Clemson heads into its matchup with No. 4 Miami with Dabo Swinney saying the Tigers are moving in the right direction health-wise, even if they’re still waiting on the final availability report.
“Yeah, I think the guys have done a good job and gotten a little bit better each and every day, and so we’re trending in a good direction.”
One of the biggest updates came on quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who has been dealing with an elbow injury. Swinney said Vizzina is improving, but not all the way back yet.
“He’s better and better. It’s just like a small fracture in there, but he’s gotten better and better.
His range of motion is getting better. Again, it’s a daily thing.
He’s practicing. He can throw, but he’s still not 100% on his left arm.
And so, if he plays, he plays with a brace on it to protect it. But it’s really more just the range of motion for him, kind of getting that back fully.
But it’s gotten a little better each day.”
If Clemson has to turn to its next quarterback, Swinney made it clear the order has shifted. Trent would be first in line.
“No, it would be Trent. Trent would go right now.
He’s 100%, and C.V. would play if we had to have him. He could play.
But, again, he’s not 100% with his left arm.
So, we would go with Trent first.”
Swinney also broke down what Clemson is facing from Miami’s defense, describing it as a heavy-pressure unit built around a four-down front.
“I mean, they’re a big four-down pressure team. They’re not quite - they don’t do some of the stuff that Cal did. They were a little more exotic, I guess, in some of the secondary stuff that they were trying to do.
But they’re a huge pressure team, Miami is. So, a lot of five-man pressures, a lot of post-snap decisions that you have to make as a quarterback based on that. But they’re based out of a four-down group, and they’ll move them around.
But a lot of zone pressures as well.”
He also pointed out Miami’s nickel Thornton as a player Clemson has to account for on every snap.
“Everybody in there better know where that guy’s at. That’s the guy from Boston College last year. He’s a good football player.
So, he’s a good tackler, big hitter, very, very physical, one of the more physical guys that you’ll see, I think, in the country. But he’s definitely a guy you better know where he’s at.”
Swinney said Mason Wade is not done for the season, though his return won’t come right away.
“No, we think at some point we’ll get him back. It’ll just be later in the season. But we anticipate at some point getting him back.”
He also praised Gideon Davidson after the running back pledged $500 to charity for every touchdown he scores.
“It’s awesome. I mean, that’s just who Gide is.
If you know him and you know his background, I mean, that’s how he’s been raised, especially by his parents. He’s just a great guy.
I mean, he’s just named to the AFCA Good Works Team. I mean, that’s just - like I said, that’s just who he is.”
On the defensive line, Swinney said Vic Burley is still working back into form after missing time.
“Yeah, we’ll see. I mean, just practicing every week, and obviously got way behind, really, from a physical conditioning standpoint while he was out.
I’m not sure he did a whole lot. So, he’s just been kind of slowly working his way back in there.
But Nick’s going to play the guys that give us the best chance to win. So, they’ve got to earn that every day in practice.”
He gave Andy Burburija a steady review after four games, calling him a tough interior presence.
“He’s tough, gritty, space eater, can hold the point. A guy that can, like I said, not get knocked back. But he’s just a very steady player.
It was good to see him make a play the other day. It was a big play on the tipped ball.
But he just kind of does his job. He does his job.
And, again, as he continues to play, certainly at this level, he’s just going to keep getting better and better. But he’s as tough as they come.
He’s physical. And just steady.”
And Swinney had plenty of praise for Bryant Wesco, who earned Special Teams ACC Player of the Week honors after a big punt return.
“Yeah. Well, I mean, he’s Special Teams ACC Player of the Week this week.
So, obviously, that was a huge play in the game with the punt return. And he’s had a couple more that he’s been close on.
And then, honestly, I thought maybe his biggest play in the game - his second-biggest play in the game - was Gideon’s run for the 75-yard touchdown.
Again, I talked about this earlier in the week. It’s not a play that shows up on the stat book.
But his release, his sell of the route, took the corner completely across the field. And just effort.
I mean, he’s doing a lot of good things.
We’ve got to get him some more opportunities. And he’s had some other opportunities.
We haven’t done a great job of being as consistent at quarterback as we need to be. But he’s doing fine.
I mean, he had a great practice today, as a matter of fact. And he’s going to have a great season. And he’s got to - he’s got to have a lot of great moments ahead.”
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