Swinney on LSU, Schieffelin, punter, game prep

CLEMSON — Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney addressed members of the media on Tuesday during his first news conference of the season.

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The No. 4-ranked Tigers are preparing to host No. 9 LSU on Saturday in a primetime showdown. Clemson remains a 3.5-point favorite at BetMGM.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly held court with reporters on Monday.

The following is an edited transcript of Tuesday’s news conference.

OPENING STATEMENTS: “It’s go-time. I know everyone here is ready to roll. It’s always exciting to kick the season off. This time next Tuesday we’ll have a result. Getting the process started is always a lot of fun, a ton of work. Just to get to this moment was a ton of work. I’m proud of our team and in particular our team and our staff have worked really hard over the last six, seven weeks. Now we have to play a game.

“We had a chance to get into the stadium last night under the lights. We’re looking forward to kicking off the season at home. When you wake up and it’s game week, it’s a special feeling. This is what we all signed up to do. It’s awesome. Man, I love it. I look forward to watching our team play.

“Coach Brian Kelly, his track record is easy to look up. He has won for a long time. He’s a great coach. He has his team well-positioned to have a great year. They are a very talented team. They’re similar to us in a lot of ways. They have elite quarterback play, elite skill and dudes in the trenches on both sides. That’s why it’s a top ten matchup. It’ll be one heck of a game.

“Their quarterback is a leader, he’s tough. I have a ton of respect for him. He has stayed and developed and is on his way to becoming a high draft pick. He has great pocket awareness, big-time arm talent and he’s tough. They’ve put a good group together up front. They brought in some experienced guys and have big-time skill. They have guys who can take the top off. They’ve got a great back. They don’t have any weaknesses.

“Defensively, they have elite linebacker play. They have really good safeties and they’re stout up front. Big-time talent at cornerback. They have a complete team. Defensively, all three levels, they have dudes. Coach Kelly believes this may be his best defense and maybe his best team.

“From a health standpoint, we are in a good spot. We have a tough practice today and tomorrow. As we sit right now, we are in a good spot health-wise.”

QUESTION: What do you think about coach Kelly hyping the emphasis on the opener?

SWINNEY: “I don’t have any thoughts either way. I can’t put myself in his locker room. Everyone has their own way. He’s done it a long time. Whatever he wants to do, I’ll leave that up to him.”

QUESTION: Is Walker Parks ready to go?

SWINNEY: “He’s back in practice.”

QUESTION: Gideon Davidson and David Eziomume, are they on the same footing behind Adam Randall?

SWINNEY: “We have to go into the games and see where it’s at. We have confidence in all of those guys. Adam will start it off for us. We’ll see how it shakes out. Same with Jay Haynes when he gets back.”

QUESTION: What did you see out of Elyjah Thurmon over the last month?

SWINNEY: “Man, we saw it last year. He had to go in last year in the first series against Virginia Tech and they had the leading sack guy in America. Elyjah was a true freshman and had a heck of a game. The next game at Pitt he got hurt on the first play. We knew Elyjah had a ton of potential when we signed him. We didn’t know how smart of a player he was. He played five positions in high school. He can play five positions. This kid is a special talent. He is a great football player. He hasn’t played as much center because we’ve used him at tackle as well. He could start anywhere for us. For sure. He’s a starter. I don’t even know who Matt Luke will run out there first, but Elyjah is someone we view as a starter. We see seven guys on the offensive line we view as starters. Elyjah could truly start at four positions for us. That’s a blessing. There aren’t many teams who have a blessing like that.”

QUESTION: How is Amare Adams doing?

SWINNEY: “Good. He’s good. Rolling.”

QUESTION: Where is Brayden Jacobs in the pecking order up front?

SWINNEY: “I’d say he’s No. 8 and coming. He’s on his way. I like Ronan O’Connell. Easton Ware is another guy we think will help us. We came out of camp with a good group of guys we feel will give us depth. Brayden is coming.”

QUESTION: How did you view LSU growing up? Did you see them as a rival?

SWINNEY: “Everyone who played Alabama was a rival. If you were playing the Tide, you were a rival. It was just ingrained in you growing up, especially Tennessee and Auburn. I was a part of 13 LSU – Alabama games. LSU was in our division, so we saw them every year. We had to go there twice. I have a ton of respect for the program. I have competed against them as a player and a coach. We’re excited to go to Baton Rouge next year.”

QUESTION: Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier have stayed in the collegiate ranks for a long time. How much does that mean to you as a coach?

SWINNEY: “It’s great. It’s hard to develop them when they’re not in your program. The continuity with the people around them, it’s great. We have a kid very similar behind Cade in Christopher Vizzina. He could have gone to a lot of places. We told him we’d redshirt him and not sign anyone else. He was 17 years old then and we laid the path out. I told him to be in it for the long term, not just his freshman year. That kid has really grown and developed. He has really bought in. Nussmeier was behind a great, great player and was developing. When his opportunity came, he took advantage of it and he’s been amazing.”

