Clemson Tigers College Football Pregame Quote, 12/18/2020

It’s focus Friday here for us, just literally came off the practice field and so excited to head to Charlotte. This is a great opportunity for our team. They’re excited about it and we look forward to a great, great matchup tomorrow. Again, congratulations to Notre Dame as well. What a great year they’ve had and I know it’s gonna be a heck of a game tomorrow night.

Coach I’m guessing that Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata are going to be a game time decision tomorrow and is Lannden Zanders kind of in that same boat?

Ngata is out and those other guys are definitely available.

Brian Kelly was just pretty adamant that he wants to see families be able to attend playoff games and there’s some dispute about whether that could happen with the Rose Bowl in California. If you all are selected for the playoff, how would you feel about the fact that families might not be able to attend?

Well, I mean, first of all, I hope we’re in the playoffs and we’d like to have that that issue to worry about. But, you know, regardless I don’t think there’s any question about that. There’s plenty of venues if for whatever reason it doesn’t work. You know, punt and push it to next year to where you can, you know, have that opportunity. I mean I just think it’s, you try to have fairness for the four playoff teams. There’s plenty of venues where you can have fans and have an atmosphere for these kids who’ve worked all year. I mean we’ve played in front of fans all year and we’ve had an incredible experience. We’ve had very few issues. Our guys have done an amazing job. Our administration’s done an amazing job. I mean, there’s plenty of stadiums where you can have fans, you certainly can have families.

I think it would be really sad at this point to be in a playoff game and these playerss families couldn’t be there. I think that would be a poor decision, you know, and again, a year where you know everybody’s had to have flexibility and make adjustments along the way. I think that would be a mistake. But, you know, I hope I get to have a conversation with you on Sunday, that’d be great.

Brian Kelly started out by just saying let’s go play, that it’s been a couple of weeks since you’ve played. Clemson knows Notre Dame, Notre Dame knows Clemson, we’ve practiced the installs are in. Is that the way you feel and you kind of get the feeling that your team feels right now but just go kick it off?

Yeah, I mean really wasn’t much to say in the opening statement there that hasn’t already been said. Both teams are excited to play. This is what you’ve worked for all year. This is our next goal, is to win this league and you know that’s really our only focus, you know just focusing on this moment, doing our job and being grateful for this moment. So, we’re excited about it. Yeah, it’s time to go play.

Being that you’ve played someone already and you have game film that doesn’t usually happen in college, is an advantage that you lost the first one, a disadvantage, or is it just basically neutral?

It’s just neutral. I mean it’s like going and having, you know, three scrimmages in the fall, and you scrimmage the same defense, and they scrimmage the same offense. Sometimes the scrimmage is the defense wins, sometimes the offense wins and, you know, you’re familiar with each other. It all comes down to, you know, this moment, this day. Yea, it’s kind of neat when you can actually watch the tape. I mean we play a lot of opponents every year, where you can, you can look back and study, but teams change every year, so it’s unique that you can look at a game from your season, and kind of see the matchup and have a little more feel for the personnel involved. It still comes down to these four quarters, blocking, tackling and who executes the best.

Where do you feel your team is after coming off the field today in their preparedness and just the second question to add to that is, what does the next 24 hours look like for you in the team?

Well, I mean we’re ready. I mean ready to go play the game, we’ve had, you know, two great weeks. I feel like we’ve used our time very well. Team is super excited to go play and compete for the championship. As far as our rest of the day, I’m going to shower up, get dressed and load the bus here in a little while. We’ve got lunch going on now and then we’ll load the bus and we’ll head up. We’re just gonna stop off at the stadium for, you know, just a quick 10 minutes or so, take some pictures so the guys kind of see the venue. Then we’ll head on to the hotel and just a normal Friday for us. It won’t be any different than any other Friday we’ve had all year. You know, chapel, meetings, dinner, we’ll watch a movie, you know, kind of put them to bed at the end of the night. So, nothing different.

Brian Kelly was asked about you know what he’d been doing in the past during this week when they weren’t involved in a conference. So, from the familiarity standpoint of the stadium, of all this, is there an advantage at all to that in your opinion?

