Game week is finally here.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the Tigers’ much-anticipated season-opening contest against the Georgia Bulldogs and more.
Swinney revealed during Tuesday’s media session that freshman kicker and three-star recruit Nolan Hauser had won the Clemson kicking competition this fall and would be the Tigers’ Week 1 starter.
The coach added that he was pleased with the injuries — or lack thereof — impacting his team through fall camp leading up to Saturday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (noon ET, ABC).
“We’ve got one goal, and that’s to achieve our first goal,” Swinney said as part of his opening remarks. “That’s what we’re trying to go down to Atlanta to do. It’s certainly going to be a huge challenge and playing a game like this, you usually only get opportunities like this in the postseason, the playoffs, the national championship.”
Swinney called Georgia the best team in the country. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25, as well as the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Tigers are ranked No. 14 in both polls.
“It’s a great opportunity to play the best team in the country, right out of the gate — and that’s what they are,” Swinney said of Kirby Smart’s team. “Anybody that doesn’t think that’s what they are, they probably haven’t paid much attention.”
Here’s everything Swinney had to say at Tuesday’s press conference.
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