Aug 112 min read

Dabo Swinney Sizes Up Clemson After Fall Scrimmage

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney carefully watched over his Tigers in their first fall scrimmage on Saturday. For the most part, Swinney liked what he saw. Yet he also knows that there is plenty of room for improvement.

The Tigers held their first fall scrimmage in Memorial Stadium. The offense and defense both got in their reps. Observers noted that running back Keith Adams Jr. had a standout day. Adams is positioned to nail down a backup RB spot for the Tigers. Freshman RB Jarvis Green, cornerback Jaedyn Lukas and defensive lineman Vic Burley stayed on the sidelines. They are listed as day-to-day on the Clemson injury report.

Dabo Swinney Likes QB Play

Swinney likes what he's seen from Clemson quarterbacks Cade Klubnik and Christopher Vizzina. Additionally, wide receiver Bryant Wesco is making his mark as one of the Tigers' likely starters this season at that position. And, according to TigerNet, Nolan Hauser looks like he's the leading candidate to be Clemson's starting kicker.

"We didn't get into pads until Wednesday," Swinney said on Saturday. "We had a little bit of a 'live,' but this was the first day where it's all 'live' so there was some good and some bad. Like there always is. It's never as good as you think it is. Never as bad as you think. Maybe it is on this first day, but a lot of things to be encouraged by, some individual guys. But still a long way to go."

The performance of the Tigers' offensive line stood out to Swinney "I'm really pleased with how they performed to this point," he said, according to AOL. That offensive line will need to improve this season. They gave up 28 sacks in two straight seasons. On the OL, fans can keep their eyes on Blake Miller, Walker Parks, Ryan Linthicum, Marcus Tate and Tristan Leigh. They are led by OL coach Matt Luke, in his first season, replacing Mike Austin.

Swinney, though, was not pleased with his defensive unit's effort. He said he saw undisciplined play and penalties that need to be eradicated. Swinney has been around Atlantic Coast Conference play enough to know what's needed to win. Of course, he also has two national championships on his résumé.

"If you're made of the right stuff, and you have pride in your performance, you get better," Swinney said. "We've got just more guys [who] have played a lot of football, and so you should get better." Last season, Clemson finished 9-4 overall, 4-4 in ACC play. The Tigers dominated opponents at "Death Valley," going 6-1 at home. On the road, though, Clemson was only 2-3.

Clemson Eyes CFP Spot

The team finished last season with a five-game winning streak, capping it with a 38-35 victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. While Swinney was happy to finish up on a winning note, he's gunning for a College Football Playoff spot.

Everything Swinney and Clemson are doing now points toward their season opener. The Tigers square off with Georgia on Aug. 31 in Atlanta.

Keep coming back to College Football Dawgs for more coverage of the Clemson Tigers this season.