What Clemson’s Dabo Swinney had to say about NC State at his Weekly Press Conference

Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney met with the media today for his weekly press conference. You can watch it above, or see what he had to say about the 10th ranked Wolfpack.

• This is what a top-10 game should look like.
• Very experienced team that we are getting to play in NC State.
• Very well-coached. Dave Doeren has done an amazing job putting this group together.
• Have a bunch of guys that have played a lot of ball, some of them seem like they’ve been there forever.
• Got Linebacker Payton Wilson back on defense, he is one of the best players in the country. Think he’s outstanding.
• Their offensive line has played a lot of football.
• One of the best quarterbacks in the country. Devin Leary is special. He is a pro.
  • This league this year is unbelievable when it comes to quarterbacks and seems like we play every one of them.
  • Fans of the ACC need to enjoy watching these guys because a lot of them will be playing Sunday, and Leary is one of them. He really understands the game.
• They have 2 hard-nosed backs that can flat-out tote the rock in
  • No. 0 (Demi Sumo-Karngbaye) and No. 3 (Jordan Houston).
  • No. 0 probably leads them explosive plays.
    • He made a couple plays against East Carolina where I think all 11 players hit him and somehow he kept going.
  • Physical in the run game. Will run a lot of counter, a lot of stretch, and then they’re going to take a million shots and will push the ball downfield.
• Excellent receivers in Nos. 88 (Devin Carter), 5 (Thayer Thomas), 15 (Keyon Lesane), and 11 (Darryl Jones).
  • No. 5 is their guy as far as a guy they will script into all their touches, whether screens, handing it to him, and he’s even thrown it. He’s very savvy. Big RPO guy.
    • He’s tough. He is a true football player. Does a lot of things. Great returner. Great with the ball in his hands. Makes tough, competitive, contested catches over the middle. A lot of RPO stuff.
    • They’ll run him in behind the ‘backers, a lot of slants and things. Makes catches downfield. There’s really not anything he can’t do. He’s a reverse guy, a screen guy, he does it all.
    • One of the better players in this league.
• Defensively, they’re complete. Very confident in their scheme. Very physical.
  • These three linebackers are outstanding…Nos. 32 (Drake Thomas ) and 1 (Isaiah Moore ) are all-conference guys, and now you throw No. 11 (Wilson ) back out there and unfortunately he couldn’t play in this game last year.
  • Very aggressive in how they fit the ‘backers in their scheme…always have 4 or 5 guys coming from somewhere.
  • Very disciplined in the back end.
  • Stingy group, just like last year. Not giving up many points.
  • A lot of zone. You have to be very patient (throwing the ball).
  • They will pressure you, and the biggest thing is identifying the pressure because with the way they play their front and their Nickel player in the middle, you have to be on the same page communication-wise and make sure you know where they’re coming from.
    • A lot of zone pressures where they’ve got guys dropping, drop ends, drop d-tackles, so understanding your throwing windows.
  • It’s not always as clean as when you play a bunch of man. This is a team that is a little bit more multiple in what they do coverage-wise.
    • They’ll give up some things underneath, but you have to be disciplined enough to put the drives together.
    • And first of all, you have be physical enough up front to hold up.
  • It’s a very physical group.