pressure — he did great for us."
On how the loss compares to the
2014 defeat at Florida State: "Real
similar, actually. The atmosphere was
awesome."
Junior linebacker Jaylon Smith …
On the defensive improvements
as the game progressed: "It was just
a matter of intensity, tackling the
ball carrier and being totally locked
in. There's no excuses [for the slow
start]. It's what happened.
"As a defense, we didn't start off
fast. That's what you have to do if
you want to win."
Clemson head coach Dabo Swin-
ney …
On his team's 24-22 win over
Notre Dame: "This was a team win
and a complete effort. Obviously,
the weather was a mess, and [of-
fensive coordinators] Tony [Elliott]
and Jeff [Scott] did a great job on
offense putting it in the offensive
linemen's hands, and we made
enough plays.
"I'm really proud of our guys.
They played with a lot of heart and
a lot of guts. And that's what it's all
about. We gave up some big plays,
but we just kept playing.
"I told them it was going to be a
few plays, and there was nothing
bigger than that last play at the end.
Everything counts, and it's great to
be a Tiger."
— Andrew Owens
