Did Swinney use the infamous laptop to spy on The Citadel? |
CLEMSON – Did
Dabo Swinney use the infamous laptop used at N.C. State to spy on The Citadel earlier this season? Maybe…..
Clemson hosts The Citadel this weekend (kickoff at 12:20, ACC Network). The teams haven’t played since the Tigers claimed a 52-6 victory in 2013, but the Bulldogs used Clemson’s indoor practice facility earlier this season when Hurricane Irma threatened Charleston. Swinney was asked – jokingly – if he took the time to spy on the Bulldogs when they were in the building. “We just put the laptop out there. That was a low blow,” Swinney said with a laugh, referencing the infamous laptop “scandal” from two weeks ago at N.C. State. “I got an awesome note from their AD and from (head coach) Brent (Thompson). They were all very appreciative and gracious. I never saw them. Woody (McCorvey) handled all of that. They were in and out. I don't even know when they were here.” Swinney said he didn’t need to remind his team that the Bulldogs beat South Carolina two years ago. “Absolutely, because these guys, they don't know. We better remind them. I promise we won't have many people coming in here going, 'Hey coach, did you know that this happened?' It's just on to the next game,” Swinney said. “These guys are about next game and next opponent. It's Monday. It's what we do. They don't get caught up in all of that stuff. We won't prepare any different this week than we did for Florida State. We won't prepare any different this week than we will next week. Zero. We work on this week, this plan and that's all you can do. When you start getting ahead, that's when you lose your guys and send the wrong message to them. I'll make dang sure they know.” Swinney said Thompson has done a good job with the Bulldogs. “The Citadel - Coach Thompson - has done a good job down there. They're 5-5 right now,” he said. “It's a difficult team to prepare for. They're the triple option. They've got their own little nuances and personality with it that they bring to the table. They're a challenge. It doesn't matter who you're playing, if they're running the triple option it's a challenge because it's not something that you do every single week. We do have good experience. We've obviously played Georgia Tech and hopefully, that will help us a little bit. They do throw it a little more. They throw it about 13 times a game and Georgia Tech and only threw about seven or eight times a game. They're kind of the air raid triple option if you will. That puts a little bit more strain on in. Brent (Venables) and the boys, they hate these weeks. “We've got to get better. We've got to improve in every area. Our focus is Clemson this week. We've got to improve our team. There are so many areas that we have to improve on in all three phases. We need to take care of our business the proper way and make the plays that are there, clean up some things fundamentally. Just carry the focus and intensity for four quarters. I'm looking forward to closing our home schedule and playing our best game to date.” OPENING STATEMENT “Really proud of our team for accomplishing the second goal. Any time you see a group of young people accomplishes a goal, it's special. It's hard to win when everybody is after the same thing. Only one team can represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC title game. This team, man, has won me over. And I knew it was going to be a different team. So many new faces. A fun team, but a lot of challenges, too. Seems like you win those games early, the further you go down the season and it's like no one wants to give you credit for it. “We have responded all year. We didn't play well at Syracuse. They were better than us that day. But I'm proud of our team especially in a world where there is so much criticism and it's there everyday. We've got the fewest seniors on this team since World War II. We know we're going to get every ounce of everyone's best every week. I am so proud of this group. If the season ended today, I'd be so pleased with them and their effort. They've played so hard. They haven't always played smart, but they've played hard, together and with tremendous effort. “Hard to believe it's the last game in Death Valley. It's Senior Day and that's always an emotional time a little bit because there's some finality to it. These guys dream about college football and some of them grow up dreaming about playing at Clemson and you get to see them have the opportunity to achieve their dream. You get in the midst of your journey and think you're going to be here forever, then you get to be a senior and realize how quick it's gone and how fast life goes. It's such a small moment in the scope of your life - three, four, five years. It's a blink of an eye. I want to have a great day Saturday and see these guys put an exclamation point on their career. These seniors are 26-1 at home. What a career they've had. They've got a chance to set the all-time record. 27 wins will be the most wins ever for a senior group. “It's a chance to get a 10th win. It's a noon game. I really hope our crowd will show up and will put on a great show for our military and for our seniors. It will be a great day to honor two awesome groups. In different ways, they've been great servants. These seniors have served this program and their teammates, this community in so many ways. I'm excited about watching them play in the Valley for the last time on Saturday.” Juniors being honored “Christian Wilkins and Taylor Hearn will be honored for sure. Senior Day, sometimes it's about eligibility. It's your last year and you're not graduating yet but your eligibility is up and you're a senior in eligibility. Other times, it's about school and graduating. Both of those guys have another year of eligibility. Neither one has made a decision yet on whether or not they're going to come back, but they're both graduating in a few weeks. It's a big deal being a senior. We make it a big deal around here and always have. Seniors fly first class on the plane. I usually fly coach because I want to put the seniors up there. Even our walk-ons. I think there's something to be said about being a senior and that finishing mentality with graduating and earning your degree to prepare yourself for the rest of your life. That's the two guys that have decided they want to be honored but they don't have a decision. At this point, those are the only two who have come to me and said that they want to be honored.”
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