QUESTION: Tom Allen coaches his coaches as well as players. Have you learned anything new about him this off-season?

SWINNEY: “Everything is kind of new but the biggest thing is he’s the same guy everyday. He brings it everyday and shows up everyday. He’s detailed and very organized. He has done a great job of leading. We have a bunch of strong alpha dudes in there and I needed a guy who could run that room with intensity and accountability. It’s been a great honeymoon. Hopefully it continues.”

QUESTION: Is there another level Avieon Terrell can hit?

SWINNEY: “Absolutely. He has a whole other level he can hit in his game, technique, fundamentals, his hands, finishing, recognition. And he’s developing. He’s far from his ceiling.”

QUESTION: Punting has gotten a lot of the special teams questions, but what about protections in field goal kicking?

SWINNEY: “I like our personnel. I think it’s better. We’ve worked really hard at it. We’ve got our battery back. We have good length on the edges. Matt Luke takes ownership. That’s his thing right there. I just believe in him and all the rest of the coaches. They have demonstrated it in practice. Hopefully it will be a strength for us.”

QUESTION: Because it’s the first home opener in awhile, is there extra juice to this one?

SWINNEY: “First games, there is always a certain level of excitement. And these are young people. They’re truly young people who are passionate about what they do and now they get a chance to go do what they want to do. Any time you get to have a chance to play in Death Valley, it’s a big deal. There’s some serious juice to that.”

QUESTION: Your feeling on Will Heldt?

SWINNEY: “He’s a great player. He has bought in. He is about his business. He’s been a great fit for us. Everyday he does what’s required and then some. He’s really talented. The kids love him.”

QUESTION: How much of a problem is Harold Perkins?

SWINNEY: “He’s a baller. He’s a problem. He was playing end initially. That will be a question for us early. Where is he? How will they use him in the rush game? I promise you this, we won’t have to look hard to find him. He is an elite player.”

QUESTION: Will this be the best linebacking corps you’ll see all year?

SWINNEY: “Yes, for sure. Both teams have two really good groups of backers. We’ve developed a nice corps in our room. Them getting back No. 7 is a big shot in the arm for them.”

QUESTION: Do you have in mind who will run out there first at punter?

SWINNEY: “Maybe. Maybe. Might watch pregame warmups. We have a competition and we’re as far as we can go into the competition without having played a game. They’ve all been really good and they’ve all been just OK. It’s not the situation we had two years ago and had no answers. Sometimes you have to just go play. I think we have the answers here. We just have to play a game. We have a couple of positions like that. Guys are going to play and right now it’s like 50/50. Someone will run out there first, but then you have to let them play and you get game evaluation. All three punters could do the job and do it well but we’re at that point where no one has really truly separated and it’s not because they all stink. They’ve all done well. It’s not like we’re hitting them in practice. You can’t simulate what they’re going to see Saturday night.”

QUESTION: You’re 3-7 in the last 10 games against SEC teams. Is there something common there?

SWINNEY: “I would say probably turnovers. I think Texas was pretty good. UGA was pretty good. South Carolina finished ranked last year. Not finishing in some opportunities. We had some critical mistakes and errors. That’s usually what it comes down to. I think we’ve done pretty well over the years. You can look at national championship games we lost, but you have to give credit to the opponent, too. Sometimes they’re just better.”

QUESTION: What have you seen from Tyler Brown to make you think he’s ready to come back?

SWINNEY: “He’s been awesome, flying around and has made plays all camp. It’s good to see. He wasn’t healthy last year. We saw him make great plays as a freshman. We’ve seen consistency every day. I’m excited about his season. He stays healthy, he’ll do his part.”

QUESTION: Ian Schieffelin talked about his situation being a learning experience in his statement this morning. What have you told him?

SWINNEY: “Just that. You grow from it. We all have a choice. We’ve all made bad decisions in our lives but you have a choice in how you apply that. I have no doubt he’ll do just that. Certainly, there are consequences for our actions. I hate it for him but he put himself in that position. We’ll move on from it.”

QUESTION: Will Ian be back for the Troy? game

SWINNEY: “Yes.”

QUESTION: You don’t want to think too big picture, but there are a lot of big games in week one. How important is your game for the ACC?

SWINNEY: “It’s important for Clemson. Everyone else will create all the narratives and storylines. Honestly, it’s important for Clemson. I don’t make it any bigger than that. Every game we play is the biggest game of the year.”

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QUESTION: No depth chart this week. Are you just trying to keep things mysterious?

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SWINNEY: “Just trying to keep everyone guessing. We have some decisions that are … mysterious (laughing). Halloween in August. We have some decisions we may not make until pregame. Just no real need in it. Just creates more conversation than what we need to deal with right now.”

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