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Fiesta Bowl was Confidence Booster for Veteran Clemson LB

Clemson linebacker Baylon Spector says 2019 Fiesta Bowl helped take his game to the next level

Clemson has made a name for itself over the last several years for playing a lot of bodies in games. Those live game reps tend to pay off when it matters most and helps strengthen the depth chart from top to bottom.

Baylon Spector has benefited from game reps and spoke with the media following Monday's practice about the importance of those experiences including playing in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State.

Spector joins rising stars Cade Stewart, Lannden Zanders, and Jordan McFadden who mentioned their maturity and blossoming confidence gained from last season's reps which paid dividends in fall camp.

"Oh, it was big. A lot of preparation went into it and (playing in the Fiesta Bowl) definitely helped me out," Spector said. "Obviously, I was very excited after the game and overall it was a great experience. Definitely brought my game to a different level and brought my confidence up, so yeah, I thought it was great."

Head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff prides itself on the "next man up" mentality and routinely rotates guys in and out during games in addition to crosstraining them in practice to get the most out of each player.

Swinney has stated time and time again he's not worried about style points and doesn't like to embarrass his opponents. While that might not always sit well with fans, it's hard to knock his ideology given his track record in the last decade.

Following the loss of A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Simmons, Tanner Muse, and K'Von Wallace to the NFL draft, Clemson's depth chart will again be challenged this season in various areas. But thanks to the Tigers' in-game philosophy, the drop off might not be nearly as noticeable as outsiders might expect.

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