Running back Wayne Gallman picked up where he left off last year with a strong 123 yards rushing on 30 carries and a touchdown in second-ranked Clemson’s win over Auburn. He looks to continue his nasty running streak this Saturday against Troy in Death Valley.
Gallman discusses his performance against Auburn, his love for playing on the road and much more.
Q: Wayne, just an overall reaction from going on the road and getting the win, although it was obviously a hard fought game?
Gallman: “I’d say the biggest thing was that sigh of relief knowing that we’re back out there playing football. It’s good that everybody got out there and got that first piece of action. It’s good to have gone against Auburn. They played very well against us. There were a lot of learning moments in that game that we came away with that will help us win bigger games down the road.”
Q: You had a long bus ride home. Was it one of those times where you celebrated the victory or did you go over things that you thought you could have done better?
Gallman: “Yeah, there were a couple of things I wanted to do more. Obviously, those things weren’t there, but a win is a win. Everybody pretty much slept on the way back. The Georgia game was playing so I watched that and just took it all in.”
Q: How was it on that goal-line play where you had Christian Wilkins and Dex Lawrence blocking for you?
Gallman: “That’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done in college.”
Q: Did they bring more pressure than you anticipated?
Gallman: “Yeah, we didn’t expect them to bring that much pressure with their game plan. We’d thought they would play a little off with our receivers, but they brought it so we had to take them.”
Q: You carried the load on Saturday night with 30 carries. Adam Choice was the only other back with any carries. How does it feel to carry the load?
Gallman: “It doesn’t matter to me. I do whatever the offense wants me to do. I know from now on they’ll do a better job of getting the other guys snaps and they deserve it. I need to do a better job of getting myself out instead of the coaches having to tell me to get out or get in.”
Q: Overall, were you pleased with your performance on Saturday?
Gallman: “Yeah I was pleased. There were a couple of things I could correct from the game, but I was pleased with myself.”
Q: What is it about road games that you seem to really shine? Is it your instinct to establish the run game and take over?
Gallman: “That’s any game for me. One thing about me is that I love playing away. I like going to different stadiums, I like seeing different crowds, I like experiencing different things. I think that’s just a part of what is so special about football. We get to travel, we get to do this and that and we’re playing a game. It’s all a blessing and I just love playing away games.”
Q: That being said, how nice is it going to be playing back at home?
Gallman: “It’s going to be great seeing all of the Clemson fans come out, see all the orange in the crowd and run down that hill again.”
Q: Did the Auburn defense give you any wrinkles that you didn’t prepare for?
Gallman: “No, not really. The coaches did a really good job of preparing us in practice. Even if they didn’t come out blitzing and doing all of that stuff, we were prepared.”