Clemson vs. Presbyterian College Post-Game Coaches’ Quotes

Sept. 11, 2010

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Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney

Opening Statement: “We came out and took care of business today. We knew we had to come out and play hard and have precise execution in our game plan.”

“Today was about us trying to improve on fundamentals and technique, along with having clean executions with plays.”

“We had a lot of reserve guys coming in and making big plays. Five players got their first touchdown today, and we had 77 different players out there today. This game helped to give a lot of guys experience and help build up our depth chart.”

On the play of reserve running backs Daniel Barnes: “They both ran with a physical nature. Hot-Rod (McDowell) had some very elusive runs for tough extra yards. Barnes has worked hard to progress from a walk-on and scout team member to getting some actually playing time.”

On the play of backup quarterback Tajh Boyd: “This game was very valuable for Tajh. He will be able to learn a lot from this film and improve tremendously. Not only did he have some nice passes and runs, but he had some excellent tackles.”

On the play of his defense:Andre Branch had a big game today with three tackles for loss and two sacks. It was good to see a guy like that bounce back from the tough game he had last week.”

Looking ahead to the Auburn game: “This game will be a real test for us. It is a great opportunity for us to show our talent and skill off and to show people that we can go on the road and play with poise and toughness.”

Presbyterian College Head Coach Harold Nichols

On the talent level at Clemson: “They’ve got an awfully good football team. As we’re going through this transition to Division I, being in this stadium in this kind of atmosphere is a tremendous opportunity for these kids and for this program. You have to give Coach (Dabo) Swinney a lot of credit. He’s got a well-coached football team. They have a lot of talented athletes over there.”

On scoring points late in the game: “A lot of the success we had in the second half was when they probably had their twos and threes out there. But it was probably good for their guys and it was good for our guys to come into Clemson and score a couple of touchdowns and gain some confidence.”

On his team’s effort today: “I was proud of the way the kids played. They played with great effort. To come onto this stage right here and give this kind of showing was a little bit of a mark in our journey in Division I.”

On the play of Michael Ruff: “He did a really nice job today. He’s got a lot of ability. He can run, he’s got great hands, he’s a tough kid. He’s a fine young man, and I’m really proud of him. He has had a good couple of weeks against some pretty good competition.”

On where his team stands after two weeks: “I really don’t know where we are right now as a football team. We’ve played two really good ACC teams. We haven’t played a lower-division team that we should be favored to beat, and we haven’t played a Big South Conference school yet. But I feel in my heart that this football team has invested a lot at this point.”

Clemson Player Quotes

Quarterback Tajh Boyd “After the second drive, coach told me I was going in on the fourth series regardless of what happened. I was excited and it was a good thing. I’m looking forward to the next game.”

“I thought I did a lot of good things. There are definitely still some kinks I need to work out. A lot of the plays were in stride and I made some good decisions. I think that’s the biggest thing. I just need to keep on improving.”

“The ability to step out of that tackle on the rushing touchdown definitely came from Coach Batson and his help in the weight room. I don’t think I’m on the Tim Tebow level yet, but I think it might be coming.”

“On the touchdown pass, I know what kind of player (DeAndre) Hopkins is and I just kind of threw it to the back of the end zone. I was hot, the blitz was coming and I think Dwayne (Allen) was open, too. Hopkins is going to be a good player and it’s good to get out there and get some good experience with him.”

Running Back Roderick McDowell “I tell Jamie (Harper) and Andre (Ellington) and those guys all the time, `You lead, I’ll follow’. When they’re in there making plays, it gets me pumped, gets me excited so when I go in, I’m going to make plays.”

“Knowing that I got in and executed and made plays makes me confident that I will get to see some more playing time in the future. I feel like I can compete with those boys at any level.”

Running Back Daniel Barnes “I’m glad that my coaches trusted me and my line trusted me to make the right decisions.”

“We all realize that today is September 11, and we all realize that people have sacrificed and done things to remember, but for a lot of us, this was our first time and probably our last time scoring. We were able to contribute to our win and there are no words for it. It’s just a blessing.”

“My first experience with significant playing time in Death Valley was even more than I thought it would be. Our play calling was spectacular. Our coaches were able to trust us with the ball. They were basically saying `Here it is. You decide what to do with it.’ That type of trust, and our line trusting the running backs to make the plays was just unbelievable.”

“This was a big momentum boost for our team. A lot of people who have never played before were able to get out there and show the coaches what they were capable of, and that if something happens, someone goes down later in the year, they can step up and they can make plays.”

“I left some meat on the bone at the end; I should have had two touchdowns. I’m thankful for what God would allow me to get and the line blocking for me, the wide receivers blocking downfield and everyone making plays today. When I came out on the field today, I wasn’t worried about what I could do, I was thinking about what opportunities I would have. When they called my name, I was ready and I was able to make plays. Our coaches and scout team were able to coach us up and they gave us the best looks we could have. We were out there calling things before they would even happen. When you can do that, you know you can win.”