Facing the Unknown: Dabo Swinney says game against Texas A&M will feel like another opener
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has gotten all too familiar with Jimbo Fisher.
The Texas A&M head coach held a strong 4-1 record against Swinney when things were going well for Fisher at Florida State. Now, Swinney has won three in a row against Fisher to pull even, including the latest 31-14 victory in 2017.
The matchup that had the winner advancing to the ACC championship every year since 2009 had swung in Clemson’s favor. Fisher left the Seminoles program after a disastrous season last year, but will face Swinney again in what is expected to be a coming out party for the Aggie faithful in his first season.
You’d think with Swinney’s past experiences preparing for what Fisher will bring to the table that this week would be a bit easier to prepare for. But since this is a brand new team - with new personnel - and so early in the season, this weekend will feel a bit different.
“It’s like another opener,” Swinney said Tuesday morning. “We don’t know a lot about Texas A&M. The unknown is a competitive advantage for them.”
Swinney is right - because there is a new coaching staff in place, this game is a different kind of challenge to prepare for. The coaching staff has to go back and watch film from Fisher’s time at Florida State with the offense he ran there, and also use the small sample size of what the Aggies did to Northwestern State a week ago in a 56-7 bludgeoning.
Then, there’s the defensive side of the ball with new defensive coordinator Mike Elko. Elko spent the 2017 season with Notre Dame where thrived and was a semifinalist for the Broyles award given to the nation’s top assistant.
Before his time with the Irish, Elko was at Wake Forest battling against both Swinney and Fisher from 2014-2016. Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott told us Monday the staff had already broken down over 1,000 plays coached by Elko.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M will have a lot of tape to look through to prepare for the Clemson coaching staff’s schemes.
To try and prepare for an opponent with a new coaching staff mixed with talented players on both sides of the ball is not an easy task. Saturday night’s battle on ESPN between the Tigers and Aggies will be about who can make the in-game adjustments.
Swinney believes his team’s experience in these type of games can overcome any new wrinkles Fisher may try to throw at them with what Swinney calls a “complete” Aggie squad.
“Hopefully our experience can be an advantage for us,” Swinney said. “It’s a difficult game for us to prepare for. We don’t have a lot of video evidence on them.”
Here’s what Swinney does know:
-- The Aggies just rushed for over 500 yards last week. He doesn’t care who the opponent was, the feat was still impressive to him. Austin Bryant said Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams is “explosive” and “twitchy,” comparing him to former Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.
-- Kellen Mond behind center has a ton of moxie. At least, that’s the first thing that caught Swinney's eye. Mond ran a read option, pitched the ball to his running back, and was 20 yards down the field blocking. Swinney met Mond at one of his camps one summer and knows how special of an athlete he is. His athleticism adds another dimension to Fisher’s offense.
-- Fisher likes to run his offense through tight ends with his pro-style offense, even though he inherited a personnel that fits the spread. Swinney said Fisher is very “diverse” and can change things up on you in a heartbeat. His ultimate goal is to run the football and make you pay with the play-action and screen game.
“When he has been able to establish the run, it has been a tough game for us. When he wasn’t, he has had to get out of some of that stuff,” Swinney added. “That’s the battle that you face when you play teams like that.”
There was also a lot of admiration for Elko’s defensive talent, specifically their speed and length at linebacker and in the secondary. Swinney said the Aggies’ safeties are probably as good as any group they’re going to see all season.
“All four of their starters in the secondary will probably play in the NFL,” Swinney said. “They do as good a job as anybody at route-reading.”
That’s the challenge that Swinney and his staff must get through this week. There’s power in the unknown and that advantage lies with Fisher and the Aggies.
But if Swinney says this game on Saturday night, in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a Clemson game in person, will be like another opener, then Clemson fans should feel pretty good.
After its win over Furman, Clemson has won 15 consecutive opening games in Memorial Stadium. The Tigers have won their last three road openers, 13 of their last 14 true road games, and 16 straight regular-season games against non-conference opponents.
In season-opening games, Swinney is now 9-1 with his only loss coming on the road against Georgia in 2014.
A win would give Clemson a fourth consecutive road victory over SEC opponents, the longest streak in school history. Swinney comes into the game 13-9 against the SEC since he took over as head coach, but is 7-3 against the conference since the beginning of the College Football Playoff era.
He’s won his last six regular-season games against the SEC, three of which were true road games.
So even with the all of the unknowns, he will face Saturday night, there’s still plenty of reason to think the Tigers will be just fine. Because what we do know is Swinney’s been awfully successful as of recent in these types of games.
“I want to see our team go on the road and stay focused and display our experience and adjust to the adversity within the game,” Swinney said. “This is the type of game that makes you better. It gives you a chance to grow your team as you get through the season.”
