Swinney remembers 63-17, updates injuries, sends Thanksgiving message

Swinney said we all have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Nov 22 18:40:39 GMT-04:00 2023

Dabo Swinney has a lot of good memories of playing in Williams-Brice, but win or lose on Saturday, he’s thankful for the opportunity.

The Tigers (7-4) take on South Carolina (5-6) this Saturday at 7:30 pm in Williams-Brice Stadium (SEC Network). Clemson is currently a 7.5-point favorite.

Swinney was asked about injuries, and he said that Antonio Williams is getting better (no word on if he will play), but fellow Tigers receiver Beaux Collins is out.

As for left guard Marcus Tate and wide receiver Brannon Spector, Swinney says you could see them next month.

"Both are making good progress, and we're hopeful that they'll be ready for the bowl game,” he said. “We're shooting for that.”

This will be Swinney’s 10th trip to Williams-Brice as a Clemson coach, and I asked him about some of his memories.

“Yeah, I've got a bunch of good memories down there. I mean, obviously, my first trip there, the 63-17 game, that was a pretty good memory,” Swinney said. “I remember 1st-and-35. I think it was Charlie Whitehurst. That was crazy. I remember Mark Buchholz making that kick. I remember the 4th-and-4, and we hit Aaron Kelly on a slant. That was a pretty cool moment. And then James Davis ripping it off and Buchholz making the kick. So we've had a lot of good ones. We've had some bad ones.

“I remember CJ Spiller taking the kick back to open up the game in 2009. And I don't think he played again the rest of the game. He was sick and had some reaction from when he ran, and it was crazy. Yeah, we've had some good memories and some bad ones, which is usually the case when you're part of a rivalry game. There's usually some good and some bad.”

On the schedule after the game

“Obviously, it's different. Normally, I mean, a lot of years we've been in the championship game, and then some of the years that we haven't been in the game when this game is over, you're right on the road recruiting. You're gone. So normally, you're gone like Sunday night. Certainly, by Monday, you're out on the road recruiting. That's the way it's always been. But the rule has been changed in that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday are a dead period (in recruiting). So we'll have some time here at the office where we can, instead of being out on the road, we'll be able to get some things done here as far as meeting with our team and staff meeting and our recruiting plan and really get a good plan together on what we have to do to get ready for the bowl game and all that type of stuff. There'll be a lot going on next week. All that stuff happens anyway, but normally, we're on the road doing it.

“You're on a plane, you're in a car, and you're working all week remotely, and then we come together that following weekend. That's typically what happens. With the rule changes, we'll be able to have some time just in the office with no practice and all that stuff. So, we'll have a team meeting on Monday, and then the team will be off for the rest of the week. We'll have an open gym for them if they want to come in and lift. And then the following week, we'll start with some mandatory lifting and running and skills and drills and that type of stuff and start our bowl plan in preparation.”

His Thanksgiving message to the fans

“I was talking to the staff about that this morning. If you can hear this, if you can see this, man, we got so much to be thankful for. I mean, just first of all, to be able to live in a country like we live in, to have men and women that protect us that most of us will never meet. And it's a blessing to be able to live here. I know this game is big to all of us in this moment, but in the scope of life, it really pales to what's really going on in our world. But it's such a blessing to be able to be a part of a game like this and to be able to prepare for it, to be able to compete in it, so few people get a chance to experience a game like this and be a part of a true rivalry-type game and all that type of stuff. So, it's just a blessing. And just so thankful for good health and the good Lord just given us today. And that's really the mindset. I tell our team all the time, Thanksgiving, it really shouldn't be a holiday.

“It should be a lifestyle. Every single day that we wake up, we should be thankful. That should be the first thing we do. It's hard to be hateful when you're grateful. And if we just wake up every day with a grateful heart and a grateful mindset because we all have something to be grateful for, and if you wake up and you have got breath in your body, that's the reason to be grateful. Just again, I'm just thankful for the good Lord for all that he's done for me and certainly these players and our staff and our team. It's been a blessing to be with a lot of these guys, our seniors, and be able to do life with them for four or five, six years. It's really special. And so it's a blessing. And I'm thankful for that. And I wish everyone out there a happy Thanksgiving. And I hope everyone will take some time to reflect on all the things that they do have a chance to be thankful for. We often take for granted what somebody else is wishing for. Just to be able to get up out of this chair, somebody's wishing for that today. And so we got a lot to all be thankful for, and hopefully everybody will take some time to do that.”