Clemson HC Dabo Swinney Addresses Loss to FSU, Health of the Team and Much More

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney met with the media via Zoom Sunday evening to recap his team’s heartbreaking loss to Florida State, update the health of his team and where he sees the team moving forward.

Here is what he had to say:

• “Nothing has really changed since last night. Brutally painful to watch it again … So many chances to win the game”
• “Our players and coaches laid it on the line. I thought we were incredibly physical.”
• “We literally needed just one more play.”
• “We can’t let the scoreboard make us lose sight of the good things we are doing.”
• “Our players absolutely played their hearts out”
• “I do know, that worm will turn…It’s just been a really crazy situation for us. That’s why we’re 2-2 … we’re 2-2 because it’s all about the ball.”
• “Best case scenario with Nate. It was a bone bruise, no ligament damage.”
• “We’ve lost games around here where I’m pissed off because I thought we played terrible. But our guys have played their butts off…. We’ve just had some crazy situations.”
• “I know what the perception is, but these guys are three plays away from being a 4-0, top-5 team.”
• “I think this team is performing better right now than what the 2016 team was doing at this time.”
• “We’ve played better every single week, as far as the things you have to do to win game.”
• “The ball security and the titanic proportion of those issues have cost us a couple of games.”
• “That one’s gonna leave a scar, man. Live there forever.” “But I got a lot of scars. And all those scars remind me, you heal up, you live through it, and you fight another day.”
• Xavier Thomas had his best game of the season. “If we can bottle that up and he brings that every week, he’s going to have a heckuva a year.”
• “I hurt for all of our fans we weren’t able to reward ’em. They did their part.”
• WR Antonio Williams: “He’s getting better. Day to day, but he’s getting better”
• “Tristan (Leigh) probably graded out just a little bit better that game, but both of them (Leigh and Collin Sadler) did a nice job.”