Dabo Swinney knows details must improve going forward

Swinney knows against Georgia, the margin of error is slim to none, and if you make mistakes, you tend to get exposed.

Grayson Mann · Staff Writer · Tuesday, September 03 2024

CLEMSON - The details against Georgia slipped through the cracks. Those cracks quickly turned into second-half ravines.

The Tigers entered the third quarter, competing against the Bulldogs relatively well. It didn’t take long for a showdown to turn into a beatdown.

Dabo Swinney certainly understands this, spending the opening minutes of Tuesday’s press conference breaking down just that.

The Tigers had several drive-killing procedural penalties that stalled momentum, missed tackles that extended drives, and routes that were stopped that might have been points.

Swinney knows against Georgia, the margin of error is slim to none, and if you make mistakes, you tend to get exposed.

"That was elite talent on both sides. I mean, both sides," Swinney said. "Elite talent, not good talent, elite talent. And when you have talent on talent, especially in an opener, some things can get exposed. And I think part of that's why I was excited about that game because some things you can't teach, some things you have to experience, and our team will grow from that experience. But how detailed the margin for error is certain things.”

Growth from mistakes is how this iteration of Clemson chooses to move forward after another tough season opener.

In back-to-back years, the Tigers have dropped their season opener, losing by 21 points or more.

If you ask Dabo Swinney, everything is a lesson for his roster. In the attempt to scrounge for positives, he knows this experience against the best of the best is unmatchable.

“You got to do the boring routine stuff well to win and beat a number one team in the country,” Swinney said. “And so sometimes you got to experience that. But I think again, when you watch the tape and when our guys watch the tape, they're very frustrated because we missed an opportunity and a free opportunity. That one was free of charge; it is just on your schedule to get another one, you got to go earn it because that was a playoff environment. And so that's a great opportunity to teach, and I think it'll really serve our team well. They got a chance to see it and feel it and smell it, and they'll grow from it, but it's two plays can change. And then they all also got to experience what momentum in a game like that feels like momentum in a game like that is powerful.”

It hasn’t been on display recently, but Swinney’s teams have been on the positive end of Saturday’s result.

He knows two teams stacked with talent go far beyond the roster's scope. It comes down to the details on the field.

In Clemson’s last national title, Nick Saban and Swinney’s rosters were stacked with talent. The Tigers played clean football. Alabama’s mistakes compounded into a blowout.

“When we won the national championship in '18, y'all think we were 44 to 16 better than that Alabama team? Check the rosters, momentum critical plays," Swinney said. "And so it's really, it is a great opportunity for us. We missed the opportunity. That's the disappointing thing.”

Usually, when you are lining up against Georgia, it is with a jersey patch that signifies its time for the postseason. Swinney understands the importance of the experience but also knows that the game got away from them and that his unit must get better.

"It got away from us in the third quarter on some very basic stuff, fake jet motion switch vert, we buy the jet motion, we start the rotation and call, and next, oh, he didn't keep going. And now our eyes aren't on our work big play wheel route, not even a wheel route. And so these are very, very simple things, but that's how you get exposed. But that's what it comes down to when you got really, really good, talented people on the field, it comes down to a few things. So that's coaching, that's really understanding how important those things are.”

As Swinney puts it, the days are long, but the years are short.

Fans waiting for a win in the column have some long days before Saturday. Swinney certainly feels that and sees another opportunity ahead for Clemson.

Going against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (8 p.m./ACCN), the details will be just as important.