Dabo Swinney Tuesday press conference: 'There’s the season, then there’s South Carolina.'
A few notes from Dabo Swinney’s Tuesday press conference previewing the in-state rivalry with South Carolina:
-- There’s the season, and then there’s South Carolina.
– Javon Kinlaw is as good of a player in the country. They’ve done a good job of developing him. He’s big and strong.
– Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers are “back and ready to roll.”
– On Todd Ellis’ pregame Walk of Champions comments: “Think it’s ridiculous. Walk of Champions is what Clemson has done every year since I’ve been here. It’s who we are and what we do. I don’t think anybody should get distracted by how a team warms up... It’s all fun and games until someone gets an eye knocked out... It’s not a representative of what South Carolina is. If somebody is flipping me the bird, does that mean I can throw something at them? I get a lot of those, not just from South Carolina.
“This is a game. I know it’s important for both sides.”
– Would take an open date any time he can get one. Doesn’t worry about the schedule because he has no control over it. Remembers in 2015 the team played 10 games in a row. Luckily, had enough gas to get across the line. The calendar is all messed up this year. The ACC Championship is a week later.
“It’s a lot to manage for us, but I ain’t complaining about it.”
– “Guys who aren’t from around here figure it out pretty quick. It’s a goal of its own. Don’t have to explain a whole lot. For us, it’s just the next game. It’s playoff football right now and a best-of-one. This game is just different. There’s a lot more juice to it.”
– On Travis Etienne not being named a Doak Walker award finalist: “If there’s a running back award and Travis Etienne isn’t the finals of it, What a joke. Just wait and see who is going to get drafted first. He leads the country in yards per carry. He’s got 65 carries less than the leaders. Can you imagine what he would do with four extra games? He’s the best back in the country. Some of these award things make me scratch my head.
“Half these people that vote don’t even watch the games. We ain’t worried about no awards. Every game from here on out, they hand a trophy out after the game is over. That’s what our guys are focused on.”
– The hardest thing about repeating about a national champion is having to go 30-0. You can’t win 30 until you win 27. We just want to be great right at this exact moment. The hardest thing to do in sports is win consistently. Our guys have got a great mindset. Our guys, they don’t want to lose to South Carolina but they also don’t want to lose at all.
– More Kinlaw: Javon Kinlaw is a massive human being. He’s long and he’s massive. There’s really no weaknesses to him, kind of like Dexter Lawrence, just not as big. He’s a problem to everybody.
– Favorite memory from the rivalry was probably 2008. Knew if he had won the game he had the chance to be the head coach. Then another memory was 2014 when Deshaun Watson won with a torn ACL. To this day, can’t believe that performance.