No, I don’t think so. They’re a 10-0 football team and they’re a really good team. You know, it’s just, I mean for us, we expect to be here. This is a mindset that we have. This is what we work for all year long. At the end of the day, it’s a football game. I guess you know in the past years, they’d be out recruiting this week, so you know it’s different for everyone. I mean this is truly a normal Friday for us, you know, typically the last several years we’ve been up there, we’ve been having the ACC banquet this night too, which has actually been kind of fun. I’ve enjoyed being able to go over there for a little while and when we’ve been in Charlotte for this. So really just a normal Friday for us and I’m sure a normal Friday for them.

It’s the next game. You know, the biggest difference is, when this game is over, they hand the trophy out. That’s the big thing.

Brian Kelly said that he was kind of just passing along the message that he’s had with his players, as far as that’s something they mentioned as a concern (Not having fans in the playoff game) to him about their families not being able to go. Is that something that any players have talked about with you are concerned with the team, other than you know?

No, we haven’t had any talk about it. I know there’s been some talk administratively, you know, throughout the league in the country and stuff, but we haven’t talked about that as a team. We have the opportunity, and I’d love to have that discussion, but regardless, whether we’re in it or whoever’s in it, I don’t care, I think if you can’t have it with fans, it makes no sense to me to put a bunch of kids on a plane and fly them all the way to California, to play in an empty stadium. It makes zero sense when you have plenty of stadiums, right here where you can have fans and most importantly, you can have families. You know, there’s a stipend involved too, families get $2500 bucks to be able to go to the game. It should be the same for all four teams as far the opportunity that you have, fans, parents, etc.Regardless of what happens with Clemson, whether we’re in it or not in it, my opinion on that won’t change. And again, I don’t know what Brian said, but I mean this is the year everybody has had to make adjustments. To me, that’d be a pretty simple one to make. I’ve dreamed of going to the Rose Bowl, always have. That’s the only bowl I haven’t been to, Ttat’s the only big bowl that I have not been in. And that’s always been a dream of mine to be able to experience the Rose Bowl. Hopefully, we’re in it and that can be a conversation that we can have further, but we got to go win this game.

You fulfilled one of your dreams this year when the team went to South Bend and you got a chance to visit some of the campus sites and things like that. I’m wondering if you could share those times that you had there with the Tim Bourret, and where you went and how did you enjoy your pregame?

That was a great trip. I had never been obviously to Notre Dame, as you said, but was expecting there to be a lot of snow and stuff like that. But it was actually a beautiful day. I’m glad I got to see it without the snow, because it really is a beautiful campus. It was really, really special to be able to go over and light a candle, to go see the church and just, just to see I mean, it really is a beautiful place. And, you know, just a lot of history there.

It was awesome, competing in that stadium and didn’t go our way, but our guys man, it was a great fight. Wish we had won the game, of course, but it’s a good experience. Tim took me around again got to see the old college and he just showed me the beauty of the campus and went into the church and lit a candle and even went over to Digger Phelps’ house, and kind of did a wave to him on the porch. So, it was really neat. We got there a little early and had a little time before our dinner and I’m glad I got a chance to experience that.

Just wanted to ask this game has gotten so much hype this week you know it’s all over. Every, you know, news channels, sports channel all that everybody’s talking about it, I guess in years past when you guys have played in this game, it hasn’t been maybe as hyped as much. So, from a standpoint of making sure your team is not ready to play today, what have you done to make sure that they’re ready to play on Saturday and not get too overhyped?

Just routine, you know, our normal routine. We’ve been doing the same things we’ve done the last years and years and years to get ready. It’s very consistent in how we prepare, very consistent in how we how we build up to that moment. And so, really just same things. We played in a lot of games where there’s a lot of hype and those type of things, but you know we just do what we do.

Coach, you had 17 guys graduate yesterday. Trevor (Lawrence) and Xavier Thomas and Kj Henry all graduated in three years. Travis (Etienne) got his degree. I know all your academic achievements are very important to you, you take a lot of pride in that. Just thought I’d give you a chance to brag on your guys a little bit.

Yeah, really, really excited about all the guys. We have 16 current guys on the team, and we had one from last year’s team that graduated and even Chase Brice was back. He didn’t get a chance to walk. He was back and got a chance to walk, so proud of them. That’s what it’s all about. You go to college to equip yourself for life. You want to maximize your football experience for sure and become the best player. These guys are passionate about playing the game. This group is passionate about being the best football player they can be, but college is about figuring it out. It’s about figuring life out and it’s about equipping yourself for the rest of your life. It’s just awesome. I mean it’s a massive, major box to check in life. It just kind of sends your resume in a different path and so big moment. Big moment for all their families and it never gets old. Seeing that transformation and seeing these young people from where I first meet them and seeing the whole transformation and seeing them finish.

