They Said It: No. 3 Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3

CLEMSON QB TREVOR LAWRENCE

On closing the first half strong: 

“I think making the most of our possession is really important and we didn't do that towards the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter. We really wanted to finish the first half on a good note because I thought we came out and played really well, played fast and had some big plays, but there’s some things we have to clean up. We did a really good job of making corrections and then we finished the first half really well and then came out the second half and played well too.” 

On targeting Tee Higgins

“On any given night any of those guys can make plays. Tee’s a great player and it’s something you work on at practice and we had a really good week of prep. We knew certain things were gonna be there and all of our receivers can play different positions so we don't know who it’s gonna be all the time but Tee was the guy who got it today and he did a really good job.”

On first half adjustments:

“There were a couple plays where a guy kind of missed his assignment or they had a weird front one time where we missed a guy on the edge. So something like that we just go back up and draw it up and make an adjustment. We did a good job of that and there were at least three plays where I was holding the ball for 4-5 seconds so they did a really good job besides a couple of those plays. One of them was on me in the red zone, I took a sack. I feel like we did a good job coming back from it.”

CLEMSON CB A.J. TERRELL

On his interception:

“We [were] in a good call and I just turned around and picked it off.”

On making a key play:

“It always feels good to make a play, especially for me to make a play for the team. It’s always a great time for the team and the coaches to get some energy and motivation. So that was good.”

CLEMSON OL GAGE CERVENKA

On Travis Etienne’s record breaking statistics:

“It’s incredible and we take a lot of pride in it because it speaks to how we’re performing. Don’t get me wrong, Travis is a great running break and he could probably do it on his own because that’s the kind of caliber player he is. Being able to help him out shows how we’re playing offensively and as an offensive line unit is huge and we pride ourselves on it. We love to run the ball and get after it.”

On communication on the field:

“Communication is huge. If you don’t communicate the play won’t even start. We’re all on the same page pre-snap and even during the play. There’s a lot of times that they twist and that’s something we’re good at is picking up twists with defenses trying to show us different things. We’re constantly saying ‘bump bump bump get him’ so there’s lots of twists you see a lot of guys crossing your face and you need to know pre-snap who everyone has and who you have. That way we know where to go so communication is huge.”

On having the highest rated ESPN simulation rating on the team:

“I don’t ever think about it. I thought it was really cool but I try not to because I try to stay humble and do my thing. If I do my job then I feel like we perform so I try not to mess with [Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne] about it. I think [Lawrence] is a lot better player than me anyway.”

CLEMSON WR TEE HIGGINS

On three touchdowns on four catches:

“Most definitely. After that third touchdown, me and [Diondre Overton] talked about it and he was like, ‘yeah, you’re probably in the club.’ We just had a laugh about it.”

On if he wanted to prove something:

“Oh definitely. I stayed after practice every day and just caught balls on the jug machine. I ran the route I dropped at least five times every day after practice so that was a big emphasis today.”

CLEMSON S DENZEL JOHNSON

On his last game in Death Valley:

“It was emotional going down the hill. I didn't know what to expect at first but I actually cried so it was very heart-touching. But we came out with a great win so that was a good way to go out.

On going down the hill individually:

“I feel like you get more attention if that makes sense. Everyone’s focused on you, but it was a weird feeling and I can’t really describe it.”

On playing in his hometown of Columbia, S.C.:

“It’s going to be great. I grew up in Columbia my whole life. I have a lot of family and friends there and everything so I can’t wait for that game.”

CLEMSON S TANNER MUSE

On defensive focus:

“We were very locked in. I thought our backups did a great job. Their offense didn’t help us out as much as I thought they would. On that last drive they got 9 yards to get to 105. But outside of that, I thought we did a good job with our preparation. It goes really deep, the way we practiced. We practiced our three deeps and the preparation they go through, because obviously they don’t get as many reps as we do but the standard’s still the same. So I think it says a lot for them.”

Oh his senior day atmosphere:

“It meant the world to me. Just hearing my name called, hearing how the crowd reacted, [chanting] ‘Muussee’. So things like that, you get the chill bumps. It’s something I’ll take with me forever, as long as my memory’s good. It’ll definitely be a day for me to look back on when I’m dealing with hard times, being down in the dumps, that was the moment, that was the high.”

On team peaking:

“I think the defense has had a chip on its shoulder. We lost a lot. People didn’t think we were going to be worth a dang so I think we’ve been peaking all year. I think people thought the UNC game was our low point. I think this team has just had the determination and drive to prove everybody wrong and prove the guys who did believe in us. I think the season has just been an accumulation of that, just playing our best every week.”

CLEMSON RB TRAVIS ETIENNE

On the team’s consistency:

“Just the chemistry we have and the belief in ourselves. We block out the outside noise and don’t really care what anyone has to say about us because we know what we have inside the locker room and the bonds we have with each other.”

On the team’s momentum heading into the bye:

“We have a lot of momentum, but we can’t just be focused on the ACC Championship. We’ve got South Carolina ahead we have to focus on them. We got a good two weeks and a great week to get prepared and get ready for them to the best of our ability. So we just have to look ahead at a one-game season and have that mentality.”

On Tee Higgins’s performance:

“Tee had a great game. It’s great for him to go out there and do what he’s done all season. It’s unbelievable, four catches, three touchdowns, you can’t dream anything better than that. But to see him go out there and do that. It’s just great to see those guys go out there this season and get better each and every game.”