Dabo Swinney previews South Carolina, Palmetto Bowl
Excited the weeks finally here, this is, uh, uh, always *** fun week. You get the, the rivalry game, uh, you know, back on, uh, on the national stage and, and, uh, that’s what we got this week. So, you know, it was fun to be *** part of it. Um, I think Shane’s done an outstanding job. He and his whole staff, I mean, he’s, they’re playing with *** ton of confidence, uh, coming here with *** five game winning streak, they’re eight and three and really, they’re five points away from being 10 and one. So it’s *** really good football team. Um, and, uh, you know, offensively they’ve gotten better and better. Uh, the quarterback is as *** first year starter has just, just, just like our guy last year, you saw Cade get better as the season went. That’s what you’ve seen with Sellers. Um, but as good *** 12 combination as you’re gonna see out there with, with, uh, you know, he and the, and the running back, you know, really, um create *** lot of problems running the football. I mean, they do *** great job in executing their scheme. I think the OL uh has the same thing, you know, they’ve, they’ve had some new people this year, they’ve gotten better uh, on this five game winning streak as they, as they moved forward, uh, playmakers have emerged, uh they’re receivers, they had some new pieces there in the early part of the season and those guys have really, uh come on, I mean, six and eight and 14 and three, all those guys are making plays, uh big bodied guys. So I think I just think they’ve done *** nice job, you know, and really, uh you know, schematically and just improving throughout the year. And again, uh you know, they are, are playing right now to me as well as anybody playing with *** ton of confidence and again, uh executing at *** high level. Um and, uh and playing with, with, with *** lot of belief and then defensively, I think, I think it’s as good as we’ve seen, I mean, *** great defense. Um You know, uh *** lot of this, *** lot of this, it’s pretty much mostly the same guys uh that we played against last year. Uh Those guys have been around there forever inside and back. They got one new backer in there pretty much the same secondary guys. Uh But them two ends are, are *** problem. Uh Those guys have really created some, some uh destruction on that side. Uh The canard kid, uh We let say you said he uh five great player. He’s leading them in sacks and TFLS and the young freshman is second, you know, right behind him. So, two very disruptive guys, they all play hard, they run to the ball. Uh, so it’s *** good football team, you know, across the board and, uh, you know, it, it should be ***, should be *** heck of *** game. It should be *** great game. And again, it’s, it’s great for, uh, I think our state and this rivalry to have, um, uh, you know, it’s the highest ranked rivalry game in college football this year. So, uh, it’s *** great stage for both schools and look forward to competing in it real dangerous. I mean, just, I mean, you just, you don’t have to go back back very far. But then the Missouri game, right. I mean, that game’s probably over if they sack him. I mean, it’d been, I can’t remember if that was second or third time, but it would have been like, you know, 3rd and 100 somehow he gets out of that sack and finds an open guy and it’s *** huge play. That’s what he does. That’s what, that’s today’s game. You know, I mean, if you don’t have *** quarterback who can make plays like that, you’re at *** disadvantage, that’s what everybody’s trying to find. And recruit is guys that can, uh, that can, that can, uh, on paper, you got them but you don’t. And that’s that’s kind of who he is. I mean, he can, he can really make *** lot of play and they, they, obviously their scheme is gonna, is gonna, um, uh, accentuate his skills between he and that running back. I mean, it’s, you know, they got *** lot of quarterback counter, *** lot of, uh, swap zone, *** lot of influence swap zone with option, kind of like what we saw last week with the dive and the tight end coming across with the bluff out to block and then he’s pulling it at the end, squeezing and he’s on the edge and he’s got an option guy. You know, it’s, it’s *** lot going on and he, and then when you, when he does, uh, you know, drop back *** lot of play action off of that, *** lot of boots, *** lot of RP OS, *** lot of screen game. But when he does drop back, if you don’t cage him up, uh and he gets on the edge, you better cover those guys forever because he can, he’s, he creates *** lot of big plays, um, you know, again throwing it and running it. I mean, and he’s, he’s just ***, I think he’s just, I think he’s *** really good player and he seems like *** great kid. Uh He seems like *** great leader and you can kind of see that and how the guys play around him. So, uh he’s, he’s *** problem. He’s *** real problem, you know, got *** lot of, *** lot of great moments, got some bad ones too, you know, uh you know, we lost to him five times in *** row one time. That was *** brutal stretch. Uh, you know, we were *** good team, we were *** good team. They were *** good team and, you know, so you just gotta, you keep battling and, you know, we’ve been able to win some uh uh as of late and hopefully we can find *** way to win it this week and this week is *** national implications. And I think that’s probably the other difference, the Alabama Auburn game and in my background, always had *** little bit more of national implications uh than this game has had from *** national standpoint. Um But that’s different this year. This, this is the game that’s got *** lot of national implications. Uh You know, that one down there is just gonna be bragging, right. So this one is, this one’s got *** lot of national, that national noise to it. So it should be ***, should be an awesome environment and 22 really good teams that have had really good years that all wanna win. And, um, you know, we got to find *** way to get it done. The only thing I can tell you is I’ve known Shane way before. He was the South Carolina coach. And, um I mean, we’ve always been friends I think, you know, the biggest similarity, uh, is he, he’s, he believes in his players, he believes in his people. He’s ***, he’s ***, he’s *** positive, optimistic guy. I’ve always tried to be that way in my life and, uh, you know, and I think, I think he’s just *** good person, you know. Uh, he’s got *** great wife just like I got *** great wife. That’s, that’s shout out to both of them. Uh, because trust me, he or, nor I would be where we are without, without those two. and, uh, but, you know, as far as how they run their program and all that stuff, I don’t really, I’m not in tune to the inner workings of, you know, how he operates daily. I, I’m not, I don’t, I don’t know all that. I just know that I just know he’s *** great guy and he’s *** good person and I mean, he’s got, uh, uh, uh, *** great, um, perspective, you know, again, I think he, he believes in himself and he believes in his decisions and he believes in his people and, and he’s, um, an optimistic guy. I think that’s, that’s probably similarities. But, um, I’ve always believed when I got this job, I mean, we, you know, there’s *** lot of things that we hadn’t done and, and, and listen, there were, I, I be, I better believe in myself, uh, because there wasn’t *** lot of belief in me um outside of Terry Don Phillips and our president and our board, there were *** ton of belief and, and there shouldn’t be, I mean, not like I had some long track record. Um, but I always had *** lot of belief in myself and, and I think, and I also think he’s passionate about the job. He’s passionate about what he does. He loves the job, he loves football. So do I, and he loves where he’s doing it. So do I, so I think those are all similarities but uh, done *** great job. I mean, he really has. I mean, he’s done *** really good job and, um, you know, happy, happy for him.
