Swinney updates Clemson injuries, says Tigers are focused on the goal |
David Hood
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- Friday, December 06 2024
CHARLOTTE, NC – Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media at Bank of America Stadium ahead of Saturday’s ACC Championship Game, and answered questions about the game and the Tigers’ injury status.
The Tigers take on SMU at 8 p.m. Saturday (ABC) with the winner clinching a trip to the 12-team College Football Playoff, and Swinney said it’s a blessing to be back in Charlotte with another chance at a title. “First of all, just excited to be here and be a part of this great game at this great venue. What an awesome opportunity to come up here and play in this stadium,” Swinney said as his team prepared for a walk thru. “Just thankful for the blessing to be in the game. It's one of the things I told our team, just I have a great appreciation for the experience that not everybody gets. To be able to experience being in a game like this is a real blessing, and I'm thankful for it. It's something when I was a player I dreamed about, and I got a chance to experience that as a player, played in the first ever championship game, in the SEC Championship in '92, and to win a National Championship as a player. “As a young assistant coach, this is what you dream about, to be in championship games. So to have an opportunity to do this, I just really appreciate it. Again, I'm just thankful for it. I probably have probably more appreciation now than I ever have just because there's 17 teams in this league, and to be one of two, I just know how hard it is to get to this podium. So I just greatly appreciate the opportunity, and I'm proud of our team to be one of two teams to get here outright is awesome. It's been just a fun time getting a chance to prepare. This is two great teams that are going to battle it out for one trophy. Congratulations to Rhett and SMU. We actually have the same agent, so we've had some fun with that this week. Those guys have been kind of quiet, but I got a lot of respect for him. What an awesome job that he has done this year.” Swinney said the Tigers still haven’t played their best game. “Just ready to get to work. I don't think we've played our best football yet. I think we're still a team that's improving, and I think that's a good thing as we head into postseason,” he said. “So excited about the opportunity, and again look forward to a great environment. I appreciate all the work that everybody puts into getting this venue set for this great game.” Swinney was asked if defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, safety R.J. Mickens, and wide receiver Tyler Brown would play. “They all made the trip. They're all on the bus,” Swinney said. “They'll be getting off doing a walk-through here soon. So, we'll see.” Swinney said his team is in the championship because of the way it handled its business. “This is where everybody wants to be when you start your season. You go play it out and you count them all up at the end. There were no tiebreakers, which is unusual for a 17-team league,” he said. “But the way we got here is just one day at a time. The guys handled some success. They handled some adversity, and they just kept going. We went undefeated on the road and went 7-1 in the league. “We didn't accomplish all of our goals that we had in the regular season, but it's really all about this: Whether we're 12-0 or 9-3 right now, we've got the same goal and the same opportunity, and that's win your league. I think we're much more battle tested. I think we've gotten better. Again, we've been close. “I thought we were really close last week to playing maybe our best football. Again, we're not a team that has reached its potential yet. So having said that and to be in this game, I'm proud of them. I know it's not easy to get here. So they've just put in a lot of work. We've overcome some challenges along the way, just like all teams. I think SMU has been the best team in this league this year. Again, when you play all your games, we all get eight of them, we were the second best. “We'll get a chance tomorrow night to see who's the best.” The head coach said he won’t have a hard time keeping his team focused. “Honestly, I think having this opportunity is all they needed to be focused. They know what their opportunity is to win this game. We have to win the game for sure to have an opportunity. I think SMU should be in no matter what, but we have to win it,” he said. “So this is the first round of the playoff for us. That's how we have to look at it. This is a goal. The season is over. Now you're into the postseason, and you're where you wanted to be. Doesn't really matter what's happened behind you. It's all about this opportunity. “It's been pretty easy to get them focused on what they're trying to do because this is what they've worked for since January.” #Clemson has arrived. Tyler Brown is here:
Cade Klubnik is among the first of the bunch, with a cowboy hat in the cold. @ClemsonTigerNet pic.twitter.com/JplYaZ3gzN
The #Clemson wideout made the trip, but his status remains up in the air for tomorrow night. @ClemsonTigerNet pic.twitter.com/tcyQdSVVxM
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