Gator Bowl: Dabo Swinney, Will Putnam, Tyler Davis and Will Shipley news conference

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Some opening comments and we’ll take some questions from the media yeah again on these guys uh really excited to have them up on the stage starting down there with TD I think he’s uh I think he’s played the most defensive snaps of anybody uh at Clemson and uh most

Defensive starts as well I think and putham has played I think the second most career snaps of anybody ever at Clemson and then my man Shipley here is uh just Gra graduated in 3 years and he’s the first uh scholarship player to graduate in 3 years with a perfect 4.0

Uh pretty amazing you know what he’s able to do so you know three great players but but also uh Great Men off the field and uh that’s why they were voted Captain um you know by their teammates so uh just been a great week it’s been fast I mean we play in 24

Hours uh it’s unbelievable how fast this week’s gone we’ve had a we’ve had U uh a really great experience down here I really appreciate the everybody with the tax Slayer Gator Bowl for just all the effort that goes into making it uh happen and making it a fun week there’s

A lot of moving parts and I know there’s a lot of volunteers and a lot of uh people that just you know work all year really to make this a great experience for everyone and I know there’s a lot that that goes into the community uh as

Well but it’s been uh it’s been a it’s been a really good week uh we’ had some fun we’ve got a lot of work done uh we’ve had great you know practice really appreciate ferina Beach and and their access to practice there we had to

Come over here one day to the Jags on Christmas day but uh it’s been really good preparation back at home and also down here and and now it’s time to play um got a got uh a lot of respect for this team we’re getting ready to play

And know it’s going to be a a very competitive game but uh just really appreciate you know the opportunity to be here and excited that the time to plays finally come all right we’ll take questions raise your hand we’ll get a microphone to you and as a reminder

Please please say your name and affiliation before you start for our close captioning start with Gary hey Gary Smith from the Florida Town jion coach did you ever did you think you had seen the last of Deon Larry uh you never know uh today’s world that’s for sure but

Good good football player we’ve seen him obviously several times and got a lot of respect for him he’s a he’s a a guy that’s going to have a chance play at the next level for sure uh but yeah you never know I mean it just kind of pops

Up you know SE a couple quarterbacks this year that we thought we were we were done with and uh you see him again he’s a good one and your first bow game as a head coach was in this in this game uh an awful lot has happened over those

Years uh can you reflect a little bit about you know thinking about your bowl preparation that week and the game compared to you know obviously youve won a lot of big games since then yeah I mean it was my first bowl game as a

Coach period too in 93 as a ga uh and then obviously as a head coach but yeah it’s night and day uh you know that was literally I was in inter room and had just become the full-time head coach a couple weeks prior to coming down here

And and uh my first bow prep as a head coach but I think you know we’ve we’ve uh we’ve learned a lot over the years we’ve been in a lot of postseason games um and um you know so I would say things are very different from that first that

First Bowl prep um you know you kind of learn as you go in that situation but I think we’ve had outstanding preparation for for this game and and again looking forward to U competing uh Beth H Fox Carolina and Greenville Dabo uh almost to the day

It’ll be uh a year since Kate kumnick made his first career start for Clemson talk to him yesterday about a little bit the growth that he’s had and the journey that this year has been um just your your thoughts on on his growth and um how much he has grown and commanded that

Role as the leader of this team at quarterback it it’s been tremendous I mean I think you know if you really watched us all year it’s it’s easy to see that I mean he’s the game is slowed down for him and especially these last

Uh the last month or so I mean he’s he’s really settled in and um you know he’s uh just got good Poise in the pocket he’s he’s he’s making good decisions he’s really the biggest thing is he’s used his legs u in a very timely fashion

For us he’s made some big plays there extended drives created some big plays um you know with his legs as well so um you know he’s still got a whole another level there’s another level of physical development that that he has to have between now and next year but for a

First year starter uh he did a lot of good things you know we’re in position to win every game and um you know he’s he’s battle tested um much different than he was this time last last year he’s a he’s a little bit more you know

