Clemson vs. Boston College Postgame Quotes

Oct. 8, 2011

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Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney

Overall thoughts: “It’s great to get our sixth win. We’re really proud of this win. BC is a physical team and they don’t quit.

“At the half, I encouraged the team to get our running game going, especially Andre, and we were able to.

“Sammy (Watkins) and Cole Stoudt both stepped up and as a team we had no turnovers on offense.”

On Tajh Boyd’s injury: “We x-rayed him here and everything looked good but we took him to get him checked again just to be sure, and hopefully it will just be something muscular. Without knowing more I don’t want to comment further.”

On Maryland next week: “It’s not going to be any easier for us this second half of the season, and it hasn’t been easy ever, but this team is resilient and this crowd was great. But we’re ready to take this show on the road.

“We’re proud of this win tonight but we have got to get ready for the night game in Maryland.”

On the play of freshmen Stoudt and Watkins: “It was not the ideal situation for Stoudt to come into but he did a good job of executing. (Mike) Bellamy gave us a spark late. Watkins is just great. After that catch I just said, `Boys, that’s recruiting.’

“Stoudt is a very poised young guy, we were impressed with him in the spring and he had a good camp. We’re real proud of him.”

On preparing for next week: “We’ll bring them in at 6:00AM Monday morning and we’ll watch the tape. There is plenty to improve on; we’re far from perfect. We have to stay dialed in.”

Boston College Head Coach Frank Spaziani

Overall Thoughts: “First of all, congratulations to Clemson. They did a good job. They have a very good football team with excellent coaches and excellent players. Our kids fought, but we certainly weren’t good enough today.”

On Clemson’s fast-paced offense: “They ran it really well. They have a nice system.”

On the first half penalty that took a BC touchdown off the board: “It certainly changes the complexion of the game. At 17-7, it would have been different. We held them and started to play a little better defense for a while there. We were holding them to field goals. It certainly had an effect, but it wasn’t the outcome of the game.”

On Clemson’s fast start: “They got rocketshipped out of there at 17-0 really fast. They have a lot of good players over there, a lot of good playmakers. They made some plays, and we were there to make plays, but we didn’t make them. We had a couple chances to make plays and we didn’t make them. 36-14, that’s the result.”

On the timing of the Eagles’ bye week next week: “I think a break in the middle of the season is always ideal. It certainly is for this team. We could use a break right now physically.” 

Clemson Player Quotes

Defensive End Malliciah Goodman “Our goal is to always stop their offense. After (Tajh) Boyd was injured we just had to step up more. You look at your offense and make sure they understand that you’ve got their back.”

(On having a breakout game) “I felt really comfortable out there. I knew I had to play my part and stay focused. As a team we’re playing one game at a time, but I’m getting more comfortable as I go along.”

Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins “Our team is young, but we have to continue to play smart and control the game. (Cole) Stoudt did a great job coming in as a freshman. He gets the same number of reps in practice as Boyd so I’m already comfortable playing with him”

(On playing under pressure) “All week at practice I’ve worked on making catches in coverage so I had to make it happen today during the game.”

Quarterback Cole Stoudt “Growing up with a dad who played in the NFL means that I have another coach at home. He and my brother (who plays at Ole Miss) help me improve. When I go home, we’re always going over film and throwing in the yard. It’s definitely beneficial to have a dad who understands the game and the position so well.

“I saw that Tajh (Boyd) was injured and I wasn’t sure what was wrong at the time. I just knew I had to step up and do my part. The coaches just told me to relax and have fun. They told me to maintain ball security and stay focused.”