Thought we were a little better on Saturday, unhappy with how the down the line guys finished Saturday, but we haven't had a ton of possessions, but the bottom line is the point total. Happy to be 3-0 and short turnaround against a very talented team.
ON CLEMSON TEAM THIS YEAR
New OL and defensively replaced some guys, still big and physical. Defensively giving up 18% on 3rd down conversions, fly around. Haven't been as proflific offensively, but they started on Saturday to play better, been their own worst enemy, still very talented #7 is as good as a WR as we've seen play here.
ON GALLMAN VS WEBB
Gallman been a good player for several years, different style, this team is closer to Mercer than the other two teams we've played, spread you out and get the ball in space, versus a power team.
ON STARTING FAST
They beat the fool out of us and beat the fool out of a lot, we were not a good football team a year ago and they were. We were especially bad on offense and weren't good on defense in that game. I think we are better than we were a year ago.
ON KEEPING UP AFTER A GOOD SEASON
Every team is different and just because you have a lot of guys returning doesn't mean they go back to where they were when they stopped playing. We lost a lot of guys off the 2014 team that didn't get credit. Defensively we had most of them back, 2014, defense wasn't helped us a much, we were really good offensively. We won NC back to back at GSU with same guys, so it varies.
ON SIMULATING CLEMSON'S ATHLETES
We start that today with the scout team players, hard to have anyone be Deshaun Watson, we will run a couple of huddles on scout team, as soon as one play finishes the next group is in. They assign jerseys on defense to who is who, they will have a couple of Watson's and two complete scout teams.
ON PLANNING FOR WATSON
It is hard to plan for him, but they have a ton of great skill guys, WRs are good, RBs are good, they have plenty of talent, but he makes it go.
ON KENDALL JOSEPH
They've got Boulware and they do a nice job recruiting and have good players and are deep.
ON CONTAINMENT VERSUS PASS RUSH
You have to do both, if he sits back there, he will kill you. You have to mix it up, he is hard to confuse and play your responsibilities and try to limit big plays, that is what they do. There will be a lot of possessions in this game, they don't have a lot of 8 play drives.
ON PASS RUSH AND STAYING IN LINES AGAINST VANDY
We got better in some areas, Vandy QB is not a big run threat, we rallied to him, but if it were Mr. Watson it would be a first down, but we got better.
ON RECRUITING WATSON
He came in the 9th grade, we offered him then, he was clearly a great player, he committed really early to Clemson. I don't remember many offers as a 9th grader, it was clear he was a player, those guys aren't hard to find, they are hard to get.
ON KLOCK
I thought he would go last week, he has to practice well to start.
ON THE OFFENSE COMPARED TO 2014
I think our B-backs can be as good as '14, same at A-back, WRs might be a stretch, OL can be as good or better, more athletic and same QB, last year Clemson game, I felt sorry for our QB, he looked like the only guy who knew what was going on.
ON SHORT WEEK BEING GOOD
Not sure, both teams have to do it, you just get ready and play.
ON NIGHT GAMES AT BDS
Thursday nights have been really good, hope we have a good crowd and it will be fun for our guys to play.
ON ONE THING TO WIN THE FOOTBALL
one thing on offense and defense, offensively we need to run the ball and control the clock and defensively we have to stay away from the big plays. It would be helpful to get some turnovers, they have the defense is hard to drive the length of the field on. You have to play together as a team.
ON MORE INTERCEPTIONS
Get more pressure and cover them a little closer. You can improve on both.
ON DEFENSE
We've been good in the one stat that matters, scoring defense. We haven't played an offense that is close to the nature of this one, the three we've played are not stalwarts of offensive football. You have to like our stats now, Boston College had 15 possessions in the VT game and went 3 and out on 11 of them.
ON RANKINGS ON SHORT WEEK
That's not the way I work, we get ready to play. I look at this as a great opportunity and build it up as hype, just go out and play and we will be in the game and we've done that before. The bottom line is we've played them nine times, we are 5-4, we played them twice in a row in one stretch so they've won three of four because of that.
ON PERSONALITY OF THE DEFENSE
They've played good to this point, I don't have a magic hat to look like we will shutout Clemson, but we'll see. The bottom line is how many points you give up, we've been pretty good. As you judge it you put it in perspective, after you play Miami, Pitt and UNC, I'll have a better idea, off BC, Vandy and Mercer, same thing offensively, hit the flipside offensively, BC and Vandy have historically been better on the other side. Won't know for 5-6 games.
