Swinney says the Tigers are a "wounded dog" on the side of the road

The Tigers have battled injuries all season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Nov 16 16:32:03 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – Dabo Swinney says the Clemson Tigers are a wounded dog on the side of the road, waiting for someone to give them a helping hand.

During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Swinney previewed this weekend’s game against Wake Forest. The game serves as the home finale for the season and as Senior Day. The Tigers still have a shot at winning the ACC Atlantic Division title, but need to beat Wake Forest then need the Demon Deacons to lose the following week at Boston College while NC State loses one of its two remaining games.

It’s an uphill battle that starts Saturday at noon (ESPN) in Death Valley and Swinney wants the Clemson crowd to show. Even on Friday.

"This will be a great matchup. I want our fans to be here. Heck, come early. Come on Friday and pitch a tent. I'm excited for our guys, Senior Day,” Swinney said. “We have guys who have had great careers and have made great contributions to this program. It's always an emotional week. It's always a little bit sad, too. This is the last time for them to play in this stadium. It's our last time to coach them in that environment. It's also exciting because we know that they are well-prepared.

"Wake is a heck of a team. They have had a magical year. They have been able to stay relatively healthy, which is a key for everybody. They have a bunch of fourth, fifth and sixth-year players. Dave Clawson has done an awesome job. He has become a friend. He and I have spent more time with each other in the last two years than any other coach I have been around over the years. He has done a wonderful job. They have been unbelievably consistent. They play to their strengths and they do a great job with their evaluations and development.”

Swinney said the Tigers are wounded dog looking for a little help if they want to win the division.

“We have to win. We're still alive but we're a wounded dog. If we don't win this game, we're not. If we win this game, it'll go on down to the last day,” Swinney said. “We want to finish at 6-2 in the league which would be a great finish for this team. We haven't had back-to-back senior classes here leave undefeated (at home) since 1940-1941. Robbie Caldwell wasn't alive then. You know why it's been a long time? Because it's hard to win. The best we can be now is 9-3. You can't win nine until you win your eighth one. The division is still out there for us. We have to take care of business. If we do not, Wake will be division champs.

"I'm proud of our team. Their will to win has been awesome. I love these seniors. What a cool thing to be able to walk off the field and say you never lost a home game. And hey, I think that 1940-41 team only played like two home games a year. Not to take anything away from the 1940-41 group."

The Demon Deacons present a challenge on both sides of the ball.

"Defensively they are good. Their stats don't tell the story,” Swinney said. “They play hard. They're very well coached up front. They move around. We have to play well. We don't have a single senior starting for us. We have two juniors starting for us. We're in a little bit of a development stage. We will have two true freshmen receivers starting. Will Putnam has reclassified as a sophomore. They turn the ball over. They have 13 different guys on their defense who have created a turnover. They do a great job with their scheme.

"Offensively, they are a handful. Their scheme is different and unique and that creates some challenges. We do play them every year, so that's a positive for us. Ultimately it comes down to experience. They have 96-percent of their team back from last year on offense. Their QB is a savvy, relentless competitor. They have cohesion up front. They play really fast. There isn't a lot of motioning. They have three backs who are all good players, two really good tight ends ... all of them. These are the best receivers we have played as a group. They lead the country in passes of 30+ yards. We have to win matchups and be disruptive up front. They're the only team in the country to score 35+ every single game."

*Injury notes: Wide receiver Justyn Ross, tight end Sage Ennis, linebacker Sergio Allen, and wide receiver Joseph Ngata are out for this game. It sounds like linebacker James Skalski will play, as will quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh sounds doubtful but that could change by the end of the week.