PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. – With game prep for the Playstation Fiesta Bowl well underway, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed the media for the second time since No. 2 Clemson arrived in Arizona as the Tigers participated in media day on Thursday.

Here is what we heard:

Swinney is impressed with the work his players have put in so far this week in preparation for taking on No. 3 Ohio State.

“It’s been a good week so far. It’s going fast. It’s already our Thursday prep day,” he said. “So it’s been a real quick week, but a good week. I felt Monday we had an excellent practice in Clemson. Guys were really excited, very focused after being off a couple of days for Christmas. And a long trip out here. Time change and all that stuff. Tuesday practice getting acclimated, practice fields, figuring it all out and all that stuff. It was okay. I thought we were a little sluggish.

“(Wednesday) was a great practice. Good to see the energy and the focus the way it needed to be yesterday. I think the guys have enjoyed it, have had a good time. We’re excited about the opportunity. The game’s going to be here soon and should be a heck of a ballgame.”

This year, Clemson has two more explosive receiving weapons to utilize in the College Football Playoff than it did last year, and Swinney is certainly glad to have a healthy Mike Williams for the matchup against Ohio State’s strong secondary.

“Mike Williams is a monster. I mean, he’s a game-changer, every snap,” he said. “Whether he gets the ball or not. If he lines up on the field, he impacts the game because I promise you the D coordinator is hoping that it doesn’t go number 7’s way. He’s just that type of guy. He’s an unbelievable football player. And he’s a better player this year than he would have been last year, and he would have been amazing. But I think his mindset, his mentality, his appreciation for his opportunity, the fact that he was able to sit and learn last year, and I think that fire was burning hard and intense for him coming into the season. He’s had an unbelievable year.”

Deon Cain was sent home early from last year’s Capital One Orange Bowl for not adhering to team rules, but after putting in the work to get back on the team, Cain has been a huge asset for Clemson this season and his presence will be helpful on Saturday.

“Deon was a freshman last year and obviously didn’t get a chance to play in the postseason. He’s had a great year for us. I’m incredibly proud of Deon and just his maturity,” Swinney said. “It’s so much fun to see a young person grow and all of a sudden now they feel good about how they live their life and their habits and so forth. And it’s carried over academically, you name it. He’s had an incredibly consistent year for us. It’s been great for him to have Mike there. It’s been great for Mike to have a guy like Deon there. For us to be able to roll those two guys in and out, it’s been a tremendous amount of production.”

After Wednesday’s practice, Clemson participated in its usual community outreach program by playing games with special needs children. Swinney said it was one of the better events the team has had the opportunity to be a part of.

“These kids actually came to us, to our practice, and it was all set up. They did a great job of setting the whole thing up. And our players just took over and did a fantastic job and to see them really engaged with those kids and interact with them, I thought the PlayStation folks had it all set up great,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. It was one of the best things we’ve done to be able to do. They got to know these kids on a personal basis, and the smiles on their faces. That’s what it was all about.”