Everything Dabo Swinney Said about NC State at His Weekly Press Conference

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney had his weekly press conference today. Here’s everything he had to say about NC State leading up to the Textile Bowl this Saturday.

NC State’s a good football team.

They’re undefeated in the league, so this is their first one as well. It’s a big rivalry game every year. It’s been around for a long, long time.

Nobody really talks about the Textile Bowl anymore, but it’s still out there. And, you know, it means a lot to a lot of people on both sides of this game. So this is a very experienced football team that we’re getting ready to play.

You know, they obviously lost their quarterback, but they went and got McCall, who, you know, this guy’s played a million games, and I know he’s, you know, right now just says that he’s not going to be the starter. And then they went and brought in Noah Rogers, you know, 10 (KC Concepcion), had a heck of a year last year, so he’s back. They went and got the running back from Duke (Jordan Waters).

So this is really good. And then all those linemen are back, and then they brought the Center in from Notre Dame (Zeke Correll). So a very, very experienced offensive group.

They’re well coached. They’re tough. They’re physical.

You know, they’re built to run the ball. They challenge you from a discipline standpoint in, you know, leveraging the ball. Eyes on your work.

A lot of, you know, just discipline-type plays in what they do, and then they’re downhill at you. So, you know, this is a good football team. Again, receivers that can make plays on the defensive side.

Really good up front. Physical, strong. You know, this is a defense that’s, you know, I mean, they’re not afraid to challenge you and come after you, and it doesn’t matter who they’re playing.

That’s just their mentality. And then, you know, they’ll play a lot of drop eight as well, you know, just depending on the situation. It could be first down, it could be third and long.

You know, so they do a really good job, you know, from a scheme standpoint. But really, really good football team. Same thing, a lot of guys with a lot of experience.

And, you know, I know they had a couple guys that are questionable, but I would say whoever they run out there on Saturday will be ready to play the Tigers and vice versa. So we’re looking forward to a great opportunity. Dave’s done an awesome job with that program and a place I got a lot of respect for and look forward to a great battle on Saturday.

They try to put him (Kevin Concpecion) everywhere.

They do and I would say you’ll probably see more of that this week. I mean, you know, that we – I would anticipate you might see him in some wildcat situation to try to create, you know, some extra hats in the run game. You know, a lot that they do with McCall.

McCall is a – he’s a really good runner and a very, very willing runner and a smart runner. So, you know, they’ve done that already in the past with Tim (Beck) and I could see them, you know, doing a little bit more of that. But they’re just going to make sure – I mean, he’s a dynamic player, so they’re going to make sure he touches the ball and they move him around.

So it’s hard to just, you know, really isolate on him. You know, they move him around to try to create some mismatches and isolate him on some – on what they think is better matchups. And, you know, but they motion him all the time, line him up everywhere.

So he’s a good football player and they do a good job of getting him, you know, touches. So you have to know where he is every single play. It’s – you know, they’re not going to come out of the game or many drives, if you will, without him being involved.

So you better – you better know where he is. And that doesn’t mean they don’t have other good players. They do.

You know, the Tight End’s (Justin Joly) a good player, they got a couple good tight ends. You know, they got a couple big receivers. You know, Dacari’s (Collins) a good player, a kid that we liked here.

I mean, he’s a big, strong receiver. So, you know, he’s a guy – they brought in Noah. So they got – they got good dudes.

You know, but it all starts with the run game for them. I mean, they’re going to challenge you from a physical standpoint in the run game. And then leveraging the ball.

And obviously how we did in that first game, you know, with the two big plays we gave, you know, just didn’t leverage the ball outside in properly. You know, they’ll challenge that. So we got to do a good job there.

And they do it different ways, whether it’s the stretch, it’s the boots, the swap boots, or it’s all the jets that they have where you really have to do a good job of containing the ball and turn everything back to your – to your pursuit.

I mean, you prepare for what they do. I mean, they’re not going to change their whole offense. You know, I mean, they got a week to get ready.

I mean, they’re going to do what they do. They’re going to turn around and hand that ball to them big old backs. Those dudes are good players.

You know, Waters was third in the history of Duke. They’re going to come off the ball with them big offensive linemen and try to – It’s about blocking and tackling, fitting gaps, you know, moving people. I mean, okay, yeah, I mean, he’s got a – I mean, they’re not going to just ask this kid (CJ Bailey) to, okay, go win a game.

They’re going to ask him to do his job. That’s why he’s there and that’s why he’s been practicing and all that stuff. But, I mean, they’re going to tailor what they do maybe to his strengths, but they’re not going to change what they do.

You know, they’re not going to come in here and all of a sudden they’re running the triple option every play. I don’t think. So, you know, we’ll see.

But, I mean, this is – he’s (CJ Bailey) a good player though. And, again, when you watch him, you just – he really sparked them, I thought. And, I mean, just – I watched every play live and I thought he just got better as the game went.

And you could tell there was a lot of energy that he brought into it. He’s a tough kid. You can tell that because he’s not – I didn’t see any fear in him at all.

And he, coming into a situation where, you know, you’re down, right? And you got to go lead your team. And it’s the first time he played. I mean, this is a big moment.

And I thought he handled it very well. So, you know, that’s why they recruited him. But he’s a good looking kid and, you know, look forward to the matchup.

