Editor’s Note: This is an edited transcript from Dabo Swinney’s postgame press conference after Clemson beat Boston College 41–10 on Saturday night. The full audio is attached above.
Opening Statement: “Really just proud of our team, back-to-back games. They really played well, so it’s really good to see that. Starting to play like a team that I know they can be. Really proud of that.
Now we got a little momentum. It’s what we really wanted to get out of this game, was to try to create some momentum. So again, back-to-back games on the road, two big wins.
This is a special place to me. Forever grateful for that team that came up here 17 years ago, 3-4, with a fired staff. Because honestly, none of us are probably here right now, but that team made a decision to try to finish and had the will to fight, even though there wasn’t a lot to play for.
So it was great to see these guys come up here tonight, to be on our back. Just a great, great victory.”
We’ve got to carry the momentum into playing in the valley. I really appreciate our fans. I thought the fans were great. I know we’ve got a lot of alumni up in this area, so it’s a really good crowd. Clemson people are always fun—to be able to see the alma mater and see them at the end of the game.
So we’ll enjoy this for the night, reset, refocus, and get ready for the next one.
Q: How important was the strip sack by Sammy Brown towards the end of the first half? Seems like you guys stole the momentum
Swinney: That’s what we had not done. We went three games without a takeaway. So that was a huge emphasis. It’s great to see that and we had a couple other really good shots on goal, as we say. We didn’t quite get it out.”
Q: Brayden Jacobs came in and played well. Was Tristan Leigh hurt, or was it just performance?
Swinney: “No, no. Tristan didn’t practice much this week.
He did battle a little bit of an ankle as well, and so he didn’t practice a whole lot. I was so proud of Brayden—because I didn’t notice it.I didn’t—you know, that’s a good thing. He played most of the whole game, and I didn’t really notice it.
Tristan was trying to go, and like I said, he was very limited at practice this week and was working his way back and felt like he could go. So I’m really proud of Brayden, and he grew up tonight. He needed a game like that.”
Q: What did you see on the play where Cade got hurt?
Swinney: “He’s been kind of nursing a little bit of a sore ankle anyway—you probably see the tape up. He just kind of rolled it up, just got rolled under him. And so he went in, they un-taped him, re-taped him, and said he was ready to go back in.
So let’s just see how Christopher Vizzina does right here. It’s good for C.V. to play. It was good for him to go in there and play.
Q: Coach, the fans and the media are going to look at the next game as a rematch from last year’s ACC Championship. How do you approach your team that it’s a new season and it’s going to be a completely different game?
Swinney: “Yeah, I mean, it is because it’s still Clemson and SMU. So regardless of who’s gone and back and all of that, a lot of the kids on their team and our team were in that game. So they certainly remember that. But it’s a huge game for both teams.
For us, every week is a playoff game for us basically. We don’t control anything other than just trying to fight our way back to have the best possible postseason opportunity that we can have. And so every single game is a championship game for us.
It’s just the way it is. And for SMU, I mean, same thing. They’ll look at it as an opportunity to go play Clemson.
We know we’re going to get everybody’s best every single week. There’s no championship on the line per se, but it is for both teams that day.”
Q: Do you think Cade will play against SMU?
Swinney: “Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, he was trying to play tonight, come back in there. I’m sure he’ll be sore tomorrow.
We’ll have to evaluate him. Y’all ask me every day how he’s doing, and I’ll say the same thing.
But yeah, I don’t see anything at this point that he wouldn’t. But anything can happen, I guess.”
Q: Coach, just after giving up 34 points to Syracuse, these past two weeks giving up 10 points each—what’s been the most proud of your defense?
Swinney: “The execution. Playing Clemson football. Probably the worst half of defense I’ve seen in a long time—that first half of the Syracuse game was pathetic.
So just guys doing their job, guys playing like they’re supposed to, coaches coaching like they’re supposed to, and playing Clemson football.
They played a good second half—I think they only gave up three points in the second half of that game. But like I said, we were about as bad as I’ve seen us play.
So they just responded. They take pride in their performance and so do the coaches. So it was a good reset and open date and a good opportunity, and back-to-back games.
It’s hard to hold people to 10 points in college football. It’s hard. And especially when you’re playing a lot—playing 77 guys.
So playing a lot of guys. Everybody wants to keep playing. I’m just really proud of the team.”