Got a little thicker skin and and uh just more water under the bridge and and it’s a developmental game and certainly a developmental position and if you’re made of the right stuff and you you have the right type of character and work ethic and obviously got to have the

Talent to go with it um then you’re going to get better and that’s that’s exactly what I see with this kid so I’m excited about uh how he’s finished the year and um you know he’s had really really good prepar I was just telling

Him uh two days ago I was just you know just just standing behind him he just you can see that things have have settled down for him a little bit as a young player so he’s got a lot a lot uh of opportunity to grow in front of him

And he’ll work to get there I think when it’s all said and done he’s going to be a a really great winner for us um so I’m proud of him and um you know hopefully uh he’ll have his best game um Jason Priester all Clemson Tigers this is for Will and Tyler no

Knowing this is going to be you guys last game what what are some of the emotion you guys have felt this week uh I would say it’s just I just a great appreciation for everybody that uh like played a part in my life and my time here at Clemson just thankful you

Know kind of Bittersweet you know closing this chapter out but can’t wait for the next chapter so I would say that yeah for me I would I would go with Tyler on that just very appreciative for for this opportunity uh that was given to me by coach Sweeny

Just my entire experience here thankful for all the memories all the relationships made um but really overall it hasn’t really hit me yet cuz we still have one more game to play um so it hasn’t really hit me in that regard yet and I think just really excited you know

Finish um coach s always talks about finishing you know we’re all guys that graduated came back for fifth year one to finish and just really excited for this last opportunity to play play tomorrow in the back on the risers Dabo I’m in a pool with watch Fox um coach

Dupes got up here and gave you guys a lot of praise for this program what is it about the product that you put out this season do you think that has earned that level of respect uh we’ve played tough you know I think we’ve been a very physical

Football team every single game um we’ve been in position to win every single game and um you know we’ve had tough tough breaks uh a couple of games ball hadn’t quite bounced our way but you know the guys have responded they’ve shown a lot of resiliency you know they

Just kept coming and uh and then we we finished well you know uh so we’ got a we got a talented football team that that again if you really pay attention they they’ve improved they’ve gotten better and we’ve cut out some of the costly mistakes that have really really

Hurt us uh early part of the year uh so I mean I think there’s a lot to like about our team for sure Todd Summers WSPA TV we we’ve heard you talk a little bit about it but what is lost from this defense that’s been so

Great this year when you lose some key guys whether it’s op outs transfer portal but you don’t have Jeremiah trer you don’t have ruk aoro you don’t have Nate Wiggins you don’t have Andrew makuba how much different should we expect this defense to look uh well yeah you know it’s kind of

Like if you have an injury you know we’ve had those some of those guys have had to miss games for whatever reasons um next guys got to go play and I think one of the reasons we’ve been a top 10 defense this year is because we’ve had

Really good functional depth um so uh that’s that’s what you will see in this game I mean yeah we’re going to miss Jeremiah he’s a great player but uh woodz has played a lot of football and uh he he’s got a lot of experience this

Is this is game 13 of his sophomore year so uh those guys have to step up just like you know any other position certainly uh you know tough to not have your your a great linebacker like that and then Nate is not there so uh next

Guy’s got to step up you know just like he’s he missed a game earlier this year next guy had to step up uh so AV and and U Shelton have have gotten some good experience throughout the season they’re they’re confident uh those guys got to

Got to be ready to roll and um I think Shelton I think it’s his first start but he’s he’s played a good bit and uh really like where he is from a confident standpoint he’s had great preparation and uh and then D tackles a position that we’ve had great depth at all year

So just means Peter Woods instead of being listed as a co-starter he gets to run out there first uh so I mean that’s it’s it’s you miss those guys but we’re thankful that we’ve got some guys that have have played a lot of winning football for us and have good experience

To to lean on um on that side of the ball and then you know the the development of khil Barnes and what he’s been able to do throughout the year kylin Griffin we’re getting Jaylen Phillips back uh he’s a guy that’s been out for for several games now so

