Dabo Swinney, 08/31/24

coach SW will have some opening comments we will then go to questions in the room and if time permits we'll go to questions virtually after that so coach whenever you're ready go ahead all right U first of all congrats to Georgia um you know it was a um good first half tough hardfought first half uh and then they just freaking kicked our tails in the second half uh so congrats to them um they're a great team you know they they've been a great team and they showed in the third and fourth quarter U what it looks like but you know just really disappointed and uh biggest thing is you know when you when you don't finish again I've talked a lot about it and I thought we did some good things in the first half there'll be some things on tape um but you know you got to play for four quarters and um we didn't do that so uh biggest thing is you know that that's when you when you get beat like that that's that's on that's on the head coach that's on me so that's just complete ownership of um just a absolute crap second half and uh just you know really disappointed but I've done it long enough um you know this is uh you know sometimes you get your butt kicked and we did day and that's um not what we came here to do but you got to give Georgia Credit and um and we got to move on we got to learn from it but again uh biggest thing to me was missed opportunities on offense in the first half uh we we needed some early momentum and and we had made a couple plays and we made a huge play and you know they said we weren't lined up right uh said we weren't quite up on the ball he thought he was on the ball you know you look at the tape it's close but um that was huge huge huge missed opportunity uh in the first half and you know with with a team like Georgia where they are right now you you know you've got to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves and um you know so we we didn't do that uh in the first half you know some critical penalties and and just a couple of details and then the second half um you know just defensively really poor you know just really poor again I thought lines of scrimmage we will there's going to be a lot of good stuff that we're going to see on tape um but in the second half just missed tackles Miss tackles something I was worried about coming into the game and um you know but miss tackles third long uh was another thing I was worried about was you know their quarterback I think he showed what he's I mean he's a really really good player and uh he's incredibly accurate um and that's one of my concerns going into the game was if we let him hold the ball on Third and long he'll find them and and uh and and he's just he did he he made a couple huge plays on Third and long um and then I think you know they they capitalized on a couple we Misfit a couple of their runs um and then we missed some tackles and that contributed to some of the big plays so um and then we just kind of got in a Hole uh there so um disappointed offensively on the third and one there um had a little miscommunication but you know they they did fight they didn't quit they battled uh to the end and uh you know there'll be some like I said some good things that we'll see on tap but at the end of the day um you know we just got our butts kicked and um you know so um we got a battle back it's a long season ahead uh again George is a great football team and um you know I have no doubt they'll go on to have a great year but this is one game and uh you know whether you get your butt kicked or or you lose by one point U you know when you lose you lose and it's it's and one and so we got to get back to work Monday we got to flush it and we got to learn from it you know uh is you know and I don't shy away from games like this I don't ever shy away from games like this I think I think this is when you play games like this you you got a chance to learn you got a chance to teach um and I think you can grow your football team and and you know because they get a chance to see you know um and uh right out of the gate so you know we'll get back back to work on Monday um we'll flush it I really I really am proud of our guys in the locker room as you know obviously they've worked really really hard and when you put in the amount of work that these guys put in you don't get the result it's incredibly heartbreaking and disappointing and and U but you know I'm I'm proud of the comments in the locker room the leadership that I saw um and we certainly you know took one right just punched right in the in the gut but you know uh we'll we'll respond we'll get back to work it doesn't get any easier next week we got a got a uh probably as good a group of five team as there is in the country and that coming into the valley and um you know I'm sorry for our fans I I feel terrible for them uh CU we didn't get it done for them tonight and um didn't play those last two quarters like like like we know we can play uh so but I promise you this we'll get back to work and a long season ahead and see if we can find a way to have a great uh Sunday tomorrow a great Monday and find a way to to get on the other side of this thing and just you know keep going there one day at a time one game at a time and we'll see what we'll see what happens but uh today was not our day and and all the credit goes to uhh Georgia for sure how would you uh assess kade's play against an elite defense I thought Kade played well I really I think I think he did a lot of positive things I really do uh he did a lot of positive things in the game and you know the Starks made a great play play on the one ball and the Box fade I mean that was that was a great play by a great player and uh you know the biggest thing is is uh we we we didn't help him early on too many third and Longs and um you know it's you're not going to make a living against Georgia on Third and long uh so but but I think I think there were a lot of bright spots with Kate and he's also one of those guys I'm really proud of uh from just comments in the locker room uh that's what leaders do so um that kid will show up Monday ready to go and he's just going to keep getting better but I thought he competed his butt off and uh you know thought breny did some good things uh Antonio obviously he had the one huge play that got