Dabo Swinney previews South Carolina, Palmetto Bowl
Updated: 1:40 PM EST Nov 26, 2024
Dabo Swinney stepped to the podium Tuesday mid-morning to preview this week’s opponent one final time during this college football regular season.Of course, this week is different. Clemson and South Carolina renew one of college football’s oldest, most storied rivalries Saturday in Death Valley (noon, ESPN). And while every chapter in the Palmetto Bowl is highly anticipated, this year’s edition contains added juice and expectation.Saturday will be just the seventh meeting (in 121 games) between programs where both teams are ranked. Clemson (9-2, 7-1 ACC), ranked No. 12 in this week’s AP Top 25, and South Carolina (8-3, 5-3 SEC), ranked No. 16, are both vying for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff this year. “I think it’s great for our state, and this rivalry, to have the highest-ranked rivalry game in college football this year,” Swinney said. “It’s a great stage for both schools.”The Gamecocks have won five straight since starting 3-3, which included two losses to LSU and Alabama by a combined five points.”They’re playing with a ton of confidence,” Swinney said of the Gamecocks. ” is playing right now, to me, as well as anybody. Defensively, I think it’s as good as we’ve seen. It’s a great defense.”South Carolina’s second-half surge has coincided with noticeably improved play from quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The redshirt freshman has completed at least 66% of his passes in four of his past five games while rushing for more than 250 yards during that span.”He’s real dangerous,” Swinney remarked when discussing Sellers. “If you don’t have a quarterback who can make plays like that, you’re at a disadvantage. He’s just a really good player, and he seems like a great kid and a great leader. You can see that in how the guys play around him.”Both teams will likely be inside the top 15 of this week’s College Football Playoff poll, which will be unveiled tonight. And while a win won’t guarantee a spot in the expanded 12-team field, the loser will find it much more difficult to play for a national championship (though, it should be noted, Clemson would still reach the playoff by backing their way into the ACC Championship and winning the conference crown — regardless of Saturday’s result).”This is the game that’s got a lot of national implications,” Swinney said. “Should be an awesome environment, two really good teams that have had really good years.”
Dabo Swinney stepped to the podium Tuesday mid-morning to preview this week’s opponent one final time during this college football regular season.
Of course, this week is different. Clemson and South Carolina renew one of college football’s oldest, most storied rivalries Saturday in Death Valley (noon, ESPN). And while every chapter in the Palmetto Bowl is highly anticipated, this year’s edition contains added juice and expectation.
Saturday will be just the seventh meeting (in 121 games) between programs where both teams are ranked. Clemson (9-2, 7-1 ACC), ranked No. 12 in this week’s AP Top 25, and South Carolina (8-3, 5-3 SEC), ranked No. 16, are both vying for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff this year.
“I think it’s great for our state, and this rivalry, to have the highest-ranked rivalry game in college football this year,” Swinney said. “It’s a great stage for both schools.”
The Gamecocks have won five straight since starting 3-3, which included two losses to LSU and Alabama by a combined five points.
“They’re playing with a ton of confidence,” Swinney said of the Gamecocks. “[The offense] is playing right now, to me, as well as anybody. Defensively, I think it’s as good as we’ve seen. It’s a great defense.”
South Carolina’s second-half surge has coincided with noticeably improved play from quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The redshirt freshman has completed at least 66% of his passes in four of his past five games while rushing for more than 250 yards during that span.
“He’s real dangerous,” Swinney remarked when discussing Sellers. “If you don’t have a quarterback who can make plays like that, you’re at a disadvantage. He’s just a really good player, and he seems like a great kid and a great leader. You can see that in how the guys play around him.”
Both teams will likely be inside the top 15 of this week’s College Football Playoff poll, which will be unveiled tonight. And while a win won’t guarantee a spot in the expanded 12-team field, the loser will find it much more difficult to play for a national championship (though, it should be noted, Clemson would still reach the playoff by backing their way into the ACC Championship and winning the conference crown — regardless of Saturday’s result).
“This is the game that’s got a lot of national implications,” Swinney said. “Should be an awesome environment, two really good teams that have had really good years.”
