WATCH: Dabo Swinney press conference after clinching Atlantic Division

by TigerNet Staff - Sat Nov 11 21:05:37 GMT-04:00 2017

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney breaks down the No. 4 Tigers' 31-14 win over Florida State to clinch the Atlantic Division and move to 9-1 on the season:

On Clemson winning the ACC Atlantic Division title:

“That was the next goal for us. You can’t play for the conference title if you don’t win the division. I’m so proud of this team. Nobody really picked us to win the league this year, and not many picked us to win the division..so I’m glad my guys didn’t get that memo. They just went to work. We’ve had a lot of guys step up and earn it.”

On the victory over Florida State:

“To be able to hold Florida State to 21 yards rushing was great. Of course, we had several opportunities to put them away that we missed out on. That’s really the biggest disappointment of the game. We left 11 points on the field in the first half. But, at the end of the day, I’m really proud of our defense. The turnover by Van Smith was huge. For him to get that interception and for us to score not long after that was big. On offense, our rushing game was good. Travis Etienne got loose several times, and Adam Choice had some critical carries toward the end.”

On young players making quality plays:

“You saw A.J. Terrell in there. He almost had a pick. J.D. Davis got his first start and played a heck of a ballgame. Also, Chad Smith filled in for Tre Lamarafter he got injured and did a great job for us. K’von Wallace was out there filling in for Tanner Muse and played well. I’m just really proud of our team. All kinds of guys stepped up. We’ve committed to playing these young guys all season and giving ourselves the best path moving forward both this year and into next year, and they’ve played well.”

On the outlook for the Tigers moving forward:

“Senior day is next week, which will be exciting. That’ll be the last game in the Valley for our seniors. Then, it’ll be on to the state championship, and then, a chance to play in the ACC title game. We’ll be ready to play. This is an exciting time. It’s playoff football. It really is. Every single week, we’re competing for something new, and that’s what makes it so much fun.”