Hopefully that’ll help us uh fill that void a little bit with u with with makuba Jean saup from the Charleston Poston Courier thanks guys for doing this Dabo the idea that a a bowl game’s a key part of momentum going into the offseason or the next season is that a

Thing or is it just you know a good way to end a single season well I mean I think it’s a thing I think anytime you can finish something on a positive note it’s it’s uh it’s good momentum but you know you still have to start over regardless doesn’t you know whether you

Win or whether you get beat um it’s still a new team A new challenge a New Journey every single year but but I think um it’s an opportunity to develop some confidence and confidence you know leads to belief and belief leads to you know uh great things and so it certainly

Uh certainly is a positive uh in that regard over here Michaels Fox 56 Sports in Lexington DEA what do you see out of this Kentucky football team what do they do well out there and what are you guys going to look to try to neutralize well they’re tough they’re physical I mean

You know listen you know talk about any of the Stoops guys I mean they’re all defensive guys they’re all tough guys and and I think their teams take on that personality uh coach st’s been a was a great defensive coordinator as well and so you know they’re they’re built to

Stop the run and they’re built to run the ball that’s when you when you watch them that’s really what it comes down to um they’re they’re a lot of motions a lot of lot of different things that they try to create offensively but at the end

Of the day they want to run the ball they want to play action you uh but I think they got good players at every single position you know they’ve got some guys outside that that they’ve really spread the ball out it’s pretty balanced and in that D gun back I mean

It’s hard you don’t get lucky in lead the SEC in touchdowns that that’s not something you just luck into uh tough tough physical dude uh big guys up front and then obviously Larry is a very experienced quarterback and then defensively same thing you know they’re one of the best run defenses in the

Country um and U you know they’re they’re Stout they’re Stout uh all three levels you know active in physical safety linebackers downhill big strong dudes up front uh you know that that zero is one of the biggest guys that we’ve seen and uh so you know just well

Coached and again Pride them El on being a team that stops the run and and that you don’t run on them that’s kind of how they’re built and uh so that’s the challenge in this game is trying to win that match up up front hey for Deb I know you’ve

Addressed this a little bit already but anything you wanted to add or clarify about the Canard situation they put out another video kind of on some applications no I’ve spoken on all that already n to add thanks Todd Summers wsba TV this question is for will Shipley will you’ve

Had a little bit of time since the last game and now getting ready for this next game you got to you know spend some time with family and friends what goes into your decision I talked with bar Carter yesterday and he said it was the toughest decision he’s ever made but he

Wanted to come back for one more year with his guys where are you on that right now what goes into it when would you like to have a final decision yeah you know I think um you for me the most important thing is is finishing this

Season on a strong note uh you know not for me and and whatever decision I make but you know for guys like Tyler and and for guys like putt um you know they’ve they’ve put their life and everything they have into this program so uh my number one priority is is sending them

Off on the right note um but you know in terms of my decision and kind of where I’m at uh you know I think finishing this game being able to go home with with the family and uh just just discuss with them and and talk through

Everything just look at you know all the components and all the factors uh and be able to make a a smart you know thorough decision but um you know as I said the the number one important thing to me right now is is this game tomorrow uh at

At noon and you know sending sending these boys off to my left uh on on the right note uh coach alisand poman news for Jacks here in Jacksonville uh tomorrow you guys are playing in the home of the Jaguars how proud are you of Trevor Lawrence and Travis cn’s careers here

With the Jaguars and Shatley Tyler Shatley let’s don’t forget the shat man he always gets left out uh life of an O will putting them um oh man super proud of those guys um really proud of got a chance to see Shatley the other day and

A couple of his kids um Tyler was in my first signing class so he was a part of the Dandy dozen and all 12 of those guys graduated and doing good really good in life and um he’s still playing you know he’s the last man standing of that group

I guess this is I don’t know year 10 I something like that for him and Captain and pretty good for a free agent uh guy that that and and to stay with the same team so really proud of him and and uh I think he’s been a good big brother to

