hasn't been a problem for us."
Q: What have you seen so far from Olsen Patt-Henry?
SWINNEY: "He has played really well. We really like our tight end room and feel good about our talent there. He is playing really physical. He has grown as a blocker. He is doing his job at a high level for us. I'm pleased with him and Sapp. Our tight ends are a really nice group. Markus continues to come, too."
Q: What do you want to see from Sammy Brown in the coming weeks?
SWINNEY: "Just continue to learn and clean up some mistakes. He's playing fast. When he makes a mistake, he does it full speed. He graded a winner from Saturday's tape. He wasn't perfect but he graded a winner. He'll get it. He'll keep growing. He's a young, talented, player who will continue to get better as he gets more experience."
Q: Any difference you can tell in a night game versus a day game in Dath Valley?
SWINNEY: "Noise is noise. Our fans are awesome regardless of when we kick it off. I think we lead the nation in winning percentage at home all the way back to 2011. I think we're tied with Alabama. Our fans are a big part of that. We've won big games at noon, 3 and at night. It shouldn't matter where we play or what we wear or what television channel we're on. Let's just show up and play. We focus on how we play the game and I think our fans have bought into that. Our fans have given us unbelievable support. We're proud of our record at home. You can't be a great team if you can't win at home. It starts with being a great team at home. The environment we have is second to none. Our fans show up."
Q: You're going for your 100th win this week in Death Valley. Your thoughts on that?
SWINNEY: "I didn't know that. That's pretty awesome. I thought last week was great to be a part of 800. 100 home wins, I guess that's great. I guess that means I've been able to be here. It's a blessing. A lot of great players, great coaches and great fan support."
Q: Your best memory from those home wins?
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SWINNEY: "Probably South Carolina in 2008. I probably don't get the job if we don't win that one. Probably 2009 in winning our first division title. In 2011, we won three straight games ... beating Auburn and Florida State which helped us build momentum that season. Notre Dame in a hurricane in 2015 is one you'll never forget. The one with Lamar Jackson was a great one. Last year's Notre Dame game was special because you saw the fight and heart in our team. I try to forget them bad ones."
Q: You've talked about Hoffler and Lawson flashing. How would you assess their play to this point?
SWINNEY: "They're growing. Jaheim didn't show up here where he needed to be. He's 250. He can do everything we need him to do now. Hoffler showed up here physically looking the part but we needed him to grow technically and he's doing that. He's fast and he's physical. He's longer than Jaheim but both can do what we need them to do. We are very pleased with their development. Both have good motors."
Q: With Trevor Lawrence struggling at 0-3 and Deshaun at 1-2, have you reached out to them?
SWINNEY: "I communicate with them all the time whether they're 1-2 or 3-0. They're good guys. It's a team sport. It's a long season. Don't cash those chips in yet. Just keep going."
Q: Last time Clemson and Stanford played was 1986. What were you up to then?
SWINNEY: "That would have been my junior year in high school. Most of y'all weren't born then. I was playing basketball for the mighty Pelham Panthers. I was knocking down some J's. Rolled right into baseball after that. A lot going on in my young life then."
Q: You said last night revenue sharing would be a big boost to you in recruiting when it's implemented. Can you elaborate on that?
SWINNEY: "Because we don't have to go raise the money. You can't share the money that you have right now. You have to go raise the money. That's hard. That's hard. It'll be a way better situation for us and will create more clarity for everybody. It'll be a real positive for us. We have the money, so we'll be able to legally share it. It'll be great for us and the players.
"There is another meeting this Thursday. Where we think it's heading ... by December, we will have pretty good clarity. Once we know what the number is, it's up to each school on how you share it. It's hard for everybody right now because you're trying to go to the same donors. We'll see more normalized NIL once we get to the revenue sharing."
Q: You will use it in recruiting?
SWINNEY: "You will have to use it for recruiting purposes. That's the great thing about it. You have to use it. If you don't, you'll be in trouble. Now how you divide it up, that can change year to year based on your team depending on how veteran or how young your team is. Everybody uses it in recruiting. NIL is used in recruiting."
Q: How much have the conversations changed with families? How quickly do they get to the money in those discussions?
SWINNEY: "It's a part of the process. It's just another part of the process."
