Quick notes from Swinney press conf

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Sep 03 11:10:34 GMT-04:00 2013

* Dabo said every "opportunity you get to play is special." Anytime you get to open the valley for business it is special. You only get 7 of those.

* Dabo said that SC state is a veteran team. SC State has 7 on offense back and 9 on defense. It is another group of bulldogs rolling here this week. I guess it is the year of the bulldogs.

* Dabo said that "if you don't come ready you will get beat." Everyone to us is a faceless nameless opponent. "We play to a standard."

* Dabo said improvements this week...throw and catch better - very average last week. Also, wants to cut down on mental errors on both sides and clean up the muff punt on the punt return. We have to handle the ball with consistency. We have two crucial mistakes that should not have happened with veteran players.

* Dabo said always try to improve on tackles...we had some miss tackles but sometimes you have to give the other guy credit.

* Dabo said that backs have to do a better job protecting Tajh Boyd.

* Tajh got a little slower as far as keeping his eyes to sideline and pushing tempo. All things that he can improve on.

* Dabo on 2011 season, "Sometime you have to fail to really learn, to really be successful."

* Dabo said "We're never going to be a great team" if we do not play with emotion when its a non-ESPN gameday kind of game.

* Dabo said that Gurley is a "freight train".

* Dabo said that he thought "our defensive line was awesome."

* Dabo said he thought our backer played good ...areas they can improve but played good.

* Dabo on DBs.."We were where we were supposed to be, but we had a couple of busts, I thought we did a good job for the first game."

* Dabo said "Grady has separated himself going into camp and played very well Saturday night."

* Dabo decided Thursday after practice that Carlos Watkins would start alongside Grady Jarrett on Saturday at D-tackle.

* Dabo says Chad Kelly could play this weekend.

* Dabo also says that TE Sam Cooper will see his first action this weekend.

* Dabo said that RB Tyshon Dye still battling back issue; if epidural doesn't work he might need surgery. They are going to wait another four weeks.

* Dabo says it looks like definite redshirt for Dye, unless there "is an absolute disaster."

* CB Mackensie Alexander was "turned loose" yesterday. Hopeful he will be able to go this week and play on Saturday.

* Swinney said his staff did not see that marshall had actually step out at the 3 yd line at end of game.

The ball was placed at 6 inch line.

* Swinney said he would have challenged if he knew that he actually stepped out. He challenged his eyes in the sky to do better job of seeing things like that.

* Dabo on Martavis Bryant's play. "trust me he will be fine." Bryant has been not good but great during spring and fall practices. "everybody has a bad night every now and then."

* Dabo said that Bryant also "had the biggest catch of the night on the onside kick." Bryant played one game...one game does not make season.

* Dabo on Boyd's heisman chances. "If they're going to announce the Heisman this weekend, Tajh Boyd has a good shot. I guess I'll have to get my tux for New York."

* Dabo said the team this year is better than team last year at this point but team last year improved all throughout the year last year. The challenege to team to this year is to do the same and improve all year.

* Dabo said if losing a game is pulling a Clemson then there is a lot of teams out there pulling a Clemson.