Those guys as as they’ve you know come into the fold here and I mean Trevor he’s just I mean he’s Trevor I mean the guy’s a a great winner um I know they’ve lost a couple games here I talked to Coach Peterson the other day as a matter of

Fact but I know they’ve had a couple tough games but you know they’re right there right there in the hunt and uh you know just need to find a way to win one and and go from there but he’s you know he’s been beat up and banged up but he’s

Just one of those guys that keeps coming you know that’s what you love about Trevor I’ve always said that about him you know he looks like Hollywood but he’s the most UN Hollywood guy you ever come across I mean the kid is a he he

Loves to he loves to play he loves to play he loves to prepare he’s a he’s he’s a grinder and um he’s got a long long long career ahead of him and then etn is I mean he’s he’s just one of the most explosive players at this level

Just like he was um at at our level and and really proud of him obviously he missed his first year but you know seeing what he did last year and he’s had some big moments this year as well and same thing you know as long as he’s

Healthy and you know he touches the ball good things usually happen with that guy so just three really great guys and hopefully uh hopefully they’ll be able to come over you know it’s a work day it’s it’s a it’s game day for us but it’s a work day for them tomorrow uh in

A noon game so they’ll have I’m sure they’ll have a practice but I think they’re going to probably come over when the game is over or when their practice is over and whatever point that is in the game so um really proud of them and and how they’ve you know instilled a lot

Of life into into Jacksonville and and uh the Jags got a bright future with with that group for sure uh Mark Whitman wff Dabo Bowl games have changed quite a bit from the start of your career just wondering what your thoughts are on the meaning of bowl season in the current college football

Landscape with transfers and opt outs and things of that nature yeah it’s kind of sad uh to see honestly um you know it’s my 29th bowl game as a player and a coach so I’ve got a pretty good perspective um on you know just a lot of

Different bowls and a lot of different experiences some of my greatest memories are being a part of bowls and the best ones are the ones we won I told him that uh so um you know it’s it’s a it’s a great opportunity that that hasn’t changed you know regardless of who’s

Playing not playing I mean to me the story is about who’s playing and it’s an opportunity to to finish your season um and one of our goals is to win the closer and this is the closer for us it’s a huge goal and there’s there’s a great opportunity for this team to

Finish well and uh and you know to to uh play on a stage like this to come to the Gator Bowl play a really good team in Kentucky so this is um you know that part hasn’t changed you know I know that there’s you know the landscape has changed but that part

Hasn’t Scott kefir with the green news Dabo last week what was your reaction when you heard Florida state would be suing the ACC uh what was my reaction um what was my reaction uh I don’t think I really had a reaction I’m it’s like it

Wasn’t like a wow uh you know I didn’t really have a reaction other than just well okay all right let’s see what happens I don’t know you know just like everybody else you know uh read the read the the article um or one of the Articles and just informed to myself I

Didn’t really have a reaction went to practice that in the back again Todd Summers wsba TV again uh this te question is for Tyler Davis Tyler why was it important for you to play in this game you’ve been here a long time you didn’t have to come back for this game

You could have you know said goodbye and and gone to prepare for the NFL draft it was important for you to play why is that uh I just think that’s something that’s been instilling me just to always finish and maximize everything that I do and I think you know it’s important for

Me to finish and show the younger guys around that you know it’s important to finish and to means a lot the back once again Amanda pool with watch Fox I know a lot of our Columbia viewers are going to be interested in seeing Antonio Williams and his highly

Anticipated return since he is on the depth chart I know they’re probably looking forward to seeing him but I was wondering from your perspective Dabo if like you’ve seen him grow in certain ways through his his nonparticipation what we haven’t seen on the field what we’ve seen behind the scenes what have

You seen kind of from his lack of play time yeah so I guess he’s played three and a half games and um Cole played a game and a quarter so two of our best players have really been out all year um and when you’re injured it it challenges

You these guys love to play you know you know that’s what they that’s what they love to do and especially for him coming off a freshman All-American year and and a great first season and and all of a sudden you you get hurt roll your ankle

