Dabo Swinney:
A really painful and disappointing loss. That's one that leaves a scar for sure. Give credit to Georgia Tech. We've had really two tough, tough losses to this point. And both games have literally come down to the last play.
So, we’ve got to find a way to make one more play. The big picture from that game is just a lot of opportunities for one more play that could have made a difference.
The two turnovers, they got three points on the one turnover. Then we turn it over on the eight-yard line, just a really poor play. At least gonna get a field goal there— if not a touchdown. Then we miss a field goal. So, those are three scoring opportunities—one for them and two for us that make a difference in the game.
The third down drop was huge. It was the first down in plus territory and got a chance to put it away.
Then the 90-yard drive in the fourth quarter to take the lead and the two-point was probably the biggest disappointment defensively. Then offense, I thought we had a great response right down the field.
Then the game-winning drive, walk-off 55 yards. So, that was a really, really tough, tough, hard-fought game. I thought our guys competed to the last play.
We just are not playing complementary football when we need it. In the LSU game we got three consecutive stops and the offense didn't take advantage of it.
Then here we pin them deep and just need one stop, and couldn't get it. Lots of opportunities in that game to make one play that makes a difference, but you’ve got to give credit to Georgia Tech and the job they did, especially their kicker, to go out there in a pressure situation like that and knock it through.
You do this— play the game or coach the game long enough, you're gonna have some highs and some lows. This is a definite low, but the reality is we know where we are and we're 1-2.
The good news is we’ve got nine more left to show what we're made of. Whether we were 1-2 or 3-0, nothing's changed. I still believe in the greatness of our team.
We’ve still got to go beat Syracuse. So, if we were 3-0, we’ve got to go win this game. That's what we control, what's in front of us and that's what we’ve got to focus on. We can't do anything about what's behind us—other than learn from it, grow from it, let it develop us into a better team and try to win the next one.
So, that's what our focus will be, is try to have a great week, put a good plan together and see if we can find a way to just truly get to 1-0 this week and stay together and bounce back.
That's again, you play coach long enough, you're gonna have some adversity. We've been here before. This is a program that, I mean, it's built from adversity and for adversity.
It has been for a long time and got a bunch of winners on this team and on the staff. I don't have any doubt that they will respond. It’s definitely frustrating.
You don't get any points for being close. It’s a results deal, and we haven't gotten the results. So we’ve got to be better, starting with me, all of us.
Injury-wise, we came through pretty good. So, we'll see where we are with some of those guys that have been out. Obviously, Antonio Williams has been out all year. I think he played five plays, maybe. Tristan Leigh was out again, Elyjah Thurmon was out, and Khalil Barnes, all those guys. So, those guys certainly can help us if we can get some of them back. We'll see where they are as the week progresses.
Other than that, we came through the game pretty good. Congratulations again to Georgia Tech. Our eyes are forward now. What we’ve got to do to try to get ready to find a way to win a game this week against a tough Syracuse team.
