Quick notes from Swinney press conference

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Oct 01 11:17:08 GMT-04:00 2013

* Guests Kathleen Swinney, Tiger mascot, sponsors of Breast Cancer awareness month are in attendance. Dabo Swinney Dabo Swinney
Head Coach
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* FSU-Clemson Football will host it's first Breast Cancer Awareness game October 19th against Florida State.

* Clemson game will be first ever Breast Cancer awareness game and Coca-Cola doing a multi-year sponsorship.

* $5 dollar pins proceeds will go to Breast Cancer research. Pins are available on the official online website, TigerTown graphics and Barnes & Noble on campus.

* Bill McClellan made an impact on Clemson, facilties, stadium. Man of a vision.

* On Syracuse trip: Excited about the trip. They will be a quality opponent for years to come. They will be a division opponent for us.

* They have been a different team at home. They will be a rested and confident team against us. They only lost 1 game at home last year. Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith went up there and lost.

* QB #10 played really well and played good against Tulane and brings running game.

* They are a very physical running team. They have a rimington candidate at center. They have some big wide-outs. They have a big big strong back. He is leading the ACC in touchdowns. He is a very physical runner. We will have to compete. They will challenge us.

* On defense: They have six backers back. They are the most aggressive we will have played. They will force you to be very sound. They will not let you hold the ball. There is a lot of competive matchups. I am impressed with their DL including #99. They have 3 starters back in the secondary.

* On playing on road: Its just hard to win on the road. Everyone is more comfortable on the road. Personally, i enjoyed playing on the road. I liked the hostility on the road. "Loved going to Baton Rouge and having grandmas flick me the finger. I embrace that." and people pulling your shirt up at you and calling me "skinny swinney."

* On Carrier Dome: I think it would be if we had no experience with it. We have had experience 2X's in Atlanta in Georgia dome and we have a practice facility. Its just a field and its still football. The noise is a little more compact.

* Dabo joked that last year being dropped off at the GA Dome he thought they were dropped at the wrong stadium because of the amount of Auburn fans at Tiger Walk.

* On road: We will have a few folks there. It is about playing the game. The big difference in the dome is no A/C.

* Brad Scott, Dan Brooks, Robbie Caldwell, Danny Pearman, and Mike Reed have been at the Carrier Dome.

* Not happy with the protection issues but nothing we can't fix. I like the players we have.

* Battle is coming on. Battle is a guy is that will keep coming can be the guy that we thought he was going to be.

* Ryan Norton has been awesome. That guy has been the MVP the first four games. Ryan has done a fantastic job. He plays sick and gets IV and goes back in there.

* Patrick DeStefano will be back this week.

* I think we are much further along on the offensive line this year than last year. Same thing with the defensive line.

* We have to create turnovers. We've been doing that.

* They bring a lot of pressure. They will play cover 0. You have to win matchups. Your quarterback has to be dialed in. They will bring 5 or 6 in different ways. We have to have a good job of checking.

* Sammy Watkins is playing lights out football. He is grading out well. Sammy is around 90% each week. Mike Williams played at 90% with 40 snaps last week. He is like a bigger Nuk. He is has great ball skills.

* T.J. is the rawest of the group but very talented.

* Our TE's are coming along. I like the skill we have and Tajh has been outstanding. It will never be a perfect game.

* Hot-Rod is our guy. He can not do it all. D.J. is good to re-emerge. He had a scope before the Georgia game. He has really come back on. The way he finished the game at NC State, really sparked him.

* Zac is a tremendous player. He is a very good football player. When he gets more opportunities, he will blossom.

* On M. Alexander injury: It went very well. It was exactly what we thought. He is in good spirits and back rehabbing. Probably at this point will end up redshirting him. Right now i feel good about depth at corner

as long as we can keep Martin Jenkin's shoulder in place. Right now, he is going to be 2-3 weeks of rehabbing after to get through this and then will go to the scout team.

* Everything starts with effort for us.

* Clemson is our greatest opponent. Do not lose to Clemson. You have to give yourself a chance to win.

* We are playing so much more smarter and sounder on defense this year.