Then you come back and and you get hurt in the very next game with a different type of injury it’s it’s frustrating um and so but but it’s also an opportunity to grow in other ways and I think he’s done that I mean he’s attacked his rehab

I think he’s U matured throughout this year uh he’s got a he’s got a uh I think a really good perspective to himself I me he’s excited to get back and you know we see see you know we don’t need him to play 60 snaps or anything like that but

To to have him available is is a great thing for us that’s a big shot in the arm um but he’s he’s physically more mature as well I think it’s just he’s just in the process and and he was able to save the year so he’s got three years

Left if he needs it uh but a really good player and and got a bright future ahead now we do two more here uh Beth with Fox Carolina this is for all three of you guys just wondering about your observations and opinion of the blll game experience now knowing it’s your

Last with the thought that it could be your last Did You observe things differently did you participate in things differently and what was kind of this experience like with that thought in your head I go first um not not necessarily for me I’ve really approached this whole

This whole year like that um not only for it being my last but really through through Co this being my co year I almost felt like going the season I’m on I’m on borrowed time in the normal world I I wouldn’t be here wouldn’t play this

Season wouldn’t be on this Podium so I really kind of attacked this whole season with that mindset that without a doubt no matter what’s to come this is the last of not just playing football but being with the guys that I call my brothers being with my best friends

Playing the game I love and I think just this whole week is just been just an accumulation of all that just put in a week um but it’s been a great experience the tax Gator B has been awesome to us we stayed at a beautiful hotel um had

Great great week of practice um so it’s just been it’s been a really good kind of accumulation um so far and again just looking forward to winning the closer and finishing this bowl game the right way yeah I would say I’ve had a great experience um just all thankful for all

The teammates and I’m having a lot of fun out here you know being in a home state and just enjoying myself so it’s just been a great experience and thank you for the T Slayer bowl for all the experience and the hotel and stuff like that so

Yes yeah for me it’s been it’s been uh amazing too just being down in Florida um you know having a a great practice facility getting to come out here on Christmas Day and practic in the indoor uh so it’s been tremendous they’ve they’ve put on great entertainment for

Us and just being around with the guys um you know I think after every practice i’ I’ve gone up to TD and you know we’ve we’ve got a big bear hug you know just cuz that’s that’s how we feel about about one another you know we love

Everybody every one of our teammates um they’re just like brothers to us so um appreciating the moment and and just living in the now like coach tweny always says um you know you never know uh you know what your plan is what God’s plan is for you so just appreciate in

Every moment and it’s uh it’s easy to appreciate this one thanks to you know tax layer Gator bll and and everybody for for what they’ve done um for us all right last one uh Ryan black with the CER Journal Dabo this is for you you know ky’s players heading into this they

Been very open about the fact that there’s just more excitement around this bowl game and they didn’t out and out say this but there was kind of the implication that guys maybe would not have played in this bowl game if if they weren’t facing you and the statement it

Can make beating Clemson what does that say about where your program is and how much of a Target there still is on on your back basically every game just another week it’s that way every week you know every time we line up to play um you know that’s just

That’s what comes with coming to Clemson you come to Clemson that’s that’s every single game you’re going to get everybody’s best every single week we talk about that all the time it doesn’t matter who we play or where we play or what time we play um whoever we play we’re going to

Get their best you know and again Clemson is a place when the schedules comes out people look and they go when we play in Clemson and that’s just part of being at this great University and uh so we we understand that we don’t really I mean we just that’s why we talk about

Playing to a standard all the time you know we got to we got to do our best each and every week our preparation has to be great each and every week doesn’t matter who you play what the record is what people none of that uh we know

We’re going to get everybody’s best and if you have that mindset then you’ll prepare the right way for every single game whether you’re in your opener whether you’re playing a non-conference team uh in the middle of the Season or you’re finishing uh in the postseason coach Sweeny will will Tyler thank you

So much for taking some time this morning and uh best of luck in the game tomorrow all right thank you thank you