Dabo Swinney Sunday Teleconference

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Nov 17 00:18:42 GMT-04:00 2008

Highlights and quotes from Dabo Swinney’s press conference on Sunday afternoon:

On whether there are still things to work on after a complete game against the Blue Devils:

Swinney: You never play the perfect game. You are always in search of the perfect game, but you never play one. We played a lot of people, a lot of backups, and they made a lot of mistakes, which gives us the opportunity to coach a lot of young men about those mistakes.

On whether the win was a confidence booster:

Swinney: It is a boost in confidence. We played a complete game, played four quarters. It was good to see the team play for four quarters. I was very pleased to see how we came out in the third quarter, got a stop on defense, and on offense came out and scored and set the tempo. Last week, it was 20-17 and they come out and go 70 yards and score. Up at Boston College, we had a 17-0 lead and let them back in the game. From a confidence standpoint, the morale is good and a lot of people played, and we won. The fun is in the winning. Now we have to correct some things and go out and win another one.

On playing physical against the Blue Devils:

Swinney: Regardless of who you play, you want to be more physical than your opponent. I thought we did that yesterday. The offensive and defensive lines dominated. On both sides of the ball, in the trenches, and that is where the game is played. We did not play as well last week, so I was glad to see them respond and take the game over. I was really proud to see a lot of licks thrown on both sides of the ball.

On the play of the offensive line:

Swinney: I thought they played well, probably one of the better games of the year. Thomas Austin played a great, great game, very physical. Bobby Hutchinson did a nice job in there. Chris Hairston played 31 snaps, and it was good to get him back in there. I am pleased with the offensive line. Physically, we were the better team yesterday.

On the fact that the next two opponents, Virginia and South Carolina, have bye weeks before they play the Tigers:

Swinney: I think I didn’t read the fine print on the contract that (Athletic Director) Terry Don (Phillips) had me sign. It was the small print down below. It said “By the way, two NFL coaches get two weeks to prepare for you.“ I am sure it is a plus for them. They get everybody healthy and get extra time to study film.

On the play of quarterback Cullen Harper:

Swinney: He played outstanding. Yesterday may have been his best game, probably was his best game of the year. He just played very, very well. Cullen is starting to settle in and put a little run together. I think he is playing looser and is just more confident. Billy (quarterbacks coach Napier) is doing a great job with him. The surgery is behind him, and he is much more active with his legs. He can absolutely sling the ball now, and he made some throws Saturday that were big-time throws in a windy environment.