Swinney not ready to talk about pecking order at quarterback

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CLEMSON -- Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said in his Sunday night teleconference he was not yet ready to talk about the pecking order at quarterback following Saturday's game in Atlanta where five-star true freshman Trevor Lawrence completed 72-percent of his passes for four touchdowns.

The following is an edited transcript of Sunday evening's teleconference.

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OPENING STATEMENTS: "Really proud of our team. I think we played our best game yesterday. That's really what our goal was ... to kind of put it all together and I think we did that. We played with more detail. I just loved the focus of our team and the confidence that we played with. We grew up a little bit. That's two big wins on the road for us. I'm happy for our guys, especially our seniors. That's four in a row versus Georgia Tech. The work that was done in the trenches. This was a team leading the nation in rushing and we've out-rushed them four years in a row. That's a credit to our lines getting the job done.

"Defensively we held them to 2.6 yards a carry. We averaged 6.9 yards a carry. We talked all week about an opportunity to score on defense. We were able to do that. We were able to be disruptive. We had 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. They had over 70 yards in negative plays. They had eight fumbles and we only got one of them, so that was one negative that stands out. We missed some opportunities there. We dropped an interception, too. They did have three touchdowns in the red zone.

"Offensively it was our best game, most explosive. The one constant in our four games is the worst stat last year and that's explosiveness. But we've been consistent. We've averaged seven yards or more per play. The records go all the way back to 1938. This speaks to the explosiveness we've had. We have done a better job there for sure. We had over 480 yards. We rushed for 248 yards. We were very good on third down and 100-percent in the red zone. I'm so pleased with our running backs. They're doing a great job for us especially with yards after contact. You see Tavien Feaster coming back and Travis Etienne has had back to back 100-yard games.

"Special teams, B.T. Potter ... six touchbacks. Our punt return team continues to be a difference for us. I'm really pleased with Amari Rodgers and the job he's done there. Our pressure we're getting on field goal block team has been a factor.

"Excited to get the team back in here tomorrow. We've got a big challenge with Syracuse this weekend. It's a huge week for us. Two undefeated teams.

"I know everyone is going to ask about quarterback. I'm not going to address any of that tonight. Our players are off today. If anything changes, y'all will know about it. I won't get into any rotation or depth chart moves tonight."

Q: Can you talk about where you are with injuries?

SWINNEY: "We'll meet in the morning. We're very hopeful about Kendall Joseph and expect him to be able to go."

Q: You mentioned explosive plays. What do you attribute that to?

SWINNEY: "It's been the one consistent thing for us. We're just better at every position. Kelly is better. Adding Trevor into the mix has been a plus for us. Our tight ends, receivers, backs are better. We're just better across the board. We got a lot of guys experience up front on the O-line last year. John Simpson got a lot of experience. He's a starter now. Sean Pollard and Tremayne Anchrum have played a lot of ball. It's the growth and maturity across the board."

Q: You mentioned the backs earlier. Talk about Adam Choice specifically. What does he bring to the table?

SWINNEY: "Just leadership. He's sort of the heart and soul of our program. Committed. Selfless player. Loves his teammates. He has had to overcome adversity since he's been here. I think he's just a leader. He has made a huge impact on Feaster and Etienne for sure. He's a great example for a young guy like Lyn-J Dixon. You know what you're going to get with him."

Q: You said last night it seems like every time Justyn Ross touches the ball, he scores. How impressive has he been for you early and what really separates him from other players?

SWINNEY: "I don't think he can take credit for last night. They busted. Their corner busted. He was suppose to have him. He just ran down the field on that one. But it's his ability to track and catch the ball. Incredible ball skills. He's very fast and he can change direction. He can plant and cut on a dime. He's big and strong and he has picked up the offense well. He has taken advantage of his opportunities. You'll continue to see a lot of No. 8."

Q: After taking a look at the film, what did Trevor do well yesterday. What part of what he does still looks like a freshman?

SWINNEY: "The biggest thing is there are some footwork things in the run game that he can clean up. He really played well. Certainly his best game so far. He was very poised. The game has slowed down for him. He's making good decisions. He made a nice check on the touchdown to Hunter Renfrow. He made some beautiful throws and then he missed one there. Just some technical things he can clean up. But he managed the pocket well. He's accurate. He took advantage of what I call some layups, things that are built into the run game. He did a lot of good things, for sure. Definitely still room for improvement. Every week is a season of its own. But definitely his best game. Six drives and he had five touchdowns."

Q: It's been four games now. Where is your team right now and do you like the direction you're heading?

SWINNEY: "Oh yes. We're coming off our best game. I like the focus, confidence and even the swagger. I sense some momentum building in them. I was very encouraged with them. I challenged them last week because every game is a season of its own. We have to critique and evaluate and encourage. I didn't feel like we were taking full advantage of some things last week. There were too many little things we weren't taking care of as a team. We took a big step forward yesterday. Hopefully that will continue. Syracuse is a team that will be very confident. We have a lot to prove this week."

Q: What's your plan with Jamie Skalski? Would you still like to red-shirt him?

SWINNEY: "We found out Kendall wasn't going to be able to go. We've got four games with Skalski. He's very smart, capable and sharp. He has played against them. But yes, if we can red-shirt him, we will. We reserve the right to change our mind on that, though."

Q: Your team had the experience facing their mobile QB last year at Syracuse and you had trouble with a mobile QB at A&M, too. What about your defense has changed to better help you address that?

SWINNEY: "We're a different team. We've made some adjustments within our roster. We will find out. That's for sure. We could not stop them last year. Their quarterback does not hold the ball. They seemed to make all the 50-50 balls. We'll all have to do our jobs better this year."

Q: You mentioned Travis Etienne earlier. How close is he to doing what you want him to do without the football?

SWINNEY: "He's still a work in progress. He had a huge mistake on the interception, so really disappointed in that. We'll just keep coaching the little things. He had a big drop early. If he does a better job with his break point and gets his head around quicker, he probably gets it. He needs to be more disciplined. But man, he's such a special player. He's just had an incredible start. He's still got some work to do to be a complete guy so that he can impact the game when he doesn't have it in his hands."

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