CLEMSON — Clemson right tackle Collin Sadler spoke to the media earlier this week, as the Tigers are set to host North Carolina at noon on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The graduate senior has been really impressed with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds and is excited to see how he will do as the starter this week. Sadler also spoke about the issues on the offensive line and what they need to do to clean things up and become more productive up front.

Question: What are you seeing on tape? What stood out to you positive and negative?

Answer: “The positive, I think we’re a physical group up front, especially. We enjoy putting people in the dirt. I think that’s something that we’re going to pride ourselves on moving forward. But, as far as negatives go, I feel like our execution isn’t where it needs to be yet. You know, Coach Sweeney tells us all the time, this is a game that rewards you for precision. When you make mistakes, it’s going to cost you. And I think that we made some mistakes on Saturday. But I mean, again, it’s nothing that we can’t clean up. I feel like most of our wounds were self-inflicted. So, I’m looking forward to getting better, getting back to work, and putting some better stuff on film this week.”

Question: You talk about the self-inflicted mistakes. Was stuff like that happening during camp, too, or did that change when the season started? If so, what do you attribute that to?

Answer: “At the end of the day, you know, we’re out there under bright lights. Mistakes, obviously, do get amplified on a stage like that. But again, at the end of the day, we just have to get better. Whether or not we were making mistakes or not throughout camp, when game day comes around, you have to execute at the end of the day. So, we just got to get better in that regard.”

Question: What challenge does UNCC propose to your offensive line?

Answer: “From what I’ve seen so far this week, their defensive line is a huge strength of theirs. I’m really looking forward to playing them. They have a few guys returning from last year that I do remember, but you know, they’re obviously a very talented group and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Question: Last year you were working with a veteran quarterback. Now you’re going into this game, it’s going to be a true freshman. How is your communication different with experienced quarterbacks and rookie quarterbacks based on how long they’ve been playing?

Answer: “My main goal is to feed him confidence. I believe that he’s an extremely talented young quarterback. I think that he’s got a great arm. He’s mobile. He’s got all the attributes that you are looking for, especially for a player at this level. So, I just want to make sure that he’s comfortable. I want to make sure he’s loose. And yeah, I just want to feed him confidence.”

Question: You mentioned his arm strength and his athleticism. Where are the areas that Tait has impressed you on a day-to-day basis?

Answer: “Being able to just make plays out of nothing. I mean, you know, there were certainly times throughout the game that our protection broke down. And I mean, he was able to get out of the pocket, make plays, and I mean, he’s definitely a tough guy to tackle. He’s stout. So, just outside of the field, I think his resolve is too. Like he would come up to us during the sideline or during, you know, times where we were just sitting there on the bench and he’s motivating us. You wouldn’t expect that out of a freshman quarterback. So, that was definitely encouraging to see.”