Sunday Night Notes: Swinney updates injuries, playing time for a lot of players

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Clemson escaped the victory over NC State relatively unscathed, and used the blowout to play a lot of players. That’s a good day for head coach Dabo Swinney.

The Tigers bounced out to a 52-7 lead on the Wolfpack before pulling the starters and won 59-35, playing 96 players in the process. The Tigers (2-1 overall, 1-0 ACC) will host Stanford (2-1, 1-0) next Saturday for Homecoming. Kickoff will be at 7 pm on ESPN.

Swinney spoke to the media during his Sunday evening teleconference and recapped the win and looked ahead.

“I am really proud of our team. It was a complete performance. Our guys showed up ready and set the tone right out of the gate, all three phases especially in that first quarter. We created two turnovers in the first 13 plays of the game and then the offense capitalized,” Swinney said. "Defensively, our first group played well. It was 59-14 until the fourth quarter there. We worked a lot of backup guys and have had the opportunity to do that over the last two games. It will help us develop these guys, our team.

"Third down was really good. We created a bunch of negative yards. Biggest disappointment was the fourth quarter with so many young guys in there getting exposed on red zone touchdowns and critical penalties. Offensively, we had great balance, explosiveness and played with confidence. In three games, we have had no sacks on the offensive line. We didn't have any turnovers. First time since the ACC Championship game in 2022 to not have a turnover. Our quarterback played really well for back to back weeks. We're throwing and catching at a really high level right now. Our wideouts were really good without the ball yesterday, getting downfield and blocking.

"All in all a fun game for the guys and hopefully for our fans as well. We still have a lot to learn. Let's see if we can continue to create more momentum. The big key for us is to continue to learn and develop from what we have done so far. Next week we have an undefeated conference team coming in. Injury-wise, we came out of it pretty good."

On the improved play of Cade Klubnik

"At any level of football, it's all about what your quarterback can do. He's still a young player who is developing right before our eyes. He's doing a great job and has a great command of things. We saw a lot of this in the spring and we saw it all summer. Honestly, I saw a lot of good things in the first game. He still left a little out there yesterday. The game has just slowed down for him. That comes with experience. When you are really talented and then you develop confidence to go with that through your work ethic and preparation, that helps. Also, we're better around him ... more experience, more depth and we are healthy. We have a bunch of people touching the ball, and we are playing well up front. Harris Sewell is our youngest guy up front.

"It all starts with Cade and just his growth. When you have that, as a play-caller, with those weapons, you can load him up with more than you would be able to with a younger player. He's done a good job with the protections, some of the checks he's made, using his legs and things. Hopefully, he'll continue to stay the course there."

On Cade’s growth and checkdown to Mafah

“That's growth. Are you reading my notes? That's when I grade the tape. That's exactly what I wrote down. I mean, that's quarterback growth. Last year, he would've thrown an incomplete, and we would've been in here on Sunday going, why does he not just check it to the back on that particular play? On that play to Antonio (Williams), he didn’t allow that to speed him up. He just created a little time, kept his eyes down the field, made a great throw to Antonio. Antonio ran a great route on that. And then there were two other plays where because there were a lot of drop eight and where boom, he dropped back and there's tight windows. It's hard to squeeze a lot in there and that's what he really wants you doing. And he just took off and ran and got us nine yards or a first down and he wouldn't have done that last year, not early part of the year.

Jay Haynes separating as the backup behind Phil Mafah

"I would say so now that we have three games. He has flashed and has done some good stuff. What a great play on the handoff draw there. I'm pleased with all of those guys, though. Keith Adams, as I've said many times, is different. We really believe in Keith. He'll have some good moments as well. We're continuing to bring David Eziomume along. We got Jarvis (Green) back yesterday. It's a good group. Jay definitely gives us something different right now."

Mafah injury

"Doctor told us he was good to go. We just do what the doctors tell us. They sent him back over there and he went back in and ripped off another touchdown run. I'm proud of him."

On defensive ends A.J. Hoffler, Cade Denhoff, and Jahiem Lawson

"I'm pleased with those guys. Denhoff is very steady for us. He does his job, and he's going to grade well. He had about 20-something snaps. He's a guy we trust. I'm really proud of Hoffler and Lawson. Hoffler is really starting to play fast. You can really see his confidence growing. He's got a little bit of violence and twitch to him. He's one of the guys who just needs some reps. Man, Jahiem, I'm proud of him. He can do everything we need him to do. He can be really physical. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I think he had one mental error yesterday. He's a high energy guy. It's a good group. That's one positive of Peter Woods being out because it's forced the issue with some of these other guys.

“And then Armon Mason, he's been around here a couple of years, but he really hadn't played because he was going to play a lot last year and he got hurt with his ACL in camp. So this is really his first time to really play and he brings some things to the table too that we like. So it's a good group.”

On Nick Eason laying into the defense in the fourth quarter

"I think it was 59-14 into the fourth quarter and then all of a sudden they get three touchdowns on our backups. It's frustrating. As a coach, you want to put your starters back out there, but those guys (backups) need to play. The standard doesn't change when they go in. They want to play but they need to get the job done. I think what happened yesterday will create some urgency with these guys. These last couple of weeks, we're getting some of these guys' attention. I guarantee you. The message is just that ... you play to a standard. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard is. Just because the starters are out, it doesn't mean we don't care what's happening on the field."

On young linebackers

"They're improving. Dee Crayton took his eyes off the back one that one play. He's a redshirt freshman, so he's still a young player, but he's getting better. Sammy Brown, to throw him out there and play him, he's getting better. He had a couple of mistakes and missed a tackle, but he's physical and playing fast. They're getting better every single rep. I'm really pleased with where they are right now. We just have to keep them coming."

On Stanford sending equipment buses and laundry to Clemson after Syracuse

“No, I don't have anything to do with that. I think they, I guess they called our equipment people I assume, or our operations, maybe operations. And just with the equipment truck coming all the way across the country, obviously, it's not going to go back and then come back. So they're coming on down here. And then, like I said, I guess they reached out to operations or our equipment staff and said, ‘Hey, can you guys help us out here?’ So glad to do that and help facilitate. I mean, that's a long way to go. So help facilitate their process.”

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