Clemson vs. North Carolina: Postgame press conference audio and quotes

by TigerNet Staff - Sat Oct 09 21:55:13 GMT-04:00 2010

Dabo Swinney - Press conference audio (MP3 Format)

Opening Statement:

"First off, I'm extremely embarrassed. This team deserves better, Clemson deserves better, the fans deserve better. This is just not a very well-coached football team right now and it's my fault. I'm extremely disappointed in what I saw today. I saw a team that wasn't very smart, I saw a team that wasn't very disciplined. I saw a team get a lot of critical penalties, right from the beginning of the game on the first play. I saw a team give up a huge play that led to a score right before the end of the half. I'm embarrassed. I'm extremely disappointed in myself. I'm better than this, I know I'm better than this, and it's my job to get it fixed, it's nobody's else's job. This football team didn't quit, the football team played, they tried as hard as they could, and it's obvious they're just not very well-coached.

"The only thing I know is that I'm not a quitter, I've never been a quitter. I'll show up tomorrow, I'll come back to work, and I'll do a better job. And I know the team will show up Monday, because we don't have any quitters on this team. But I have to help them. I've got to help them stop giving up big plays. I've got to help them be smarter when it's third-and-ten, third-and-nine. I've got to help them stop giving up pass interference calls. I've got to help them be smarter. But one thing I've learned all my life is that if you keep getting up, sooner or later you're going to bust through. That's what we have to do, we have to keep getting up off the mat. The team will come in and we've got to go back to work Monday, and we've got to find a way to win a football game. That's the only objective."

On what he told the team after tonight's game:

"Just what I just said to y'all. I apologized to them and said it was all on me. It's not a well-coached football team, not a disciplined team, not a smart team, and that's one person's fault. I told them show back up, don't quit on me, and I know they won't, and I've just got to do a better job. Unfortunately, we've been here before. We were 2-3 last year, came back and had a great finish and won our division. So anything is possible. Certainly you always draw on your past experiences, but right now the only objective is to win a football game and get this team to stop beating themselves. That is not the mark of a well-coached team. Again, I'll get it figured out. I know I'm better than this, and we'll get it figured out. We'll come back in Monday, and try to find a way to beat Maryland. That's all I know to do. And don't quit. As long as we keep doing that and keep putting one foot forward and everybody rallies together, team and coaches, we'll have a chance. Right now, we're not a very good football team, and that's my fault."

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