Clemson HC Dabo Swinney "impressed" with Florida State
Florida State is set to match up with Clemson in Death Valley on Saturday. Both teams are preparing for a game that could define the remainder of their seasons. The Seminoles have won three straight games while the Tigers are 2-2 in their last four games.
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Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed the media on Tuesday as part of his weekly availability. During the presser, Swinney had a lot of praise for Florida State. He's been impressed by their resilience after starting 0-4 and the job that starting quarterback Jordan Travis has done.
"I am impressed with what Florida State has done," Swinney said. "They have improved. They started out 0-4. I'm impressed with their staff. They had a couple of heartbreaking losses but have played a lot better."
"Their quarterback [Jordan Travis] has really settled them down," Swinney continued. "He is a very confident player. He's tough, a natural leader and he makes plays. He can flat out beat you. They are doing a great job schematically. He can just move. He's a great scrambler and has created a lot of explosives. This kid is dangerous. Their running game is leading the nation in rushing in October. They had 11 turnovers in the first four games. The last three? Three turnovers.
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Moving over to the defense, Swinney acknowledged the Seminoles' early struggles but said this group is better than their current record. He also noted on defensive end Jermaine Johnson's as being one of the best players they've seen all season.
"Their defense is playing very well," Swinney said. "They gave up some big plays early, but they have gotten better. No. 11 is probably the best defensive end we have seen, a great player. They are huge inside. They have changed what they do structurally over the first few games. A challenging group that is playing with a lot of confidence. They are way better than their record."
This probably wasn't the bulletin board material that Florida State wanted. Regardless, expect the Seminoles to be focused as they try to give Clemson its first defeat at home since 2016.
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