Following Clemson’s 24-22 victory over Notre Dame last Saturday, the relief and satisfaction the players and coaches feel to be 4-0 was evident, but so was the sense there is a lot more football left to be played this season. The Tigers enjoyed the win that placed them just outside of the top five in the Coaches and the Associated Press Poll, but the Tigers are focused on the remaining tasks ahead.
Here is what we heard on Monday:
Head coach Dabo Swinney and his players were very impressed with the crowd that showed up to support them in the midst of what seemed like a hurricane.
“I can’t say enough about our fans. Out on the field before we went in after pregame I told the team they showed up so lets make sure we show up,” Swinney said. “It was a special moment. It was really just a magical night for everyone. I looked up in that upper deck and it was just miserable and there were people sitting there, just going crazy. There is just not a better atmosphere out there.”
Quarterback Deshaun Watson agreed.
“Best atmosphere I have ever seen. I think the rain brought that extra excitement,” Watson said.
Safety Jayron Kearse believes the fans helped Clemson a lot on Saturday.
“They (Notre Dame) had two delays of games because of our crowd. They did their job and we did ours,” Kearse said.
Because of the weather, Clemson decided to run the ball more. Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said he was really proud of the way his offense stepped up to the challenge and responded with over 200 rushing yards.
“We’ve been able to win two big games by running the football,” Scott said. “I think it is really good for us, to be honest, to have to count on those guys up front.”
Offensive lineman Jay Guillermo said he loved the added pressure of knowing the offensive line would have to open up more holes for the running game.
“I’m perfectly okay with us running the ball,” Guillermo said. “We love games where it is going to rain and we know we are going to run the ball more. For an offensive lineman, that is on our shoulders. We want to be able to carry the team, so I enjoy that, but at the same time, I know we have that big play ability.”
Guillermo also said it has been great to see Watson having success in the running game as well, and it is a confidence boost to the offensive line to know he is so comfortable with how they are blocking.
“He is unbelievable to be honest. He is so cool and calm,” Guillermo said. “That’s something that you like to see especially as an offensive lineman. For him to be so calm, it means that he has trust in his offensive line to block for him.”
Defensive end Kevin Dodd was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against Notre Dame and he said he is just trying to make a name for himself.
“I just want to thank my coaches and the people that believed in me and gave me the opportunity to win this award. It’s really big,” Dodd said. “I just continue to work and want to be that go-to guy.”