Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was back at work on Wednesday as the Tigers completed their first situational scrimmage of fall camp in Death Valley.

Here is what we heard from the eighth day of camp:

Swinney was thankful for the time spent with his father before his passing, and for the time he got to spend with his family over the weekend celebrating his father’s life.

“He died peacefully and happy,” Swinney said. “We had a great celebration of his life yesterday. But my dad would have been yelling at me. Literally, as soon as they put him the grave, ‘Alright, that’s enough. Get yourself back to work. We have some football games to win.’ That was big Eriv.”

However, Swinney is also glad to be back working with his team.

“I like where our team is, just a tremendous group of guys in that locker room. I can’t wait to really light up the score board for real with this group,” he said.

Swinney is really happy with what he sees out of his kickers.

“We’ve got good competition going on at kicker. I’m really pleased with that,” he said. “(Greg) Huegel has really brought a little spark in here. He has been a surprise.”

Safety Korrin Wiggins tore his ACL and will have to miss the entire 2015 season. He will be able to redshirt the season, and redshirt freshman Jefferie Gibson is expected to take his place at safety.

Wiggins had been exclusively working at the safety position in fall camp, though he came into camp as the starter at the nickel back/strongside linebacker position, but Travis Blanks and Dorian O’Daniel have since overtaken that spot and pushed Wiggins back to safety where he was working with the second-team.

“Other guys have to step up. When guys get hurt, they don’t turn the scoreboard off. The next guy has got to be ready,” Swinney said.

In Wednesday’s scrimmage, O’Daniel stood out on the defense alongside linebacker Chad Smith. Although Travis Blanks has made a strong case as the SAM starter, O’Daniel is pushing for his position.

“That’s my focus, just to be the guy who’s executing the best,” O’Daniel said.

“It’s about preparation, film study, correcting mistakes. The biggest thing is not making the same mistakes I made the day before,” he said. “ It’s about working on those mistakes and executing the game plan.”

Starting cornerback Mackensie Alexander believes he is the best corner in college football.

“In my opinion, it’s not even close. I think every guy who talks about Mackensie knows I’m the best corner,” he said.

Even though he thinks he is the best that does not stop him from wanting to get even better.

“I’m working every day. I’m a hungry man,” he said.  “The more time and hours I put into this is so I can be a better player, and putting up better numbers than I did last year.”

Alexander says his drive to succeed comes from his parents’ hard work, and that he has big plans for his time at Clemson.

“I’m here to win a national title,” he said. “That’s that. I’m going to get my degree and I am going to win a national title.”

Offensive guard Eric Mac Lain was pleased with the way the O-line executed on the situational scrimmage, especially on the goal line.

“It was excellent. The competition was very high on that drill,” he said. “I think we executed very well and got in there and scored a couple of touchdowns.”