What Clemson's freshmen defensive backs had to say about their big day.
On a day in which the Tigers finally broke the 40-point barrier against a Power 5 program for the first time all season, the real story came from a secondary that has taken some real beatings and found a way to rise from the ashes through its youth.
Picking off four passes in a game is, in itself, a very improbable thing to do but combining that with the fact that it was four different players with an interception PLUS each of those respective players still being freshmen is almost lunacy. Three true freshmen and Kylon Griffin, who's a redshirt freshman, had interceptions against Georgia Tech.
Shelton Lewis and Khalil Barnes
Here's what each of the young secondary stars had to say about their play on Saturday:
Shelton Lewis (returned his interception for a pick-six): "Just knowing the down and playing the sticks. Without that great d-line you don't get that ball out quick, so just knowing the situation I jumped it, took it back to the crib, and celebrated with my team."
Avieon Terrell: "They were doing curls the whole game. During the week we were studying them doing stop-and-go's on third down. So I told my coach the drive before that they're fixin' to do a stop-and-go. It was just crazy that it happened the next drive. I was waiting, I was anticipating the whole time. I knew it was coming."
Khalil Barnes: "We knew our class was going to be special. Coach Swinney said it too. Especially in the offseason when all of us signed he said that he felt like like our class was one of the most clutch classes he had signed. I think that shows on the field. Every time Shelt, AV, Peter, TJ, any of us make a play, even the guys that don't see the field as much, we just kind of all celebrate each other. We just trust the process. All came in with the right mindset and just want to keep working every day."
Kylon Griffin didn't speak to reporters but his thoughts are pretty clear here:
