Live: Highlights from Dabo Swinney's Georgia press conference

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Aug 26 11:03:58 GMT-04:00 2014

This is David.....I will add highlights from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney Dabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile 's press conference in the WestZone this morning. Check back for updates.

On facing Georgia

"I am excited to see our team play and see where we are. At some point you to have go play and see where you are. This is one of the best teams in the country in Georgia. They are very well-coached. Coach (Mark) Richt has been there forever. They have a great staff and they are very talented. The opener is always very difficult. A lot of unknowns."

Georgia's offense

"They are probably as balanced as any team in the conference. It makes it difficult to defend them. They No. 14 (Hutson Mason) and he has good guys around him. We all know what they have in the backfield. Those are big-time NFL players that are playing in college in that backfield. They do a good job of mixing the run and the pass."

Georgia's defense

"We will have to do a good job of making adjustments. They have guys back that have played for them but it is an entirely different staff. They have some dynamic players. Their linebackers are two of the best players in the country. They do a good job of bringing them off the edges and mixing them in with their blitz packages. In the secondary they have moved some guys around but do have some veteran guys. Swann is a great player at the corner. Ball security will be important."

Notes

On the continuity of Clemson's staff

"Continuity is good but change is good, too. We have had some change and that brings some energy from a personnel standpoint. It means we can get going because we have veterans. All of cur coaches are together so that is a positive. We are going to need that experience in a game like this. I wish I could tell you what they are going to do but I don't know. We will have to do a good job of adjusting to what they do."

Cornerbacks

"Martin (Jenkins) was out this spring. He is a 5th-year senior and veteran guy. Cordrea Tankersley was the starter heading into fall camp, but we felt like Martin earned the opportunity to be the starter. He is very focused on the details and he earned it."

Nerves from Cole Stoudt?

"I would like to sense some nerves from Cole Stoudt. He is kind of the same guy. I can't remember if it was his freshman or sophomore year when Tajh got knocked out against Boston College - I remember Cole coming in as a true freshman and he was like, 'Ok, let's go.' He is confident because he has prepared very well. When he has had the opportunity he has played well. He has to take care of the ball and play within the system. Be a good decision maker like we need him to be. That is the critical thing."

Deshaun Watson

"The perfect time is when we put him in."

Clemson's defense

"You have strengths within your team each year, and there is no question that a strength of our team this year is our defense. Hopefully that will make a difference for us. But everybody will have a role to play. But teams win games, and it will take a team effort to win this game. All these seniors we have, they were freshmen in 2011. That was a step back for us defensively, but that was youth. And depth was an issue. In 2012 we got a little better. In 2013 we were Top 25 in about everything out there. This year, we have a chance to improve upon that. We have had time to build our program and our structure. We will lose six seniors up front but hopefully we have the right kind of guys in our program to where we don't have to start over."