Swinney says Tigers right on schedule in game preparation
The Clemson football team had its sixth bowl practice in six days Friday as it continues its preparation to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. Following that practice, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he is pleased with what he’s seen from the Tigers so far as they get ready for their appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“We’re not quite ready yet, but we’re making progress,” Swinney said. “We’re kind of right on schedule as far as our plan and executing our plan.”
Swinney is unsurprised by the Tigers’ strong start to bowl practices, citing that his undefeated, No. 1-ranked team is “13-0 for a reason.”
“They didn’t just luck up and get there,” Swinney said. “This team knows how to get ready, they like to practice, they know what it takes to win.
“We’ve tried to be smart with our practices,” Swinney added. “We don’t practice a long time, but we get after it when we’re out there.”
The Tigers will have another practice Saturday and come together for meetings Sunday. On Monday, the team will practice as it normally would on a Thursday before a Saturday game. After that, the Tigers will break for Christmas before reconvening Dec. 26, when they will hold a morning practice at Clemson before flying down to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. that afternoon.
RB Adam Choice impressive
A player who has impressed Swinney during the first week of bowl practices has been sophomore running back Adam Choice. Redshirting because of an injury after suffering a torn ACL last season, Choice — who ran for 218 yards on 50 carries in six games as a freshman — drew a “wow” from the coach in regards to how he has looked in his recovery.
“He’s impressive at what he’s been able to do this year in our power hour and just where he is physically,” Swinney said. “You forget that this guy won our starting job last year. He’s worked incredibly hard, he’s flashed.”
The prospect of having Choice back next year is “really exciting,” Swinney said, especially considering that redshirt sophomore running back Wayne Gallman — who is 14 yards away from breaking Clemson’s single-season rushing record — is expected to be back in the fold for 2016 along with redshirt sophomore Tyshon Dye and redshirt freshman C.J. Fuller, who have both seen playing time at running back for the Tigers this year.
Also expected to join that group on the field next year is Spartanburg High star Tavien Feaster, this year’s Mr. Football for the state of South Carolina, a five-star Clemson commit who is ranked as the No. 1 high school running back in the country by Scout.com.
Young players making strides
In addition to preparing for the Orange Bowl, Swinney and his staff have stressed that their December practices are an important time for young players to compete and develop in preparation for the 2016 season.
Among the players who have stood out to Swinney during the first week of bowl practices include redshirt freshman defensive end Chris Register, redshirt sophomore defensive end Dane Rogers and a number of freshmen who are redshirting this year, including defensive end Sterling Johnson, defensive tackle Gage Cervenka, safety Tanner Muse and cornerback Denzel Johnson.
This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 8:20 PM.