When Kyle Richardson met with the media on Monday, Clemson’s passing game coordinator and tight ends coach tried to put things into perspective after the Tigers’ 35-14 loss to then-unranked Notre Dame last Saturday night.
“I know everybody’s upset, but we’re 8-1,” he said. “I mean, we’re not 5-3, we’re not 4-4. Let me take my Clemson coaching hat off and put my Clemson fan hat on. … I’ve sat here and watched this press conference when it was 3-8. I’ve watched this press conference when it’s 6-5. I’ve watched this press conference when the Tangerine Bowl, we’re dying to go play in the Tangerine Bowl, no offense to the Tangerine Bowl. No offense to the Humanitarian Bowl, but we get a berth to the Humanitarian Bowl, we’re like man, this is awesome. So, we’ve got to keep things into perspective, too.”
Clemson fans aren’t happy about how things turned out for their team in South Bend, and while Richardson isn’t either, he says he won’t feed into the negativity.
“I’m upset with losing. I hate to lose. I don’t care what I got on my chest – I hate to lose,” he said. “But at the same time, we’re 8-1. We went to a Notre Dame team that guess what, they got football coaches too. Guess what, they got a lot of pride too. We played in a tough situation, a tough stadium and we got beat.
“So, I’m not going to get on the negative train. I’m not going to get caught up in the narrative and our players aren’t either, and that’s our job as coaches, too, to make sure our players understand the big picture.”
Richardson added that “everything is still right in front of” the Tigers (8-1, 6-0 ACC), who will finish up the regular season with a three-game homestand beginning with Saturday’s contest against Louisville (6-3, 3-3) at Death Valley (3:30 p.m., ESPN) before playing in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 3.
“I’ve been here for seven years and I’ve walked in this building on a Sunday after a devastating loss to Pittsburgh and the season’s over, just to turn around and go win a national championship about a month and a half later,” said Richardson, who spent the past six years on Clemson’s support staff before starting his first full season in an on-field role this year. “I’ve walked in this building with a devastating loss to Syracuse and it’s over, just to go to the playoff two months later.
“So, nowhere in our building does it say we have to have the number-one rated offense in the country. That’s not a goal. Nowhere in the building does it say we have to go undefeated. It’s not a goal. And when I walk back in the building on Sunday, all our goals are still right in front of us. Everything is still right in front of us, and that’s my mindset.”
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