ON WATSON'S LONE LOSS HERE
He got hurt and hit some big plays and third down pass plays, Smelter made some back shoulder pass plays and Waller made one. Last year we were 3-17 on 3rd down, mostly 3rd and long. No one has fared well against them, AU, Troy or SC State, giving up 18%, they get pressure with 3 guys and play 8 in coverage.
ON GAMBLING ON DEFENSE BECAUSE OF THE OFFENSE
If you take away the first series of the second half, we were really good defensively, we got more pressure once we got up there, once you get ahead of people. If we are playing well offensively and not turning the ball over, there is a huge difference that's how I saw the 15 possession thing with BC, contrast that with ours that is half a game, if you can get them into a 8-9 possession game and you are efficient on offense it puts a lot of pressure on them being up 2 TDs, like being four TDS. MTSU ran 80 plays scored 24 against Vandy, you can take numbers and do whatever you want, points per possession and average yards per play than total defense. If I'm at Cuse and I want to run 110 plays, our defensive numbers will be bad. I'd love to run 100 plays, means the other team would have 30. Team like Clemson comes in here runs 85-90 plays per game, if you can take that down to 65-70 and you are moving the ball, puts pressure on them. If I'm calling plays if I got 100 plays, I'll take some chances knowing I'll get it back. Playing academy games playing Air Force you'd get 7 possessions versus 15 with other teams.
ON CLEMSON OFFENSE IS NOT TYPICAL IN FIRST TWO GAMES
Auburn game my take is they were good on defense, they looked like each other, Troy was able to get some pressure, they dropped a lot of balls against Troy. Had a punt return, guy drops it on the goal line to score. I don't think you can watch that and think Troy had a chance to win, but to Troy's credit they made plays on defense, if they didn't have turnovers on offense they might have hung with them. Dabo said they haven't come close to scratching the surface.
ON BENEFIT OF PLAYING TWO DEFENSIVELY GOOD TEAMS
They don't have the cats Clemson has, that is not to knock BC, they have some real talented guys and hard nosed, but they are not the same type you see against Clemson.
ON CLEMSON TEAM THIS YEAR
New OL and defensively replaced some guys, still big and physical. Defensively giving up 18% on 3rd down conversions, fly around. Haven't been as proflific offensively, but they started on Saturday to play better, been their own worst enemy, still very talented #7 is as good as a WR as we've seen play here.
ON GALLMAN VS WEBB
Gallman been a good player for several years, different style, this team is closer to Mercer than the other two teams we've played, spread you out and get the ball in space, versus a power team.
ON STARTING FAST
They beat the fool out of us and beat the fool out of a lot, we were not a good football team a year ago and they were. We were especially bad on offense and weren't good on defense in that game. I think we are better than we were a year ago.
ON KEEPING UP AFTER A GOOD SEASON
Every team is different and just because you have a lot of guys returning doesn't mean they go back to where they were when they stopped playing. We lost a lot of guys off the 2014 team that didn't get credit. Defensively we had most of them back, 2014, defense wasn't helped us a much, we were really good offensively. We won NC back to back at GSU with same guys, so it varies.
ON SIMULATING CLEMSON'S ATHLETES
We start that today with the scout team players, hard to have anyone be Deshaun Watson, we will run a couple of huddles on scout team, as soon as one play finishes the next group is in. They assign jerseys on defense to who is who, they will have a couple of Watson's and two complete scout teams.
ON PLANNING FOR WATSON
It is hard to plan for him, but they have a ton of great skill guys, WRs are good, RBs are good, they have plenty of talent, but he makes it go.
ON KENDALL JOSEPH
They've got Boulware and they do a nice job recruiting and have good players and are deep.
ON CONTAINMENT VERSUS PASS RUSH
You have to do both, if he sits back there, he will kill you. You have to mix it up, he is hard to confuse and play your responsibilities and try to limit big plays, that is what they do. There will be a lot of possessions in this game, they don't have a lot of 8 play drives.
ON PASS RUSH AND STAYING IN LINES AGAINST VANDY
We got better in some areas, Vandy QB is not a big run threat, we rallied to him, but if it were Mr. Watson it would be a first down, but we got better.