called back uh so you know there there'll be some there'll be some good things uh that we can take away from it that we can go build on for the season but it doesn't take away the fact that you just got your ass kicked um in in the third and fourth quarter talk about the decision take that kick off and put your off how the F versus taking it in the second half yeah we just one of those things we talked about going into it uh we felt really good about you know our opportunity to either go score or move that thing uh far enough to where you know they got to go 80 plus and uh again we we had a couple critical penalties you know that that really cost us uh I mean the motion call was same thing it was close I mean you know I mean um it was close watching the watching the video on the sideline but they called it uh so and we kind of got in a little bit of a hole right there we didn't anticipate that um but we wanted to take the ball you know we've had a great fall Camp guys and just you know come out of the gate and then also uh you know we they led the country last year or second in the country in time of possession and uh you know we wanted to get them out there right away and and get them get them to play so and then if we didn't score try to pin them um but it didn't work out that way uh but again you know I thought defensively we did a heck of a job in the first half I mean they were physical they held up well and um but you know again tell two halves yeah uh there's been a lot made about your approach to the portal what do you say to people point to that when they see something like this happen uh people going to say whatever they want to say it doesn't matter it doesn't matter what I say people are gonna say whatever they want to say um but U you know we we we we take we do what's best for Clemson year in and year out and uh you know people can say and when you lose like this you know they got every right to say whatever they want to say so say whatever you want to say write whatever write whatever you want to write um you know that's that comes with it it's just part of it I know your in the immediate aftermath of all this but the last few years offensively these big games Georgia two of the last three years are you able to kind of pinpoint why you struggled offensively for example yeah we just we haven't we haven't done some of the basic things the way we need to do it I mean we didn't make some some critical plays that were that we had a chance to make uh when we did make a big critical play to create momentum uh we we get a penalty so just creating the Rhythm and it was just disappointing so you know that's that's where it is but you played Woods out on the edge I Christian Wilkins he looked right at home there had a great first half he did he showed up he made a lot of plays and and he's going to have a heck of a year and um you know I think defensively I think we got a chance to be really good on defense you know obviously disappointed in the second half with just getting third and Longs Miss plays uh but you also got to give Georgia some credit too they made some plays in quarterback is I think he's a special player I mean he's a he's a experienced Guy and um he showed you know today you know what what he's capable of doing guess what the most disappointing part be just then continually scoring points yeah just not really as yeah I mean that's what they can do to you uh you know again they can expose you quick you don't have a lot of room for error with a team like that and you got to you got to play all three phases you got to you got to put it all together uh I was happy hooer Hooser got a chance to at least get in the game and and get get her kicks I was good to see him go out there and and make one but um you know just the the Miss tackles missed tackles and and just a couple of busted assignments they got us on the wheel route and then uh you know we we didn't fit up the the reverse or the the Jet Sweep and get off the block right there created a couple big plays and next thing you know Bam Bam it's a couple of scores and it just you know it's tough that's a tough thing against a great team but again there's it's over we got to flush it and we got to move on to the next one that's that's all we can do we can we can't sit around and um you know just wer in it forever uh we got a long season ahead and we still got a chance there's not anything off the table for this team and uh so it'll all be written when it's all said everybody they going to write all everything they want to write right now but but it'll all be written uh in November and December and uh so we got a lot of work to do and it's competitors that's what we do we we we get up got knock down today we get up we go back to fight again on Monday what was the discussion half end game with coach riy and Coach goodwi just how the team was going overall what was the discussion among the three M coaches uh there's a lot of discussion I mean we we all know what's going what happened I mean that's what we do and uh everybody's disappointed but we take ownership of it that's that's start with me how does this one feel uh compared to last season's season opener against Duke as far as just the locker room and how you feel about your team going forward uh I feel great about our team and the leadership on this team and again that's that's uh you know some people may say well he's just crazy you just got your butt kicked uh a loss is a loss I hate to lose period at any time to anybody anywhere um I hate to lose we work too hard uh so it it hurts it's going it's going to leave a mark this will be one I'll never forget that's for sure U but I remember every loss unfortunately sometimes you remember you remember those more than some of the others but um this is one that this is this was just a flat out butt kicking I mean we got our Tails kicked in and U for two quarters I mean I know it you know they at the score and it it's you know you go whoa but you know again there there be a lot of positives and and there's a couple things that again if you just do some couple little things right you create a little momentum and and a little confidence or whatever but um you know that's they all hurt they all feel the same they all hurt may you lose you know by one or 40 um you know