Dabo Swinney Louisville postgame press conference

by TigerNet Staff - Sat Nov 03 19:17:07 GMT-04:00 2018

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks to the media after a record-breaking 77-16 win over Louisville on Saturday.

CLEMSON HEAD COACH DABO SWINNEY

On the hot start to the game:

“We got the ball first with an opportunity to set the tempo for day. We then scored three touchdowns in a row on offense, which created the spark that we needed.”

On the impressive performance of his team:

“I love the focus of our team. I challenged our defense at halftime, and Louisville converted only two third downs in the second half. Our defense played cleaner in the second half. Offensively, we scored nearly every time we had ball in the second half.”

On the well-rounded victory:

“10 different guys scored touchdowns for us, and we had over 600 yards of offense. We also had three running backs go for over 100 yards. We had a season-high six sacks, and that was our 17th game in a row with a pick. That was a great interception by Isaiah Simmons. It was fun to see so many guys getting an opportunity to play. Over 90 guys played for us. Dexter Lawrence even got himself a touchdown.”

On the impact of the win:

“That was a good experience for our team, and it was a lot of fun. We’re 9-0, but we’re not satisfied. We want to win our division, and we’ll have that opportunity next week. We’ve worked all year to get to this point, so we’ll enjoy this win and get back to work on Monday.”

On his team’s mindset:

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and the focus of this group is special. They’re so committed to what we’re doing and what we want to accomplish. They prepare and practice the right way and believe in what they do. As coaches, we’re doing everything we can to help them get what they want to achieve. They want to be remembered forever, not just remembered.”

On the performance of the running backs:

“I didn’t know what we had that in Lyn-J [Dixon] at that time. It didn’t take him long to get to 100 yards, because he is electric. The running backs just have fun. You saw the heart and soul of Adam Choice today. That drive where he just kept going is the epitome of who that guy is. That play was amazing, and I’m really proud of him. It was great to see [Tavien] Feaster get on track and run for 100 yards, too. The running backs are a veteran group, and they support each other. There is just so much more experience on this year’s team than last year. Travis [Etienne] is awesome, and we truly have the type of depth that you need to have to produce a championship-caliber team. You have to give credit to the offensive line, too. We challenged the offense to run the ball today, and it was just a great day for those guys.”

On Mitch Hyatt:

“He has played more snaps than any player in the history of Clemson football. For a left tackle to do that, that is pretty awesome. We had a great moment in the locker room. Everyone wanted a speech from Mitch and, in classic Mitch fashion, he just said ‘Thanks, y’all.’ It was a really special moment, and I’m really proud of him.”