Dabo Swinney CUTigers.com

all right first of all congrats to Georgia um you know it was a um good first half tough hard fought first half uh and then they just freaking kicked our tails in the second half so congrats to them um they're a great team you know they've been a great team and they showed in the third and fourth quarter um what it looks like but you know just really disappointed and uh biggest thing is you know 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 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 it's just complete ownership of um just a absolute crap second half and uh just you really disappointed but I've done it long enough uh you know this is uh you know sometimes you get your buck hit and we did today 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 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 I 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 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 some critical penalties and just a couple of details and in the second half um you know just defensively really poor you know just really poor again I thought lines of scrimmage we 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 um you know but miss tackles third long was another thing I was worried about was you know their quarterback I think he showed what he I mean he's a really really good player and uh he's incredibly accurate um and that's one of my my concerns going into the game was if we let him hold the ball on Third and long he'll find him 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 missed it 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 hold U 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 to the end and uh you know there'll be some like I said some good things that we'll see on tape but at the end of the day um you we just got our butts kicked and um you know so um we got to 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 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 0 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 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 got a chance to learn you got a chance to teach um and I think you can grow your football team and you because they get a chance to see you know um and U right out of the gate so you know we'll get back to work on Monday uh we'll flush it I really I really am proud of our guys in the locker room as you know obviously they' worked really really hard and we 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 uh um and we certainly you know took one right just punched right in in the gut but you know U we 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 feel terrible for them uh because 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 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 all the credit goes to uh Georgia for sure coach 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 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 in Kate and he's also one of those guys really proud of um 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 Briny 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 will be some good things uh that we can take away from it that we can go build on for the season but doesn't take away the fact that you just got your ass kicked um in the third and fourth quarter talk about the decision to take that me kick off and pit your offense how on the field 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 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 um uh I mean the motion call was same thing it was close I mean you know I mean um it was close watching watching the video on the sideline but they called uh so we kind of got in a little bit of a hole right there we didn't anticipate that um but we want 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 um we they led the country last year or second in the country in time of position possession and uh you know we wanted to get them out there right away 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 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 there's been a lot made about your approach to the port transfer Port what do you say to people point to that when they see something like this happen um people going to say whatever they want to say it doesn't matter doesn't matter what I say people going to say whatever they want to say um but um you know we we we we take we do what's best for Clemson year in and year out and U 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 you're in the immediate aftermath of all this but the last few years offensively in these big games Georgia two of them the last few 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's just disappointing so you know that's that's where it is coach you played Woods out on the edge Allah 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 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 we just get third Longs Miss plays U but you also got to give Georgia some credit to they made some plays in their quarterback is I think he's a special player I mean he's a he's an experienced guy and U he showed you know today you know what what he's cable doing I guess would the most disappointing part be just them continually scoring points and just not really biting hard as much in that second yeah I mean that's what they can do to you you know again they can expose you quick you don't have a lot of room for error with a team like that you got to you got to play all three phases you got to you got to put it all together I was happy hoer whoer got a chance to at least get the game and and get get her kicks I was good to see him go out there and make one but um you know just the the missed 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 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 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 going to write everything they want to write right now but but it'll all be written in November and December and uh so we got a lot of work to do and as competitors that's what we do we get up and knock down today we get up and go back fight again on Monday coach what was the discussion half time and end game with Coach Riley and Coach Goodwin just how the team was going overall what was the discussion among the three main coaches uh there was a lot of discussion I mean we we all know what's 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 again that's that's um 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 l 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 um but I remember every loss unfortunately sometimes you remember you remember those more than some of the others but um this was one that this was this was just a flat out butt kicking we just got Tails kicked in and um for two quarters I mean I know you know look at the score and it's you know you go who but you know again there'll 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 know you lose you 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 kids they work their butts off so when we don't get it done we got to take ownership of and we going 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 lot long season ahead and I do think that we have the right people in the room um 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 long big play Boom 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 has done a great job so uh they just they kicked our butt tonight but we'll see where we go from here Garrett was a big hire for yall how would you I'll he called the game today and what you say that people are maybe frustrated that since he's been hired he hasn't produced maybe the explosiveness uh people thought might come i' 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 if George Georgia going to make a lot of people look bad and uh they made us look bad today so uh but I do think I do think that um you we'll get back to work on Monday and we'll go get better coach turnovers were such a problem for you last season I guess if there's a positive you didn't put the ball on the ground against a great defense 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 player a great player uh so we did U did a good job with that and then again I thought 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 phys C 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 but you know we we 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 um just you know improve like I think we will for this is there an injury update on Marcus I think he's okay what was the uh injury he just got I think rolled up did you want to get Westco and More in any earlier was was around the time they they got in were getting targets yeah they they got in there and when they got in there and made some plays and those guys will continue to continue to roll in there and you'll see what you think of the wide receiver room overall I know Antonio had a strong game but maybe outside of him prob we had penalties 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 both of them chance to touch the ball and I think they'll continue to grow from there speaking of Antonio it looked like that pass the corner of the end zone pretty well thrown Ball by Cade but looked like he may have lost the football Antonio lost in the line 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 on Coach Le I mean I I like I said I need to watch the tape 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 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 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 um 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 and 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 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 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 the six or so yards per carrier for Georgia what would you mostly attribute that to and watch the T missed tackles first of all big plays few big plays Miss 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 you miss some tackles or you don't fit something properly 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 you I thought their quarterback made a couple of nice timely scrambles um that that created some opportunistic you know first downs for him as well anybody else all right thank you coach thanks coach