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football Edit

Swinney on Trevor Lawrence's status, Kelly Bryant, comeback vs. Syracuse

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CLEMSON -- Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media Sunday evening as part of his weekly news conference, this time to look back on his team's win over Syracuse on Saturday.

The Tigers will face Wake Forest in Winston-Salem (N.C.) next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

ALSO READ: It's complicated | Sunday Update | On the Chase

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

OPENING STATEMENTS: "Just what I thought I would see on tape, an unbelievable will to win by our team with a ton of adversity. Just proud of our team. Definitely one for the ages. That's one I will never forget, a very tough, physical game. It took a lot of mental toughness and courage by our team to hang in there down by 10 points in the fourth quarter. A lot of teams fold up their tents, but we did not. We just found a way. It was awesome to see the team come together.

Clemson true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence could play versus Wake Forest next weekend.
Clemson true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence could play versus Wake Forest next weekend. (US Presswire)
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"We have a lot to improve on, for sure. We have to be more precise with certain things and have more attention to details. At the end of the day we found a way. We wore them down. Just one of the best drives I've been a part of at the end of the game, especially to run the ball the way that we did.

"Defensively in the second half we settled in. They had eight possessions for about nine yards and got one score off the dropped punt. Still, a lot of things we can clean up. We'll grow a lot from that game, especially some of the guys who have not played teams like that. Lots of good things defensively. They could not run the ball. They only had 61 yards rushing and had 67 plays. They were just 3 of 15 on third down. We held them to a couple of field goals in the red zone which gave us a chance. I just love their no-quit attitude because it can be frustrating when your offense is struggling. Really proud of them.

"The savvy of Chase Brice down the stretch there late, the running backs and the way they're running now, it's just awesome. It fuels that fire in the offensive line. Six touchbacks on special teams. We did miss another field goal. We had three punts inside of the 20. Overall, lot of good things but lots of room for improvement, too.

"A very physical game. We have a few guys banged up. Most of the guys we have on the report, we're optimistic about getting them all back. We look forward to getting back with them tomorrow and studying this tape."

Q: What have you heard on Trevor Lawrence? What is your timetable there?

SWINNEY: "That's all Danny Poole. He was really good. He was trying to come back in the game yesterday but any time you get something with the head-neck area, there is no room for error there. He was really good after the game and really good this morning. Felt great. I think they were very encouraged with what they saw. He'll work out and they'll continue to reevaluate him. Hopefully they put him back in practice this week. Based on what they said, that's what I expect. Very encouraging what they've told me (thus far)."

Q: With the backs having the productivity they're having now, how much more dynamic does that make your offense?

SWINNEY: "That goes back forever and ever. When you can run the ball and there are people on the outside you can throw and catch with, you have a chance to create balance. That's the goal for any offensive philosophy."

Q: Anything Trevor could have done differently there to avoid what happened?

SWINNEY: "I would have liked for him to throw the ball away. We had a nice, clean pocket. John Simpson got on the side of his guy and flushed him out. Trevor was just trying to escape. He could have thrown it away. Don't be out of control diving forward. It was sort of a neck strain in how he got hit. Definitely felt he could have gotten rid of the ball. And he'll learn that as he continues to play."

Q: Holly Rowe of ABC quoted you as saying you would ask Kelly Bryant back. I know you're ready to move on, but any truth to that?

SWINNEY: "No. And you said it; I'm not entertaining any questions on guys that aren't here."

Q: You mentioned in the spring that this could be your most experienced and deepest team. Talk about going from that to being thin in some areas now, especially at quarterback.

SWINNEY: "I definitely think that every team has its own journey. No question the experience and leadership of our team stepped up big in a crazy week. It was awesome to see our guys step up. At the end of the day the way we won might be the best thing that happens to us all year. Chase had to not just go in and play but win a game. He had all the pressure in the world on him. For him and his teammates to see it, I think that's huge for our team. Just glad to see them get rewarded for their mental toughness. It was special."

Q: Chase might have been sixth on the depth chart in January. What does that say that he stuck around despite that and was patient for his opportunities?

SWINNEY: "He came here and was just kind of typical of most college kids. Most know it's going to be a journey and a process. When he came here and committed here, that was after Trevor had committed. We already had Kelly and Zerrick Cooper, plus Hunter Johnson had already committed. To this day Chase has never asked me a question about any quarterback we've recruited or someone else on the roster. He's just focused on getting better. I love a guy like that.

"He has worked hard over the last year. He was the fourth guy going in during the spring. Chase had a great spring, summer and fall camp. He earned the trust of his teammates. You have to do it in the game. He can say he's done it in a game now and can draw on that experience. That's huge. It goes back when we won the national title two years ago. Deshaun Watson was our starter and our team had a lot of confidence in Nick Schuessler. That was good for them to see then. This is a different deal. Chase has a really high upside to him. He has proven he can win a game and put a 94-yard drive together if you need him to."

Q: As far as this week, where do things stand with Cornell Powell and Mark Fields?

SWINNEY: "Mark should be back tomorrow as long as he does what he needs to do. With Cornell, that's out of my hands. He's got a situation that has to be resolved and hopefully it gets resolved this week. If not, I'll let you know."

Q: If Powell cannot go, what's the next step on kickoff returns?

SWINNEY: "We turned a couple of guys loose yesterday. We didn't do a good job of adjusting. We have plenty of options at returner. We have Amari Rodgers, Derion Kendrick and Lyn-J Dixon. We have to make sure we get guys identified properly. We have done a nice job to this point but that was our worst game in that area."

Q: How would you assess the performance of Gage Cervenka yesterday?

SWINNEY: "I thought he played outstanding outside of the fact that he jumped offsides on fourth and one. He settled us down. Tremayne Anchrum couldn't go after a couple of series. We rotated with Cade Stewart and Gage and he made us better. He had some great blocks, some great finishes. He played some center, too. I was very encouraged with him. I thought he'd be a huge factor for us coming into the season. I'm really excited about his development."

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