you work too hard so when you don't get the results you want it hurts this is our livelihood it's what we do you know these these kids they work their butts off so when we don't get it done we we got to take ownership of it and we go on back to work and see if we can find a way next week um again been in this situation many times been two and three we started two and three one year and went on to the ACC Championship so um it's it's there's a long long season ahead and I do think that we have the right people in the room uh but this is when you play a team like Georgia you get exposed you know and and that's what happened in the second again there was a lot of good things in the first half that we'll see but then all of a sudden you know third and long big play Bo Boom Big play I mean this is a really good team and um and and they're well coached Kirby did a great job and and uh has done a great job so uh they just they kicked our butt tonight but you know we we'll see where we go from here Jett was a big hire for how would you assess called the game today and what we see that people are maybe frustrated that since he's been hired he hasn't produced maybe the explosiveness I'd say we got a long season ahead Chapel that's what I'd say I'd say tonight you know was was was bad you know give Georgia Georgia going to make a lot of people look bad and uh they made us look bad today so uh but I do think it I do think that um you know we'll get back to work on Mond day and we'll go get better Coach turnover were such a problem for you last season I guess if there's a positive yeah you didn't put the ball on the ground against a great def no we took care of we took care of the ball I mean like I said Starks that was a great play I mean we we took a shot on the box fade uh to to Tyler and and you know he made a he made a great a great football play a great player uh so you know we did uh did a good job with that and then I again I thought in the first half of the red zone defense was really good to see too uh to hold up um there there was there was a lot of physicality there was a lot of good stuff but at the end of the day it's about getting the result that you want and um you know we it was that was two quarters of of really poor football and you know I take ownership of that and but you know we we've we can't let that carry over uh we got to all flush it 24 hours we got to flush it and we got to get back to work on Monday same thing if you win the game you got to get back to work we got a long year ahead and I think we've got a chance to be a really really good football team if we will U just you know improve like I think we will from this is there injury upate on marus I think he's okay was thej he just got I think rolled up get ear yeah they they got in there and when they got in there and made some plays and you know those guys will continue to continue to roll them in there and you'll see them you think of the wide receiver well we had penalties two penalties right out of the gate so I was disappointed with that and uh none more than than the one that that cost us the big play but there were some good some bad just like every other position really proud of Antonio though thought he I thought he really competed made a lot of plays and I was excited to see that but good to get the young guys in there too and both of them chance to touch the ball and I think they'll continue to grow from there speaking Antonio it looked like that pass the corner of the end zone pretty well throwing Ball by cave but Lo like may have lost the football Antonio lost in life yeah yeah I mean came out a little quick they brought some they brought some heat right there and um you know just didn't just didn't find it track it you said you're going to be pretty pleased with some of the things at the line of scrimmage you see just your overall thoughts on how the offensive line played in the first game under coach Luke yeah I mean I I like I said I need to watch the tape uh before I really just make an assessment but I do think I do think there's going to be some positives I mean that we will see that we can build on uh doesn't change the fact that that the score got away from us in in the third and fourth quarter uh it was a very competitive game and you're one score away and and next thing you know you you're in trouble but um we'll watch the tape and then we'll assess it and go from there what's your message to the team heading into the game next week say that again what's your message to the team heading into the game next week uh put our eyes forward you know flush this thing put your eyes forward let's focus on what we control you know stay together Stay Together leaders lead uh and so stay together flush it show back up Monday and let's let's you know you can't let this game beat you twice you know you got to move forward I mean this the thing that's the nature of football you know we got to wait all week and and when you lose a game like this and especially when you get your butts kicked in the second half um you know there's a lot of noise so you know you got to block all that stuff out and focus on what you control and get back to work and just one day at a time try to go win a game and then just keep going it's it's a it's not a Sprint it's a marathon it's a long way and um you know they didn't hand out a national championship trophy tonight you know uh we didn't lose the ACC tonight we didn't lo you know we we got our butts kicked in in one game and we got a long way to go and you know let's go play it out and see what happens anybody else for Coach six or what and watch the tap missed tackles first of all big plays few big plays and missed tackles you know the the the we really did a nice job I thought we were very physical um but the that stat right there comes from big plays and the big plays were you know which is what usually happens when you miss some tackles or you don't fit something properly uh but I thought we held up pretty good you know when they tried to come at us I thought we I thought we did some good things and again um you know we've got a and I thought their quarterback made a couple of nice timely scrambles um that that created some opportunistic you know first downs for them as well anybody else all right thank coach stand by