Swinney on his Clemson team: "We can't work any harder"

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn't know another way than to stay positive, even In a disappointing start.

by TigerNet Staff - Mon Oct 23 16:20:36 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney knows no other mode than to stay positive.

The two-time national champion and winner of 165 games as the Tigers' coach went to the radio airwaves to explain his philosophy and what he's seeing from the team and the program on Monday.

His Tigers sit at 4-3 overall after a 28-20 loss in double overtime to Miami on Saturday, a second loss as a favorite this season after the Duke opener.

"You just have to keep playing. You've got to know what's reality," Swinney told The Roar. "Not that you're happy. You're not happy, but you still have to have joy in what you do. I have a lot of joy in what I do, and honestly, this is some of the best opportunity to teach and to prepare. It really is. We're kinda in a valley if you will, and that's where the soil is fertile. That's where we grow, and most of all, that's where God prepares you for the mountaintop. And so, I've got a lot of young hearts and souls who sit in front of me every day -- these are not Instagram people. This is not a filtered world.

"These are real people, and they've got a lot of problems, and they're beautiful hearts and minds, and we can't work any harder. We can't. We had the best week of practice that I've been around a long time last week. It's unbelievable. They can't work any harder. The coaches can't work any harder. "

Swinney said his team isn't getting some of the breaks.

"Sometimes you get the breaks, and sometimes you don't. We kinda had some halfcourt 3-pointers go in on us to beat us at the buzzer," said Swinney. "Against good teams. That's the other thing...It's just a part of our journey. Just like winning six games in '10 was a part of the journey, losing five in a row in the Gamecocks was a part of our journey, giving up 70 in a bowl game was a part of our journey -- it's all good. That's just how I look at it. I'm not happy. I hurt. I hurt for our fans. I hurt for our players. Because I see how committed they are. How hard they've worked. It's just a few issues. You've got some guys who have played so well week-in and week-out. We don't ask anyone to be perfect, but we do have a winning performance at each position, and we've had so many guys that have been (putting up) winning consistent performances.

"But it's a team game. Football is tough. We kinda have a world right now where nobody wants any consequences, but football still punishes you for mistakes. You get punished in football for mistakes. That's just the way it is, but you also get rewarded for precision."

Swinney reiterated that he's a big fan of his roster, and he's seeing good things from them.

"You get rewarded for doing certain things, and we're doing a lot of things great...When you lose the way we've lost games, it magnifies everything to the nth degree," Swinney said. "It really does. Even when you win, there's always mistakes. But losing magnifies it. And we've got a lot of great days ahead. We're an amazing program. We've been in six playoffs. I think there's only one other team that can say that. Alabama. I think there's only three schools that have won a couple national championships in the last seven years. Which tells you how hard it is...This is a part of our journey to the next national championship. And I can also tell you it won't be 35 years until we win another one.

"Probably not going to win it this year, but this is just a part of it. And I love our kids. I love our roster. We've got a bunch of great, great young players on this team. We've got some amazing seniors. And committed guys that are together. So you just jump in there with them, you hang in there and keep battling, and let's see if we can go and win this week. That's what we've got, we've got an opportunity. You know how you win 29 in a row? I think we did that one time too -- that was a part of our journey...You don't let last week's result affect this week. You got to have a mindset and a mentality.

"And then I've got to teach them how to finish. That's really what we're not doing right now...That's my job. That's my responsibility. I've got to help them learn how to finish. If Shipley holds that ball (against Miami) another millisecond, and then it comes out, maybe the refs call it a touchdown, and then they review it, and they can't overturn it...That's the difference. That right there. So it's not that. Sometimes it may seem that way, but it's not...We've got a chance at a great finish this year. I know a lot of people quit and give up. You lose one game, and it's all bad. I don't operate that way. I get stronger in the struggle and from the struggle. That's just how I'm wired, and it's going to be a lot of fun to see these guys continue to battle and compete, and certainly, it ain't going to get any easier, but man, what an opportunity we've got ahead of us."

Swinney pointed to turnovers and red zone issues as the primary problems.

"We're a very talented team, and we've got answers. We've just got to get out of our own way," Swinney said. "It's really frustrating, for sure, but it's just part of our journey. That's all I can say. We're dead-last in America in fumbles. Dead-last. I mean last. Can't get any worse than last, but we've still in a position to win every game. And what that tells you is you're dead-last in fumbles, but you're still in position to win every game...We've been on the 1(-yard line) and got no points four times. Been inside the 10 -- we're last in the red zone too.

"Next time we're on the 1, we might get them to jump offsides and just go to the 6 and start from there. It's crazy," Swinney said jokingly. "But all I can tell you is you have to take the good with the bad, and it's all a part of our journey. We've got a really good team, and I think the fact that we're still in position to win shows you the depth of our team, the strength of our team, how they're playing in a lot of other areas that usually determine winning and losing. I can tell you if our '21 team was making the mistakes that this team was making -- we woulda gone 3-9. Because we were so limited in some areas and we had to really manufacture a lot, and I'll forever love that team, and that was one of my favorite teams in how we finished. This is a really talented team. They're getting better in a lot of areas.

"And listen, it's our best players. Shipley and Klubnik and Mafah, I think (Briningstool) had one fumble, I think Tyler Brown's had one fumble, and it's just been a very frustrating thing is all I can tell you, but I love those guys...We're going to have a lot of great days ahead. It's just a part of our journey. That's all I can tell ya. People say, 'Why do you stay positive?' Well, it's because I've lived life. I've been there and done that many times."