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MONDAY CLEMSON FOOTBALL NUGGETS
By: Michael Neal
(From today's media availability. Partial transcription below unedited due to time constraints)
DJ UIAGALELEI (Michael Neal)
-- Took us back to his first start against Boston College two years ago. He said it meant a lot to him then to perform well. He thought he prepared well, and it was rewarding to see his preparation pay off. Said he's grown a lot since then.
-- Was asked what he thinks the biggest improvement the offense can make is. He said they have to be able to finish in the red zone with touchdowns. They're fortunate to have an elite kicker in BT Potter, but they want to be able to finish those drives with 6.
-- On Boston College's defense: The most noteworthy aspect he sees in their defense is their physicality. They have a lot of returners this year, and he knows they're going to be physical.
-- On the relationship between the players and Coach Streeter: Said Streeter really listens to the players. Said they respect him a lot for it. He calls games the same way he calls practices. DJ said he and Streeter communicate every time he comes off the field. He thinks they've done a really good job of being on the same page.
-- On his bootleg TD run: He wasn't sure the play was going to work, but noted that usually when Coach Swinney calls plays, they hit.
-- Was asked about the impact Davis Allen and Jake Briningstoool bring to the offense. He said they do a lot of great things. He thinks they've done a really good job of utilizing the TE's they have, especially in 1-on-1 opportunities.
-- He told us the offensive line is playing outstanding. He said when you get that much time in the pocket, you get the chance to go through every read thoroughly, and it gives him a ton of confidence.
-- On Blake Miller: He gets better every game. He's really proud of the impact Blake's had on the offense.
WES GOODWIN (Michael Neal)
— On Barrett Carter’s sack to begin the second half: He thought it was one of the biggest plays of the game. Was crucial in creating momentum and energy in the half.
— Was asked how a performance like Saturday night’s helps them in terms of recruiting. Said there’s no better gameday environment than what they got Saturday night.
“The atmosphere was electric.”
— On what he’s seen from Boston College: “They’re just another stepping stone.” Mentioned in last year’s matchup, BC threw for 311 yards, and the challenge his secondary will face again this week.
— On the challenges Zay Flowers presents as a receiver: He has elite ball skills. He’s a veteran guy that does a lot of things really well.
— He said Nate Wiggins was challenged by the coaches in preparation for NC State, and he rose to the challenge. He said the guys in the secondary have really "grown up."
-- Was asked what he thought about Clemson's #2 ranking in run defense. "With the talent we have up front, I expect us to be up there." He said there's no better stat that measures physicality and controlling the line of scrimmage.
-- Was asked if Andrew Mukuba practiced much at corner coming into the year. He said in the Spring game and in training camp, he played a little corner. Said he was rusty, but did some things well. Said if he's called upon this week to play corner, he'll be ready.
BRANDON STREETER (Michael Neal)
-- On the impact of the 2-minute drill: They talk about it every week. He said it provides a huge confidence boost to the players, as they've had much success in the 2-minute drill this year. He said at times, the players can get into a rhythm that allows them to not think about the clock. They ran some base plays, and the offense executed.
-- On the importance of DJ's impact in the run game. He told the offense after the game how he was proud of the way they can be successful in different ways. He said it's important that DJ gains confidence throughout the year in the run game.
-- On the bootleg touchdown run: In that situation, they didn't want to throw the ball and risk an incompletion. Coach Swinney called that play in expectation the defense would over pursue, and they did. Said DJ did a great job of selling the fake. Mentioned Joseph Ngata suggested he run an over route, thinking the corner would follow him. Noted they didn't practice much under center in preparation for rain.
-- Told us he gets a lot of input from players. Said suggestions from them are critical, and it gives him a ton of confidence. Asking for suggestions from the players gets them more involved, and gives the players confidence in the coaching staff.
"I trust those guys."
-- He said in terms of playcalling, Coach Swinney sees things from a different perspective. He provides continuous thoughts and suggestions throughout the game. He told us the comradery of the staff has been really good. They made it a point of emphasis this year to feed off of one another with ideas.
-- On what he's seen from Boston College: They're always tough and physical. They run a good mix of man and zone coverage, so they need to have complementary plays. Mentioned BC is returning 8 or 9 defenders.
-- They played two big games that were critical in putting them in the driver's seat of the conference standings. The key now, he told us, is to "trust the process," and trust that "it's all about us."
"We're playing Clemson every single week."
-- On the impact of their TE room: Their influence on the offense stems from a combination of exploiting matchups and the coaching staff's confidence in them. Their confidence continues to grow in that room. He feels they've done a good job as a whole of spreading the ball around.
-- He said in terms of game planning, they split duties in covering early downs and 3rd down. He said it's important to get everyone involved in the game plan. When each member of the staff has their own projects, it provides more ownership. They can gain more ideas from one another when they do it that way, rather than every member of the staff watching the same things.
-- He told us DJ's confidence in the pocket has grown tremendously. He trusts his protection. On the throw to Will Shipley down the left sideline, Shipley was his 5th read on the play.
-- On Adam Randall: Told us Randall has done a great job in preparation. He's making plays in practice, and will continue to find ways to get the ball.
-- Was asked if he thinks confidence is the number one reason for their offensive improvement this year.
His response: "Absolutely. One hundred percent."
NOW AVAILABLE: 2022 NIKE Pegasus Shoes in stock at The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!
