Dabo Swinney weighs in on Boston College, Klubnik, team energy, confidence

CLEMSON — Late Tuesday morning Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney again addressed members of the media during his weekly, in-season, news conference, this time to look ahead to his team’s Saturday opponent – Boston College.
BECOME A TIGERILLUSTRATED.com SUBSCRIBER!
The Tigers (2-3, 1-2) will face the Eagles (1-4, 0-3) in Boston on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Clemson remains a 14.5-point favorite at BetMGM.
ALSO SEE: Tuesday Insider | The next step for Clemson’s offense | The latest on Clemson and its new defensive end offer | MONDAY INSIDER | Just keep showing up | Clemson’s verbal commitments | Clemson’s junior commitments
The following is an edited transcript of Tuesday’s presser.
Opening Statements
“Good morning everybody. Back on the road again this week. Heading up to Boston … always a tough place to play and a tough team to play. No different in this scenario. Their record is 1-4 but they’re far from a 1-4 team. They’re four plays away from being 4-1. They’re well coached. They’ve had some heartbreakers … the Stanford game where they had a big lead, had the Cal game won and then the Michigan State game in overtime. They have competed their butts off. They had a bunch of guys out this past week, a ton of guys out, especially on defense, about 10 guys. They got in a hole early against Pitt.
“This is a good team. Literally a few plays away from 4-1. Probably the best offensive line we’ve seen. Big, strong, well-coached. Their back is a good, downhill, player. He’s from Rock Hill. They use him in the passing game. They have really good receivers. They have multiple formations and do a good job of challenging you, a lot of max protection and shots downfield. They’re 11th in the nation in passing. They’re throwing all over the park, but it comes through the run game. There is a ton of play action. It’s a really good scheme. Their quarterback, out of Georgia, is a really good player and a player we recruited. They stress you with how they create their shots. The back’s free-releasing a lot. You have to account for him. Watching the tape, I’ve been very impressed.
“On the other side, same thing. Big, strong, physical guys up front. Typical big, physical, linebackers. A bunch of tight coverage. You have to make plays against them. They do a good job of getting hands on guys. They have a couple of big hitters. A ton of pressure and movement. It’s a tough matchup for us, but we’re excited about the challenge. A night game, Chestnut Hill. We look forward to it.”
Question: Is Elyjah Thurmon getting closer to returning?
Swinney: “Yes. He’s day to day right now. He’ll be out this week but not long-term.”
Question: What did you see from your guys in the locker room after playing better this past weekend?
Swinney: “It was a great locker room. We’ve had some heartbreaks and honestly we haven’t played well. We won the Troy game but we didn’t play well. It was good for them to win the game for sure, but to play well and to see and feel what that looked like. No question. They played with great execution on both sides of the ball. It was fun to watch the tape and you just see it … fundamentals, precision in what you’re doing, making routine plays. That part was really good.
“Now, we have to create consistency in our performance. That comes through practice and confidence. They can be reminded … ‘Hey, this is who you are.’ When you’re at Clemson, there’s noise and a lot of criticism and it can affect you. Now we have to build on it. The same things that won that game are the same things that can win the next game. It’s doing the little things well. We’ve had good preparation all year, honestly, but we needed to take it to game day. A reset with those guys was good.
“This is a good team we’re about to play. They’re well-coached, tough and physical. You have to beat them. They won’t give you anything.
“Your meetings and encouragement and watching a ton of film, that’s good but you have to go do it. Sometimes you have guys play well but they don’t get the results. Sometimes you have guys who haven’t played as well, so how do you get them going? You encourage them. But they all responded well, the energy and we played complementary football. We have to build on that.
“Sometimes you forget who you are. Everybody is telling you who you’re not and you try to do too much. I told Cade, hey, you’re Batman. You’re Cade Klubnik. Just be Cade. He was awesome. That was obviously a tremendous performance by him. Hopefully that can get him back on track. He’s a really good player. It was good to see him playing free. I told him, ‘You can do something about this. You don’t have to stay down in this hole. You can fly right out of it.’ It was my message to the team. I told them, ‘You guys have forgotten who you are.’ I told all of them that they could do something about it. A lot of teams can’t do something about it because they’re not good teams, but we can.”
Question: What kind of encouragement or advice would you have for Bill Belichick right now?
Swinney: “He doesn’t need any words of encouragement from me. It’s not his first rodeo. I’ve seen all of it (in college football). I’ve lived it. It’s what we all sign up for. We understand that. You have to take the good and bad. He’ll show up and do the work. I’m not here to talk about North Carolina.”
Question: How excited is Ronan Hanafin for this game, given that it’s a homecoming for him?
