Dabo Swinney on Louisville, Dennis Love, Klubnik, Freshmen, Gideon Davidson

CLEMSON — Late Tuesday morning Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney again addressed members of the media at his weekly, in-season, news conference.

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The Tigers (4-5, 3-4) are preparing to face No. 19 Louisville (7-2, 4-2) on the road Friday night. Clemson is a 3-point underdog to the Cardinals at BetMGM.

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The following is an abbreviated transcript of Tuesday’s news conference.

Opening Statements

“Friday night up in Louisville, we’re excited about it. It’s a great venue. This is a really good team. They’ve had two losses in overtime. They’re very well-coached. Probably our worst game last year, especially defensively. It’s a big challenge for us. Jeff Brohm does a great job.

“Offensively, they are a ball-control type of offense. A lot of outside zone, formations, eye-candy and movements that challenge you. It’s very well coordinated and they’re explosive. They have some home run dudes at running back. They’ve got playmakers outside. It’s one of the best offensive lines we’ve faced.

“One of the best defenses in the country. They’re very aggressive and physical up front. They will challenge you. You have to make competitive plays. Their two ends are very good players. A complete team. Two plays away from being undefeated.

“I’m proud of our team and how we competed last week. We did a lot of good things but still we have things we need to improve. We’ll head out on Thursday. It’s coming quickly. It should be a great night. We’ll have a good crowd who will show up, I’m sure.”

Question: You mentioned eye-discipline and coverage busts. How did you evaluate that this past weekend?

SWINNEY: “Just communication. They were better. We changed a couple of things in how we were meeting. They’re playing with more confidence and our communication was better. We have to just not get caught up in fourth and two. Sometimes you can get so caught up in the situation and there goes your guy. Just truly be disciplined in your process. The process shouldn’t change regardless of the position you’re playing. Sometimes you can let the situation change your process. That’s where mistakes happen. Trust our eyes and trust the process we’ve been taught. Defensively, it was one of our better games. They were relentless and really affected the quarterback.”

Question: Collin Sadler? Is he good to go?

SWINNEY: “He’s fine. We were able to hold him (vs. FSU).”

Question: How much has Cade been able to practice so far this week?

SWINNEY: “Ankle is good. He could hardly walk last week because his thigh was so swollen and blown up. He got better each day and was ready on game day. He’s a lot better than he was this time last week. He couldn’t even practice this time last week. He’s doing better.”

Question: You talked about the promotion of Dennis Love to head strength coach last night. How did that come about?

SWINNEY: “It was either that or he was going to be the strength coach for the Vikings. We didn’t have a choice. That was an easy decision. I knew eventually that might happen. Joey Batson decided this was going to be it. Dennis interviewed for the (Vikings) job and was offered the job. There are only 32 of those jobs. We had to kind of work that out (financially) in the summer.

“He’s excited and we’re all excited. This has been a dream job for him. He’s one of the most respected guys out there. That’s why he had the opportunity to be one of 32 guys at that position in the NFL. Guys from all over come to train with him. That was a tough 24 hours for him to make a decision like that but it all worked out. Joey was excited and the players are excited. He’ll take it over in January. That’s not new news.

Question: How is Dennis Love different than Joey?

SWINNEY: “He’s very different. He’s been to a bunch of places. He’s a different person, different leadership style, different in a lot of areas, communication. He’s learned a lot from Joey, too, who has been amazing for years and years. He’ll put his own stamp on it. He’s one of the best guys out there. I told him he could go but we’d be calling him back in January. If it weren’t very Graham (Neff) … it couldn’t just be a wink and a nod. There had to be enough of a conversation for him to stay. He’s incredibly smart and detailed. He knows the kids. They love him. He has great relationships and great resources across the country that he’ll implemenet here at Clemson.”

Question: To look at the stadium Saturday and to see the support you had from fans in spite of the season, what do you think that meant to your team?

SWINNEY: “That was awesome. That’s Clemson. You could feel it on the bus coming around. It hasn’t been the season that we wanted or expected. They’ve always shown up around here. That’s Clemson. That’s who Clemson is. They love their Tigers. There have been some lean years around here, especially in the 90’s. I wasn’t around here then but I’m sure they showed up then. We’re lucky to have this venue here.”

Question: What’s changed for Gideon Davidson over the last several weeks?

SWINNEY: “Confidence. And just the game is slowing down for him. He’s doing a good job with his protections. He did a nice job on the screen. He understands the totality of what we’re asking him to do at that position … footwork, ball handling. He’s got natural vision. He’s a powerful kid. He can get low to the ground. He had one run where we got eight and it looked like we were going to get just four.”

Question: Do you feel like Louisville is playing more coverage and less pressure this year?

SWINNEY: “They’re just playing really well. It’s basically four down and a lot of one-high safety. They’re mixing in some zone concepts. They’re a really good defense. They get after you up front. They can create some havoc especially with edge guys. It all goes together. They don’t have a lot of busts. That’s why they’re in the top 15 in the country. We have to play well and execute against these guys.”

Question: Are you preparing for multiple quarterbacks?

SWINNEY: “I mean they’re not going to change their offense. They’ll do what they do. We’re preparing for them schematically. They’re going to run that ball. Someone is handing that ball off, especially when it comes to the stretch and getting cut backside. They ran through us last year … I mean it was embarrassing. It’s going to be a challenge. You have to minimize that. If they get comfortable in the run game and stay on schedule, you have a lot on your plate defensively. It’s just what they do. We have to have a great plan and we do but we have to execute it. We have to do a good job coverage-wise. Jeff has a great feel for his offense.”