ON RECRUITING WATSON
He came in the 9th grade, we offered him then, he was clearly a great player, he committed really early to Clemson. I don't remember many offers as a 9th grader, it was clear he was a player, those guys aren't hard to find, they are hard to get.
ON KLOCK
I thought he would go last week, he has to practice well to start.
ON THE OFFENSE COMPARED TO 2014
I think our B-backs can be as good as '14, same at A-back, WRs might be a stretch, OL can be as good or better, more athletic and same QB, last year Clemson game, I felt sorry for our QB, he looked like the only guy who knew what was going on.
ON SHORT WEEK BEING GOOD
Not sure, both teams have to do it, you just get ready and play.
ON NIGHT GAMES AT BDS
Thursday nights have been really good, hope we have a good crowd and it will be fun for our guys to play.
ON ONE THING TO WIN THE FOOTBALL
one thing on offense and defense, offensively we need to run the ball and control the clock and defensively we have to stay away from the big plays. It would be helpful to get some turnovers, they have the defense is hard to drive the length of the field on. You have to play together as a team.
ON MORE INTERCEPTIONS
Get more pressure and cover them a little closer. You can improve on both.
ON DEFENSE
We've been good in the one stat that matters, scoring defense. We haven't played an offense that is close to the nature of this one, the three we've played are not stalwarts of offensive football. You have to like our stats now, Boston College had 15 possessions in the VT game and went 3 and out on 11 of them.
ON RANKINGS ON SHORT WEEK
That's not the way I work, we get ready to play. I look at this as a great opportunity and build it up as hype, just go out and play and we will be in the game and we've done that before. The bottom line is we've played them nine times, we are 5-4, we played them twice in a row in one stretch so they've won three of four because of that.
ON PERSONALITY OF THE DEFENSE
They've played good to this point, I don't have a magic hat to look like we will shutout Clemson, but we'll see. The bottom line is how many points you give up, we've been pretty good. As you judge it you put it in perspective, after you play Miami, Pitt and UNC, I'll have a better idea, off BC, Vandy and Mercer, same thing offensively, hit the flipside offensively, BC and Vandy have historically been better on the other side. Won't know for 5-6 games.
ON WATSON'S LONE LOSS HERE
He got hurt and hit some big plays and third down pass plays, Smelter made some back shoulder pass plays and Waller made one. Last year we were 3-17 on 3rd down, mostly 3rd and long. No one has fared well against them, AU, Troy or SC State, giving up 18%, they get pressure with 3 guys and play 8 in coverage.
ON GAMBLING ON DEFENSE BECAUSE OF THE OFFENSE
If you take away the first series of the second half, we were really good defensively, we got more pressure once we got up there, once you get ahead of people. If we are playing well offensively and not turning the ball over, there is a huge difference that's how I saw the 15 possession thing with BC, contrast that with ours that is half a game, if you can get them into a 8-9 possession game and you are efficient on offense it puts a lot of pressure on them being up 2 TDs, like being four TDS. MTSU ran 80 plays scored 24 against Vandy, you can take numbers and do whatever you want, points per possession and average yards per play than total defense. If I'm at Cuse and I want to run 110 plays, our defensive numbers will be bad. I'd love to run 100 plays, means the other team would have 30. Team like Clemson comes in here runs 85-90 plays per game, if you can take that down to 65-70 and you are moving the ball, puts pressure on them. If I'm calling plays if I got 100 plays, I'll take some chances knowing I'll get it back. Playing academy games playing Air Force you'd get 7 possessions versus 15 with other teams.
ON CLEMSON OFFENSE IS NOT TYPICAL IN FIRST TWO GAMES
Auburn game my take is they were good on defense, they looked like each other, Troy was able to get some pressure, they dropped a lot of balls against Troy. Had a punt return, guy drops it on the goal line to score. I don't think you can watch that and think Troy had a chance to win, but to Troy's credit they made plays on defense, if they didn't have turnovers on offense they might have hung with them. Dabo said they haven't come close to scratching the surface.
ON BENEFIT OF PLAYING TWO DEFENSIVELY GOOD TEAMS
They don't have the cats Clemson has, that is not to knock BC, they have some real talented guys and hard nosed, but they are not the same type you see against Clemson.
