Christian Wilkins: 'We thrive' when teams try to get 'chippy' with the defensive line

Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins was asked Tuesday afternoon how important it is to be able to handle the emotions of the rivalry game in the trenches when things get "chippy" early on.

"The good thing is we have veterans on the d-line for sure so we have experienced pretty much everything you can in the course of a college football game," Wilkins said. "We'll just be ready for it. Just the leaders of the team, regardless of what happens, any adversity or any chippiness or things like that, just kind of control it. Just manage it as much as you can, stay focused, and just play the game."

Wilkins didn't just say that his position group is ready for the "chippiness," but also that they thrive on it.

"Us personally, the d-line, we kind of thrive in that area, really. When teams are trying to get chippy with us, that just makes us play our best. We have fun with that, too. We never take anything personally when things are getting chippy or guys are talking trash. We embrace that, have fun with it, and we aren't going to back down from anyone from that standpoint."

Watch Wilkins' full interview previewing the rivalry game here: