Swinney updates injuries to Williams and Wiggins as Syracuse game nears

Wiggins might be a gametime decision for the Tigers (Photo by Merrell Mann).

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Sep 27 18:51:47 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney still doesn’t know if cornerback Nate Wiggins and wide receiver Antonio Williams will play this weekend.

Clemson plays at Syracuse on noon Saturday on ABC. The Tigers (2-2 overall, 0-2 ACC) are a touchdown favorite over the undefeated (4-0, 0-0) Orange.

Wiggins (bone bruise) was injured late in the Tigers’ loss to Florida State, and Williams (ankle) missed last week’s game after suffering his injury against Florida Atlantic.

Both players are still day-to-day.

“He’s getting better every day. They should know more Thursday,” Swinney said of Wiggins. “Same thing with Antonio, who is getting better every day and living in the training room. They both are.”

*Swinney said kicker Jonathan Weitz has had a good week and “gives us the best chance for sure.”

*On the Dome, “it’s different, and that’s why we always go into the Dome. It’s a different feel, and you have to get used to it a little bit. It’s a great place to play a game. It’s unique.” Swinney said they don’t always stop by a stadium on the road, but they do here, and want Cade Klubnik and the kickers and holders to see it.

*Swinney says safety Andrew Mukuba played well in his first game back from injury.

*On the travel roster, Swinney says it won’t look a lot different than Duke.

*Swinney says Klubnik is growing, made some great checks against FSU and is a problem for the defense. Made some good decisions and some good runs, and he is showing a lot of growth since the first game. “A lot of good reads and throws. He is showing command and leadership and poise and getting better every week.”

*Swinney said it doesn’t matter if they are playing at home or on the road, they just want to go play. He hates they had to wait a week to go play, but that is the nature of football. He said it’s good to have another opportunity to go play and they are excited about that.

*On Orange coach Dino Babers, “I think he is a great coach and a great guy. He’s a great teacher. He’s tough and a great fit for Syracuse as well. I’ve gotten a chance to spend a lot of time with him over the years and he’s incredibly detailed. I’ve spent time with on Nike trips, and he’s a guy I like a lot. His teams are tough, and they play physical. They swarm to the ball. I have a ton of respect for how he runs his program and how his kids play. They play their tails off.”

*On Clemson playing a lot of good quarterbacks. “I noticed that (that Clemson is playing a lot of good QBs later in the season). There are some dudes in this league. I think we (ACC) had the most quarterbacks in the NFL last year. Everybody has got somebody and I’ve seen some good young guys this year, like the kid at Boston College. What a performance he had. I didn’t know much about him. But Georgia Tech had a kid transfer in and is a great player. Everybody has got one. We have got a tough road ahead with those guys.”