Dabo Swinney met with members of the media for his weekly Monday press conference and the Clemson head coach talked about a variety of topics including the health of his team and Clemson’s impending match-up against the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Play-offs that, win or lose, will be the final game for the Tigers in 2024.
Texas has, as Swinney explained, a “complete team” and one he knows will be a huge test for the Clemson Tigers.
“Texas has had an outstanding year,” he said. “(Steve) Sarkisian has done a great job. They’ve been in the play-off the last two years. They have an outstanding quarterback, they’re good in the trenches, and have explosive players. They put it all together offensively. Defensively, they don’t give up any points. It’s like 12 points a game. They’re big up front. They have athletic linebackers and they’re very skilled in the secondary. It’s a complete team. It’s a great challenge. We’re looking forward to it.”
Dabo Swinney knows that Clemson will have to click on all cylinders to come out of Austin with a victory. That includes the running game where, beyond a banged-up Phil Mafah who is slated for offseason shoulder surgery, there are more question marks than answers.
“It can’t hurt,” opined Swinney when asked if the extra time off has been beneficial for Mafah. “We’ve got what we’ve got. Nobody is 100 percent. I doubt Texas has a lot of players who are 100 percent. Mafah has to have postseason surgery regardless, but he’ll give it everything he’s got. I thought he was better in the last game, but we have to use our depth there for sure. Our guys behind them, it’s their opportunity.”
Dabo Swinney
Those running backs behind Mafah include Keith Adams Jr., Jarvis Green, and the wild card, David Eziomume. Eziomume, a four-star blue-chip prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, has hardly seen the field this season, but his talent is undeniable. He, along with Adams Jr. and Green, could factor into Saturday’s game, Dabo Swinney says.
“Keith Adams, Jarvis, and Eziomume, there’s a chance any of them could play,” added Swinney. “Ya’ll must not believe in those guys behind Mafah and Haynes. Ya’ll believed in them in the recruiting process because they were all highly ranked.”
On the other side of the offense, Clemson sports one of the best trio of wide receivers in the country in Antonio Williams, along with true freshmen Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore. Wesco is a native of Midlothian, TX and might be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder in his home state. The Longhorns’ secondary is statistically the best in the country and the Clemson coach knows his wideouts will need to play big games.
“They’re really talented and skilled,” Dabo Swinney said of the Longhorns’ secondary. “They have elite corner and safety play. They can all run. They know their scheme and they’re very committed to it. It all goes back to their dudes up front. They can get pressure with four. They’re usually better than most up front.”
Dabo Swinney
Texas comes into the game with an 11-2 record, with both losses coming in close contests to Georgia. Nobody outside of Clemson are giving the Tigers much of a chance, with Clemson opening as double-digit underdogs. But Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have proven time and again over the years that they are at their most dangerous with their backs to the wall and everyone doubting them. It is Clemson against the world, it seems, and Swinney would have it no other way.
“I think they know that, hey, we’re the 12th seed,” he said. “We’re just happy to have a chance. Anything can happen. They know that there won’t be many people who will give us an opportunity to win.”
Clemson vs. SMU Condensed Game Replay | 2024 ACC Football
Clemson advanced to the play-offs with a dramatic 34-31 win over SMU in the ACC Championship game. Kick-off is slated for 4 p.m. eastern time from Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin, TX with the winner advancing to take on Arizona State in the Peach Bowl after the Sun Devils earned a first-round bye. It is the first-ever meeting between Clemson and Texas.