Swinney: “He’s super excited. He’s pumped up to practice. He loves it. He’s a gym rat. He loves practice, training, film study … there’s no part of football he doesn’t love. It’s unique going to Boston. He’ll be a team captain for us. He comes from an athletic family. I’m sure there will be a 100 Hanafins there. It’s awesome for him. It’s exciting. We haven’t been up there in a while.”
Question: You said last night that T.J. Parker had his best game. Specifically what did you see from him?
Swinney: “Yes. He was player of the game for us. He was flying around and making extra effort plays. He was defeating blocks and reading things properly. He created a TFL. He really played loose and had some fun out there. It was good to see. It’s not that he has played bad. He played really well against LSU. He was just affected by things he can’t control. You can’t let external things affect your play. He wasn’t playing bad, just not playing like we know he can play. He was disruptive Saturday and showed a ton of energy. He played his best game.”
Question: Adam Randall was up over 100 yards for the third time in four games. Has he been everything you had hoped he’d be?
Swinney: “Yeah. Dynamic. We thought he’d be dynamic. He’s been better than we hoped for as far as the transition. I’m really proud of him. He’s been good every game. He’s given us a chance every single game. He has played with a ton of passion and heart. He’s making plays in all areas, receiving, rushing, returning. He’s given us opportunities. I’m really proud of him. No one deserves it more.”
Question: How would you rate Adam’s pass-pro and the other backs?
Swinney: “He’s been good. He didn’t have any issues in the pass game this past week. We had a miscommunication on the OL. He’s picked up some good key blitzes along the way. He’s smart. He understands it. We got in a rhythm this past weekend. Gideon went in there and did some good things. He’s getting better every single day. Eziomume did well. We just let them play last weekend. I think you’ll see those guys continue to get better.”
Question: What do you continue to see from Tristan Smith and his role?
Swinney: “He’s had back to back good games for us. He has shown up and made some plays. Early on, the first couple of games, just being able to trust him. He is a matchup problem. He’s got unbelievable length. He’s a skilled guy who finishes the ball. He’s a good after-the-catch guy. You remember Aaron Kelly. He’s similar to Aaron. What made Aaron unique was that he could run with the ball. This kid is hard to bring down. He’s kind of slinky. We need him to keep coming. It’s a lot of man to man this coming week, a lot of competitive plays.”
Question: Your first win as an interim coach was at Boston College. What are your feelings now going back there?
Swinney: “I guess I went up there maybe once as an assistant. That was my first time I had gone to Boston in 2006. It was cool to go up there as an assistant. Boston was like some mythical place. In 2008, the circumstances were different. They had a really good team. We were 3-4 at the time. We needed a win and that was an amazing experience. We were coming off a tough loss against Georgia Tech. The guys were in good spirits. We were coming off an open date. We got a big lead early and they came back on us, but it ended up a magical night. Spiller had a huge kick return. DeAndre McDaniel had some big plays. Somehow we made one more play. Definitely ranks up there as one of the coolest moments I’ve experienced. It gave us a little shot in the arm. It was awesome. Seems like yesterday.”
Question: What is it about that atmosphere that makes it a tough place to go play?
Swinney: “It’s the type of team they always have. They’re a tough-minded, physical, group. As long as I’ve gone up against them, no matter who the coach is, they’re always tough and physical. It’s the culture of the place. It’s a tough-minded town. That resonates with the kids there. I’ve known Bill O’Brien forever. He’s a really good coach. You watch him and that team, they play tough. They play hard.”
Question: Your thoughts on their young quarterback?
Swinney: “He’s really good. He can spin it. He’s very accurate. He was highly recruited. We had him in camp. The scheme that they play, it’s a great marriage for him because he wants to push it downfield. It’s really set up for him well. He’s a good player. He’s got a great understanding of what they do. Their back is a good player. Heck, his name is Turbo. They list him at 5’8, but he sure looks bigger.”
Question: Capehart is averaging 30+something snaps a game. Is that the biggest encouragement there?
Swinney: “Yeah. That’s been the big knock on him … availability. Early on it was dependability. As he got older, it was availability … a lot of injuries and setbacks along the way. He’s really helped himself. It’s been a good year for him. He’s been a steady guy for us. For him to be there week in and week out has been awesome for him and us.”
Question: With Jeremiah Alexander getting the start last weekend, was that just personnel (from UNC)?
Swinney: “Just personnel. When teams are 11-personnel, it’s hard to play true SAM linebackers without being too predictable. You won’t have your SAM playing true man coverage. Just style of play. This week they’re more 11 personnel, but they will have a pretty good dose of 12 and 13 personnel.”
Question: How would you assess your next guys at linebacker now?
