With the first game of the season comes the first official press conference of the regular season with head coach Dabo Swinney.

Here is what we heard from Tuesday’s press conference and interview session as No. 12 Clemson gets set to take on Wofford at 12:30 p.m. in Death Valley on Saturday.

Swinney is really excited to get the season started and he believes the Tigers are really building something special.

“We’re ready to kick it off. I’m very anxious to see our team play somebody who is not us,” Swinney said. “It’s just harder to get a true evaluation when you don’t have another opponent, so it’s good to play somebody else and gauge where you are.”

Starting running back Wayne Gallman agrees with Swinney that this season and this team are special.

“The chemistry that we have and all the things that we have been able to do in the last couple of years, I think it just all adds up to this year just putting it all together,” Gallman said. “We’re really just trying to get there and take it one game at a time.”

Swinney said Clemson came out of camp fairly healthy but he will be holding tight end Stanton Seckinger and defenisve end Chris Register out this Saturday due to minor injuries. He said quarterback Tucker Israel is doing great, and safety Korrin Wiggins had his ACL surgery on Friday.

As for Wofford, Swinney said it will be tough to prepare because it is the season opener and Wofford is a veteran team.

“This is just one of 12, they’re all the biggest game of the year,” Swinney said. “If you don’t think a game is big, lose it. Then you’ll find out just how big it is.”

Veteran offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain chimed in to say the cohesiveness the offensive line possesses is rare and is another reason why this team is so special.

“It’s a different feel this year, man,” Mac Lain said. “We have a bunch of old guys here that have been here so long and we enjoy each other’s success.”

Gallman knows he will be taking a lot of reps this season, but he says taking a lot of reps helps him establish rhythm. He believes he doesn’t get tired, he just gets better.

“Rhythm is always expected out of a running back to really get going and that involves carries,” he said. “The more carries the better. I don’t really get tired, really when it comes down to game time because we’ve just prepared ourselves that much, so I’m good.”

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables was high on Wofford’s offense and mentioned Clemson cannot slip up against them.

“It’s a different tempo than what a lot of traditional teams do, but it’s a critical part of our success defensively. If we’re not on our feet, we’re not going to defend them well,” Venables said.

When naming qualities he likes to have in his defensive players, Venables mentioned he likes guys that play with an edge.

“I’m not a big swagger guy, but I like people that like to rip people’s face off,” Venables said. “I see too many guys swagger without the play behind it.”

Venables believes linebacker B.J. Goodson has shown some signs of this mentality this season when he stepped up as a starter.