Question: Is David Eziomume still progressing? We haven’t seen much of him.

SWINNEY: “Just not enough snaps (to go around). It’s just where we are. I’d like to play them all but it’s got to work out that way. Gideon is where he is. He and Adam have gotten a majority of the snaps. David is a great player and will have a lot of big days ahead. He’s just a redshirt freshman.”

Question: Vic Burley was on the injured list last week. Is he better now?

SWINNEY: “He’s alright. He’s OK.”

Question: You and Garrett talked about getting Gideon more involved. Specifically, how did that come about of late (more playing time)?

SWINNEY: “First of all he’s got to earn it at practice and then be comfortable in the game. Going into the Duke game, we just committed to the plays and not as much with a series. We just made sure we were going to rotate. We got into a rhythm and created some confidence there.”

Question: Your thoughts on Corian Gipson now after last Saturday.

SWINNEY: “Oh yeah. He couldn’t play last year. He wasn’t able to play. He wasn’t able physically or mentally, coming off an ACL. He’s getting better. He’s just a redshirt freshman. It’s a process. His confidence is growing, his knowledge and strength … everything is different. He didn’t play his senior year (in high school), so it’s been two years since he played football. There’s a lot to the nickel position, a whole different world than corner. I’m proud of him.”

Question: What has happened with Jeadyn Lukus?

SWINNEY: “Just playing the guys who have earned it or have played the best. It’s not anything to do with Lukus. Strozier has been playing well and has made a move. Jeadyn just has to stay ready. Nothing more. Mike just feels like the guys in there are the ones playing the best.”

Question: Watching Cade battle through the leg injury, has it made him tougher?

SWINNEY: “He has complete respect from this team. He’s a warrior. If he can play, he’ll play. A lot of guys wouldn’t be playing in his position. He has a bright future. He really does. He’s had some tough games here and some great moments, but he’s just one guy, one player. He’s a ball player and is getting better and better. He’ll have a great future in the NFL. I think he’ll be a great pro. He just loves ball. He was born to play football. He was born to get up, get to the football office and play ball. He’s always up here watching tape. He loves Clemson and loves his teammates. He’s highly respected in the locker room. They love his toughness and commitment.

“He didn’t play well in the LSU game. He turned it over twice in the Ga. Tech game. He didn’t play bad, though. He kind of picked it up. He did some good things against Syracuse. He’s been pretty steady on the football side. But we’ve had some tough games. He played great at North Carolina, he was amazing vs. Duke. It’s kind of been overshadowed because we’ve lost some games. He was pressing some earlier in the season and he got through that, so he’s just been Cade lately. He’s doing his job and having fun playing football. I’m proud of him.”

Question: How much has it helped you offensively to have more continuity up front lately?

SWINNEY: “A lot. We had some miscues the other night. We gave up the one sack there. Brayden has done a great job. With Sadler up and down and with Tristan missing some time and losing Elyjah, we’ve had some challenges. Blake Miller has missed two practices in his entire Clemson career. He has started every game since he was a true freshman which is unbelievable. It’s unheard of. We’ve had to move some players around. Walker Parks, I was so happy for him the other night. I’d put him and Cade in that same category. If there is any chance at all that he can play, he plays. He’s not been anywhere near 100-percent but he’s as close to it as he’s been. He really played well the other night. He had a really good play on a screen where he just buried a guy. I love that kid, man. He’s tough.”

Question: Any additional true freshmen we’ll see more of in the coming weeks?

SWINNEY: “Kenan, maybe. Blanchard is probably another guy who could show up if we need him. He’s been ready to play all year. Brooking, we went ahead and put him in on special teams. He’s going to be a good player.

“Juju, maybe. If we had someone go down, maybe. He works on punt return and you may see him there in the future. The arrow is up on Juju. He’s gained 15-17 pounds. He’s still very thin but he’s on his way. He’s got a smile on his face. I just think he’s through the funk and is figuring it out that he can do this. He’s explosive and has been awesome on the scout team. We’ve done some scrimmaging with the young guys the last few weeks to keep them football ready and he’s been a bright spot. Power Hour has been great. He’s really bought into it. He’s gifted. He’s tough. I’m excited about his future.”

Question: In today’s world with all the transfer portal stuff, is it still very important to get to a bowl for the extra practices when you’ve had a season like this?

SWINNEY: “Absolutely. There’s no coach who will say no to that. If they do, they’re probably not a good coach. Any time you can play football, that’s a good thing. That’s what you do. I’d never turn down an opportunity. Sometimes teams haven’t had enough players, so that’s a different conversation. I guarantee you, these guys want to play another game because they care about each other. We’ve got one of the longest bowl eligibility streaks out there which extends before I got here. We have to go earn it. We have to find a way to get it done. There is a lot of young talent on this team that could use the extra practices. It’s basically another spring practice.”

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Question: How do you feel about Cade’s mobility now?

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SWINNEY: “He’s hanging in there. He ran for a touchdown against FSU on a pass call, recognizing the coverage and got outside of the pocket a few times. He’s getting better. He can do what he needs to do. There’s not many people at 100-percent this time of year.”

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