Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams spoke to the media last week as the Tigers prepare to play No. 3 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday as part of the College Football Playoff.

Williams says the experience No. 2 Clemson got in last year’s national championship game run can go a long way in another run this year.

Q: From your advantage point how do you think the experience from a year ago has helped this team prepare for what it’s about to face?

Williams: We know what it takes to get there now. We’ve been there last year so we know the type of work we have to put in, the type of commitment we need just to get back there to just win it all.

Q: Ohio State has some pretty acclaimed DB’s.

Williams: Oh yeah they’re decent.

Q: You know who’s going to be lining up against you or?

Williams: No from the film that we were watching they mostly play left, right and they don’t switch sides. The corners that start on left stay on the left and the ones that start on the right stay on the right. So I mean I could probably see both of them. It doesn’t really make a difference. They’re both the same size, same type of player. So I mean they’re a good group.

Q: What is the sense of what you all have gotten accomplished over the past couple of weeks and these practices? What have yall gotten done that you needed to nip and tuck a little bit?

Williams: Oh well we’re just finalizing the game plan you know. We started a game plan for these guys last week. So I mean we’re going to take these last couple of plays to finish up the game plan.

Q: What do you know about Ohio State that you didn’t know two weeks ago, three weeks ago? What stands out about Ohio State?

Williams: I mean I always thought they were a good program. They’re a good team. We all feel like they were a good team at the beginning of the season and they finished pretty well so I mean we always knew they were a good team.

Q: Are they corner backs impressive to you? Gareon Conley #8, #2 Marshon Lattimore? Do they jump out at you on video? What have you noticed about them?

Williams: I mean it’s a good group. They’re pretty good. #24 covers the field pretty good. So I feel like it’s a big challenge for us as a wide receiver do.

Q: You brought up #24. What jumps at out you about #24?

Williams: Just his speed and he finds the ball in the air. That’s basically it. He plays the ball real good.

Q: Where have you gotten better this year in your opinion?

Williams: Oh I’ve gotten better in all parts of my game. Just running routes, blocking, defenses, just catching deep balls, just everything. That was my goal just to get better at every part of my game.

Q: We asked Deshaun about you a while ago and he went on for like a minute and a half. Is there such a thing as a connection? Back when I was growing up you had quarterbacks and a big time receiver. They were known as each other. Do you feel like you and him have a special connection?

Williams: We do. It all started when he first got here. We got in the indoor and started throwing a lot of balls, running a lot of routes and I mean ever since that you know the connection was always there. His freshman year while he was healthy it showed and I mean he’s great quarterback. Every good wide receiver needs a good quarterback so I mean I feel like that helps us out a lot. As a wide receiver group just having that guy back there throwing us the ball.

Q: What jumped out at you from him the first time you caught passes from him? Could you tell he was a special talent and in what way?

Williams: Oh yeah I was always hearing from the quarterbacks that he was going to be special but I was like, “Alright, let me see it for myself.” And the first day he started throwing us the ball he was catching on real fasts to the routes and he was catching on real fast to the plays. So I mean I was like as a quarterback he’s going to be special.

Q: You personally Mike, you’re a big dude. Have you found advantages being a wide receiver? You match up situations that are kind of favorable.

Williams: Yeah I mean there’s some advantages. You play against some smaller DB’s you know.

Q: How long did it take you to learn to use that or did?

Williams: Oh I’ve always been using that since high school. I was a freshman in high school so I mean you see those smaller DB’s trying to come up and guard you I just tell Deshaun, “Put it up there I’ll go get it.”

Q: Tell me what you did when no one was watching in the off season when you’re trying to work your way back. Trying to get back to the Mike Williams that you know you could be when no one was watching and it mattered the most to get where you needed to be?

Williams: Well when nobody was watching I was taking my neck brace off to be honest when I wasn’t supposed to. Just doing push ups, doing sit ups, doing neck rotations just trying to get my neck right. So I mean I was basically just trying to stay in shape to prepare for this opportunity.