You know, I think you’ve got to give the opponents (WCU, Tennessee and LA Tech) some credit too. You know, but they’re going in to score. It’s 10-3 late second quarter against Tennessee.

And they’re, what are they, on the 15 or whatever? I mean, they’re on a great drive. They’re getting ready to go tie this thing up, pick six. And all of a sudden, man, it just kind of got away from them quick.

And, again, a game like that, it’s, you know, now you’re in a hole. So, you know, it’s not like you’re just going to line up and run the football when all of a sudden you’ve got a pretty big deficit and it’s the second half of a football game against a really good opponent. You’ve got to, you know, it’s probably not going to be quite what you scripted on your game plan.

So some of that stuff is skewed. You know, I mean, there’s a lot of statistics these first couple games that, you know, I wouldn’t pay too much attention to them. You know, I mean, you know, sometimes who you play early can really skew things.

But, you know, the picture will paint itself. But these guys can run the football. And, you know, obviously, they’ve got some new pieces.

You know, really the Center in there, but the backs, this is their first time playing there. Quarterback, McCall’s first time playing and getting there. But, you know, this is a team that will be able to run the ball when it’s all said and done.

I mean, that’s how they’re built. And I don’t have any, that’s what they’ve always been able to do. And then they create explosives.

I mean, they create a lot of explosives and shots, you know, through the run game. So, yeah, I mean, I think the game kind of got a little crazy in the Western Carolina game. That was kind of a same thing.

Weird stuff happens. If you really watch the game, I mean, give Western Carolina some credit too. I think they did a heck of a job.

And then there were some mistakes and some turnovers and some things that happen in games sometimes like that that I think frustrated them. But, hey, they did what they needed to do and won the game. And then the same, again, Tennessee, they’re in a really good battle.

And here’s a pick six, all of a sudden the game’s away. Now you’re not really going according to game plan. Flip side, look at the La Tech game and kind of what happened there.

Quarterback’s out. You know, just some still probably feeling out some things. But when it’s all said and done, this is a team that I think will be able to run the football.

Hopefully not this week. You know, I promise you this, we’ve got to be able to – you better be ready to stop the run against NC State. If you’re not, if you can’t stop the run against these guys, you’re in for a long day.

Because, again, everything comes through that. If they can stay on schedule and create explosives, you know, especially moving the pocket and some of those things, you’ve got some issues.

Well, I mean, you know, first of all, them three guys (NC State’s D-Line) up front, they’re explosive. You know, they got a little twitch to them.

They play violent. The backers, zero’s (Sean Brown) a heck of a player. Ten’s (Caden Fordham) a good player.

But it’s just their ability to be able to manipulate things in coverage. You know, they can be drop eight on first down and they can be cover zero on first down. You know, and really there’s – that happens a lot and anywhere on the field.

So, you know, they create some challenges. You know, you got to be really disciplined post-snap. I think that’s the biggest thing.

You know, and really diagnosing what they’re going to do coverage-wise. So – but they’re not afraid to take some chances. You know, they can bring a lot of pressure, you know, a lot of twists, a lot of movement up front and how they fit the gaps, you know, with the second and third level players that they have.

But – and then if they drop eight, you know, they really want to challenge you to try to throw the ball down there and it’s hard to throw the ball downfield when you got a bunch of guys. So you have to be able to have some patience and take what’s there. Obviously, you got to be able to run the football against some of that.

But that’s not all they do. You know, I mean, they’re just multiple with – you hear 3-3-5 and you think, okay, well they’re not just a big drop eight team. I mean, they do a lot of that, but they’re cloud, they’re invert.

I mean, it’s straight cover zero. You know, it’s robber, it’s 2D, it’s Tampa. I mean, they got a little bit of everything that they can get to.

So I think really being schooled up post-snap is critical on where to go with the ball in the pass game. But no different for them, for us it starts being able to run the football. You know, we’ve got to be able to get our hands on them.

And again, that’s easier said than done, you know, because they’re moving around and you got to identify guys and make sure everybody’s on the same page. But that’s what we practice for.

Yeah, that’s a fact. If they’re a junior, that’s what they are (1-2 against NC State).

But, you know, if you’re a fourth-year guy or a fifth-year guy, you’ve got a different record. If you’re me, you’ve got a different record. So I’ve been in a bunch of these.

You know, it don’t really matter. None of that stuff matters. We just need to win the game.

We need to win the game. None of that matters. Saturday when you kick it off, you’ve got to go play this game.

That’s the only thing that matters, how you do this week.

Yeah, he’s (Payton Wilson) a great player. Didn’t the Steelers take him? Yeah, there you go. Yeah, I was like, man, that’s a great pick by the Steelers.

I mean, you talk about like just – I think of him, I think of a – he’s a perfect fit for the Steelers. I really love him as a player. I just thought he was a great one.

And a good kid too. So, but, I mean, you know, number 10 stepped in there. Zero was a heck of a player for them last year.

I mean, he’s a really good football player. You know, two (Brandon Cisse) is a guy that’s been kind of in that Dime spot for them. I know he got banged up last week.

But, I mean, they just – they keep bringing in good football players. They do a great job of coaching them. They got a lot of continuity within their staff.

A lot of continuity within their development and teaching. And, again, good experience.

So, I mean, he’s (Wilson) a great one.

He’s gone. But, you know, these guys have done a nice job for him.