Swinney sees Tigers in a 'really good spot' on offense going into Georgia week

Dabo Swinney says they're going to put saddle on Phil Mafah and ride him to what could be a "hell of a season."

by TigerNet Staff - Thu Aug 22 19:09:24 GMT-05:00 2024

Dabo Swinney likes where his offense is going into what he knows is a challenging schedule this season.

Swinney appeared on The Roar FM Thursday evening to preview the season ahead, and he identified several areas he's been encouraged with regarding a more explosive Clemson offense.

"Certainly, our quarterback has got to take another step," Swinney said. "We’ve got to create the continuity with the people around him. That’s been hard these last few years. We’re in a really good spot right now and super excited about the depth and the competition that we have at our skill positions. Our offensive line, we’ve got a bunch of seasoned dudes, and we think that we’ve recruited well, and Matt (Luke) has done a great job there."

An offensive playmaker down the stretch last season, expect to see a lot more of Phil Mafah as well.

"Mo’ Mafah, mo’ betta. If a little Mafah is good, more is better…It’s really that simple…He’s a freakin’ horse," Swinney said. "Alright, we’re going to put a saddle on him and ride him as far as we can go. I told CJ Spiller that his last year (as a player). I said we’re fixing to saddle you up, and that’s exactly what we’ll do with Phil Mafah. He’s built for it. He’s ready for it. And if he stays on the field for all 12 games, he’s going to have one hell of a season – ain’t no doubt about that."

Swinney went back to the genesis of Clemson's five-game winning streak to close last year, and it's one big reason he is optimistic about his team going forward.

"When you look at our team last year…and why I said you better buy some stock in Clemson, you saw a team with a back against the wall, a ton of adversity at 4-4 against a team that kicked our teeth in the year before (Notre Dame), line up and show the character of this program," Swinney said. "Show the heart of this program. Adversity reveals character. And that’s why when I saw what I saw in that Notre Dame game, I said, 'OK, alright, let’s go.' And you saw a team grow up. Saw a quarterback mature. And they carried that into the offseason and now I’m excited about these guys. Yeah, we’ve got a tough-ass schedule for sure. Ain’t no doubt about it. But it ain’t ever easy. It ain’t ever easy, but I like hard.

"And I’ve got a group of guys who have bought in to chasing the hard, and that’s exactly what we’re getting ready to do."

The No. 14-ranked Tigers and No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs kick off at noon on Aug. 31 in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.