Nine out of the last 10 years, we have been top 10 academically. Us, Duke and Northwestern. So, it’s a culture here. There’s a value of education, there’s a thirst for that. We’ve had 18 First Team All Americans since I’ve been the head coach, 16 of them have their degree. Sammy (Watkins) and Dexter (Lawrence) still at it. I was talking to Dexter Lawrence yesterday. He took a couple classes this summer he’s working toward it. That’s pretty impressive and a lot of those guys left early like DeShaun Watson, like Mike Weaver, the guys that left with eligibility yet had their degrees. I just think that again speaks to the culture here and the value and appreciation of education that they get, so big day. I think now we’ve got 23 graduates on our roster that will take the field and head into the postseason tomorrow. So, just proud of those guys. You know that’s what it’s all about.

When you look at this game tomorrow, the third down was so big the last time you guys met them on both sides. What do you guys got to do different on both sides of the line of scrimmage to try to win that battle?

Well, we’ve got to play better, no question about that on both sides. The biggest thing is, we’ve got to be more precise on third down. Just discipline with our eyes, discipline with our alignments and leverage on defense, a little better with our recognition.

Then offensively, we’ve just got to the same thing. A little bit more precision in what we do. We’ve been a really good third down team on both sides, all year. With the exception of that game, we were not very good. So definitely was a key, key part of that game and, and something we got to do a better job of. Our guys are excited about that opportunity, but it just comes down to execution. It’s fundamentals, it’s technique, it’s little things. Nothing major.

You mentioned that you’re going to be going to the stadium a little later today for that walk thru, how important is it to take those few moments and just visualize what that moment is going to be like tomorrow night to help get your mind, ready to take on Notre Dame in that championship soon?

I think it’s important, I’ve always believed that. I think you have to have a vision for things. You’ve got to have a vision for it, you got to believe it, and you’ve got to go act upon it. We’ve always done that with wherever we’ve been to. Typically, if we go somewhere that’s unique or a place we’ve never been before like Notre Dame or when we go up to Syracuse, we always go by the Dome there because it’s different. It’s unique. I just think you have new people every year, that maybe or have not been there. So, I think that’s important to show guys so they can kind of have a visual of it and we’ve got a bunch of guys that haven’t been in the stadium. I just think it’s important, you know it’s what we do. We won’t be there long, but, you know, take a picture or two. Take a little moment for these guys to be kids They all understand the importance of the game and it’s important for them to just be young people. Have some fun with their teammates, take a picture and enjoy the moment.

Could you tell me what’s impressed you about Notre Dame since the last time you played them? Specifically, maybe in watching some film of North Carolina and how they effectively shut down North Carolina’s offense in the second half.

 I mean they’ve been really good defensively all year, they’ve done a great job. They’ve got some special players. They have a bunch of guys who are going to play on Sunday over there on that defense. The biggest thing to me is the confidence in the passing game through the receivers. Going into our first game, I think everything was kind of built through the run game, the offensive line and the tight ends. I think they were growing their confidence with the receivers, but I think as the season has played on man those guys, those receivers have really become big time playmakers for them. I mean No. 88 (Javon McKinley) has made some huge plays, No. 11 (Ben Skowronek), No. 3 (Avery Davis) and those guys

I think they’re much more confident pushing the ball down the field and trusting those guys outside. They’ve made, like I said a lot of big plays, but defensively, they’ve been consistent all year. I mean they really have done a great job with their scheme; guys understand their scheme. They know their personnel; they do a good job using their personnel. They’ve got some really dynamic, big time special players in a couple of key spots that you better know where they are. Really just kind of being who they’ve been all year.

I know the Burlsworth trophy is near and dear to your heart as a former walk on, Hunter Renfrow won it two years ago. How much pride do you take in Will Spiers being named as semifinalist?

Yeah, I was happy for him, super excited. Will’s had his best year. He’s averaging 44.1, and the school record is 44.5 by Chris Gardocki and that’s with him having a three yard punt in our last game. He just almost missed the whole ball. He’s had a great year for us, he’s had some big moments. He’s become a really good leader, and just really proud of him and just very deserving recognition of what he’s been able to accomplish.