MONDAY CLEMSON FOOTBALL NUGGETS
By: Michael Neal
(From today's media availability. Partial transcription below unedited due to time constraints)
DJ UIAGALELEI (Michael Neal)
-- Took us back to his first start against Boston College two years ago. He said it meant a lot to him then to perform well. He thought he prepared well, and it was rewarding to see his preparation pay off. Said he's grown a lot since then.
-- Was asked what he thinks the biggest improvement the offense can make is. He said they have to be able to finish in the red zone with touchdowns. They're fortunate to have an elite kicker in BT Potter, but they want to be able to finish those drives with 6.
-- On Boston College's defense: The most noteworthy aspect he sees in their defense is their physicality. They have a lot of returners this year, and he knows they're going to be physical.
-- On the relationship between the players and Coach Streeter: Said Streeter really listens to the players. Said they respect him a lot for it. He calls games the same way he calls practices. DJ said he and Streeter communicate every time he comes off the field. He thinks they've done a really good job of being on the same page.
-- On his bootleg TD run: He wasn't sure the play was going to work, but noted that usually when Coach Swinney calls plays, they hit.
-- Was asked about the impact Davis Allen and Jake Briningstoool bring to the offense. He said they do a lot of great things. He thinks they've done a really good job of utilizing the TE's they have, especially in 1-on-1 opportunities.
-- He told us the offensive line is playing outstanding. He said when you get that much time in the pocket, you get the chance to go through every read thoroughly, and it gives him a ton of confidence.
-- On Blake Miller: He gets better every game. He's really proud of the impact Blake's had on the offense.
WES GOODWIN (Michael Neal)
— On Barrett Carter’s sack to begin the second half: He thought it was one of the biggest plays of the game. Was crucial in creating momentum and energy in the half.
— Was asked how a performance like Saturday night’s helps them in terms of recruiting. Said there’s no better gameday environment than what they got Saturday night.
“The atmosphere was electric.”
— On what he’s seen from Boston College: “They’re just another stepping stone.” Mentioned in last year’s matchup, BC threw for 311 yards, and the challenge his secondary will face again this week.
— On the challenges Zay Flowers presents as a receiver: He has elite ball skills. He’s a veteran guy that does a lot of things really well.
— He said Nate Wiggins was challenged by the coaches in preparation for NC State, and he rose to the challenge. He said the guys in the secondary have really "grown up."
-- Was asked what he thought about Clemson's #2 ranking in run defense. "With the talent we have up front, I expect us to be up there." He said there's no better stat that measures physicality and controlling the line of scrimmage.
-- Was asked if Andrew Mukuba practiced much at corner coming into the year. He said in the Spring game and in training camp, he played a little corner. Said he was rusty, but did some things well. Said if he's called upon this week to play corner, he'll be ready.
BRANDON STREETER (Michael Neal)
-- On the impact of the 2-minute drill: They talk about it every week. He said it provides a huge confidence boost to the players, as they've had much success in the 2-minute drill this year. He said at times, the players can get into a rhythm that allows them to not think about the clock. They ran some base plays, and the offense executed.
-- On the importance of DJ's impact in the run game. He told the offense after the game how he was proud of the way they can be successful in different ways. He said it's important that DJ gains confidence throughout the year in the run game.
-- On the bootleg touchdown run: In that situation, they didn't want to throw the ball and risk an incompletion. Coach Swinney called that play in expectation the defense would over pursue, and they did. Said DJ did a great job of selling the fake. Mentioned Joseph Ngata suggested he run an over route, thinking the corner would follow him. Noted they didn't practice much under center in preparation for rain.
-- Told us he gets a lot of input from players. Said suggestions from them are critical, and it gives him a ton of confidence. Asking for suggestions from the players gets them more involved, and gives the players confidence in the coaching staff.
"I trust those guys."
-- He said in terms of playcalling, Coach Swinney sees things from a different perspective. He provides continuous thoughts and suggestions throughout the game. He told us the comradery of the staff has been really good. They made it a point of emphasis this year to feed off of one another with ideas.
-- On what he's seen from Boston College: They're always tough and physical. They run a good mix of man and zone coverage, so they need to have complementary plays. Mentioned BC is returning 8 or 9 defenders.
-- They played two big games that were critical in putting them in the driver's seat of the conference standings. The key now, he told us, is to "trust the process," and trust that "it's all about us."
"We're playing Clemson every single week."
-- On the impact of their TE room: Their influence on the offense stems from a combination of exploiting matchups and the coaching staff's confidence in them. Their confidence continues to grow in that room. He feels they've done a good job as a whole of spreading the ball around.
-- He said in terms of game planning, they split duties in covering early downs and 3rd down. He said it's important to get everyone involved in the game plan. When each member of the staff has their own projects, it provides more ownership. They can gain more ideas from one another when they do it that way, rather than every member of the staff watching the same things.
-- He told us DJ's confidence in the pocket has grown tremendously. He trusts his protection. On the throw to Will Shipley down the left sideline, Shipley was his 5th read on the play.
-- On Adam Randall: Told us Randall has done a great job in preparation. He's making plays in practice, and will continue to find ways to get the ball.
-- Was asked if he thinks confidence is the number one reason for their offensive improvement this year.
His response: "Absolutely. One hundred percent."
NOW AVAILABLE: 2022 NIKE Pegasus Shoes in stock at The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!