Swinney: “They’re getting better. They’ve got more confidence, they’re more engaged. When they know they’re going to play, they’re more engaged in practice. It also takes some more off of Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz. We played five guys. We held Jamal Anderson and we’re going to try to hold him. Their effort is good. They’re flying around. We have to do a better job in some of our hot coverages and route-recognition, especially when we have to push to the flat off RPO and play-action stuff. I wish we would have made the pick on that one play. Jeremiah hadn’t played a lot in his career. The more he plays, the more his natural attributes can show up. Same thing with Kobe. Dee Crayton is coming.”
Question: Tink made that play on the goal line. Was that one of his better games?
Swinney: “Same thing. He’s still a young player, a sophomore. He was injured as a freshman and not a lot last year, then came in this year and won the job in camp. Tom really likes him. He’s missed one game this year, maybe two. He’s just gaining confidence everyday. He needs to do a little extra. His skill set will shine through. He’s a very competitive kid. He’s been a good player for us. A lot of room for improvement.”
Question: How did you feel the dynamic changed on the sideline having Tom Allen there?
Swinney: “I’d say maybe confidence. It helps when you throw a touchdown on your first play. That doesn’t hurt. The energy was great. The team just made their mind up that they were going to go win the game. I really felt that going in. Hey, when you have disappointment, there is a lot you have to manage as players and coaches. I just felt great energy from the team. Tom being down there, I think it just amplified that confidence and maybe ramped up that accountability a little bit more.”
DISCUSSION: Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone Forum
Question: How do you assess your tight end room now?
Swinney: “Very consistent, great future at that position. A bright spot for us.”
Question: Where is Nolan Hauser confidence-wise?
DISCUSSION: Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on our off-topics forum
Swinney: “Inconsistent. He has missed a couple of 50+ yarders. We haven’t kicked many. He missed a couple of long ones. He’s done a nice job making the routine ones. He’s been good in practice.”
Question: Do you think your backup OL did a good job?
Swinney: “Yes. Harris did some work at backup center. Brayden got up there. We had Ian Reed in there. Talk about a great story. People have no idea what Ian has been through. The fact that he’s even out there on the field is a miracle. He’s still just a redshirt freshman and missed all of last year. I’m really happy for him. The only guy we held was Gavin and that was intentional. We’re saving his four games as long as we can. We’d play Gavin in the first quarter if we had to. He’s a guy we trust. That’s why we’re trying to save him. He’s a guy for sure who can help us.”
Question: What’s it like to see the ACC standings with Tony Elliott at the top with Miami?
Swinney: “Super happy for Tony. They believe. They’re playing together and they believe. That is a powerful thing. They’re really together and then Chandler Morris, I’ve known him forever. The team has kind of taken on his personality. He’s gritty and has a chip on his shoulder. It’s awesome. They’ve had three losing seasons in a row and have been through a lot. I couldn’t be more proud of Tony. I’m so happy for him. I’m thankful for Carla and the administration for sticking with him. Man, Tony is special. He always has been. Hopefully they can keep it going. You win a couple of those games and a team with an unshakable belief, magic can happen. You can win one that maybe you’re not suppose to win on paper. They’ve been through so much up there.”
Question: Antonio Williams is 4-for-4 in his careerr passing. What makes you trust him?
Swinney: “He’s a mature guy, a savvy athlete, a good basketball player and he can throw it. They all think they can throw but they can’t, but he can actually throw. He’s a guy you trust. He has great instincts for the game. You don’t think he’ll put you in a bad spot. He’ll throw it away if he needs to and run it if he needs to. He’s a mature player. Pretty good odds, huh? Better know where he’s at.”
Question: Where is Corian Gipson now in your plans, as you look to shore up the nickel position?
Swinney: “He’s not as far along as we’d like. Now we have a gap with Shelton Lewis gone. It puts more on Noah Dixon. Now he’s getting more reps. Gipson, long-term, we felt like he could be a guy for that nickel position. We really wanted to get him locked in at corner first. It’s not easy to go in there and play the slot. Corner isn’t easy either, but at least you have the boundary. The slot is different. And then there’s fitting in the run game and pressures. He was a guy we felt like we wanted to get him locked in and confident at corner. At this point now, we have to force the issue with him (at nickel).”
Not a Tiger Illustrated member, Clemson fans? Join Today!
Tigerillustrated.com, established in 1999, is the No. 1 Authority On Clemson Football & Recruiting. A subscription, just $1 for our 7-day trial, is a must-have for hardcore Clemson Football fans. You won’t find more exclusive, detailed, info on Clemson football and recruiting anywhere else. We guarantee it! CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR $1 SUBSCRIPTION PROMO!