Tuesday 10/20/2009
Oct. 20, 2009
CLEMSON, SC – Video of Head Coach www.clemsontigers.com via TigerCast on Tuesday, October 20. The press conference will begin at 11:00 a.m. and is free to all viewers.
Coach Swinney’s weekly press conference will be broadcast live on TigerCast each week throughout the 2009 season. Sign up today and watch Coach Swinney preview the game with the media each week!
Click on the link below to watch the press conference on TigerCast:
Swinney Press Conference – October 20, 11:00 AM
Click here to view the complete fall schedule of events to be broadcast live on TigerCast.
Swinney Press Conference Quotes
“There is no rest for the weary. We are getting ready to play a tremendous football team, a team that has been outstanding in all phases. They are probably the most athletic team we have played. They have been battle tested and are well coached.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach Shannon. He is a really good guy and a good football coach. This is a big game for both teams. The biggest thing about them when you look at their team is they are good in all phases.
“Offensively they are extremely balanced. They run a lot of formations, so you have to be able to apply all of your defensive calls and fronts and coverages to fit those formations. The other thing that jumps out is they are extremely physical, at running back in particular.
“Their running backs get a lot of yards after contact. Obviously their quarterback and wide outs are very talented. Their quarterback has been the difference maker for them. He has made a lot of plays and is a very poised young man. We will have to affect their quarterback and we have to do a good job with our front four. Those guys have got to win some matchups and get after their quarterback. That will be a big key in the game along with how we tackle.
“I thought we tackled our best against Wake Forest and that must continue. They have a lot of chunk plays where they pick up a bunch of yards on one play. They are averaging about 14 yards per catch and nine per pass attempt, which is outstanding. If we can minimize their chunk plays then we can have a good day on defense. Creating turnovers will be critical also.”
“They are a veteran defense. They don’t have a lot of seniors but they have a lot of returning starters and guys who have played a lot of football. They are fast and physical. They are a totally different style of play than what we just saw. We will have to do a great job at the point of attack.
“The biggest thing for us is the same every week. We have to execute and make plays when they are there. We can’t beat ourselves. The play of our quarterback will be critical. Kyle Parker will need to play a good game for us and make good decisions.”
“Special teams will be a factor as well. We have given up a couple of big plays on special teams on the road, so we will have to do a good job to make sure that special teams will be a positive factor for us. We must have great focus in or preparation this week. They will be excited to play. This is our third top 15 team. It is a good opportunity for us. We are excited about going down there and hopefully we can play a complete game and come back with a win.”
On Chris Chancellor wearing #6: “That is a really sad situation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, teammates and coaches at UCONN. Chris came to me Monday morning. The young man at UCONN was teammate of his in high school, and he asked if he could wear number six to honor him. I said certainly. It doesn’t seem to be a problem to have two guys with the same number on the field (laughs).” Note: Chris Chancellor (DB) will both wear number six this weekend.
On difference playing a ranked team: “We just really are trying to get this football team to focus on execution. I tell the guys nothing matters except for us. Nothing matters except us and how we play, because we are good enough. It is all about how we play and prepare. We are just focusing on execution. If we do that we have a chance to be a winning program.”
Do you believe the Clemson team we saw last Saturday was the real Clemson Tigers? “I hope that we can become a consistent team as far as what you saw last Saturday. We beat a good football team in Wake Forest. It really doesn’t matter about our opponent, it is about us. I think they have learned some great lessons so far this season.
“We have played some really good opponents. We are one of three teams in the country to play three top 15 teams (Miami and Washington the others) and we have been in position to win. We must play smart, pay attention to detail, and understand it is critical to do things the right way.
On play of secondary against Wake Forest: “That was a very critical aspect of the game because you can’t just blitz all the time against a good quarterback and scheme because they will get you. We had some four-man rushes where they went eight man protections and there was nowhere to go with the ball. I thought our secondary probably played the best game they have played all year.
“Technique wise we were as good as we have been. We had some nice hustle plays in the game. Again I thought we tackled well, but coverage was very good. That will be important this week simply because Miami can hit the big play. We will have to do a great job holding up in coverage against some skilled guys.”
On professional influence in Miami’s offense: “In terms of the formations there has been some pro influence. They have done a good job with formations to create opportunities and matchups that work for them and then Coach Whipple has done a really good job with the quarterback. The quarterback has been outstanding for them. You can tell he really understands what is going on. He is well coached.”
On stopping Harris: “We just have to get to him and hit him. We can’t let him get comfortable because if we do it will be a long day in South Beach. The coverage has to hold up. We have to make him run and then we have to hit him.”
On winning against a ranked team making a bigger statement: “With six games left it is an opportunity to go on the road and win on the road. We are in the middle of a division race so at this point it is like a playoff every week in this conference. We are trying to just stay in the hunt and get better as a football team. We have our hands full. This is a good team we are getting ready to play.”
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