Tag: Tony Elliott

Dabo Swinney impressed with Tony Elliott’s coaching in Clemson’s win over Virginia

Swinney was impressed with his former defensive coordinator.

Clemson football had control of the game against Virginia, holding a 41-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter. As is typical in such situations, head coach Dabo Swinney began substituting his starters for backup players.

Even with a significant gap in the score, Tony Elliott’s Cavaliers kept pressing. Virginia’s backup quarterback Tony Muskett threw a short touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion that cut Clemson’s lead to 41-25 with just over two minutes left. After the failed onside kick attempt, Swinney opted to bring his starters back in, deciding the game wasn’t over just yet.

“I’m trying to call the dogs out,” Swinney said. “But that is what I told those guys. When we put the subs in, they don’t call timeout and say, ‘Oh, they put the backups in, let’s put our backups in.’ They don’t do that.”
Starting quarterback Cade Klubnik returned to the field after the backups, led by Chris Vizzina, only managed a brief possession. The objective was to close out the game by extending the lead once more.

“(Virginia) went tempo, and they were no-huddle, and they are flying down the field and score on those guys. And then they onside it,” Swinney explained. “It’s 16 points. Technically, it’s a two-score game.”
Klubnik responded by hitting freshman receiver T.J. Moore with a 34-yard touchdown pass, widening the gap again to 48-25 and putting the game out of reach.

“So, I am like alright, we are going to go score again. And we did,” Swinney said. “Then we put the subs right back in.”

Virginia added a late touchdown against Clemson’s backups, making the final score 48-31, but the game was never in doubt. Swinney respected Virginia’s persistence despite the loss and commended Elliott’s decision to keep fighting until the end, even tipping his hat to his former assistant after Virginia’s last score.

“That was a good call,” Swinney said. “He went at our young corner out there and took a little shot and I saw him smiling over there. So I tipped my hat to him. They kept playing.”

Former Clemson tight end announces transfer destination

Former Clemson tight end Sage Ennis is staying in the ACC.

A former Clemson tight end has announced his new home and it is in the ACC with a familiar face to the program.

Sage Ennis took to social media to announce that he is transferring to Virginia. He joins former Clemson defensive coordinator and current Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott’s squad.

Originally committed to Florida A&M, Ennis is making a change after staff changes at A&M. Former Florida A&M head coach and former Tiger Willie Simmons has moved on to be running backs coach at Duke, leading to Ennis searching for a new team.

Playing in 41 games for the Tigers, Ennis totaled six catches for 77 yards, but stats don’t truly tell his impact. Ennis is an excellent blocker, putting together some great tape as a blocking tight end. His impact was felt in the Clemson running game. A torn ACL ended his season early after earning solid reps in the Tigers’ offense.

Tony Elliott recaps Virginia’s performance versus Tennessee

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott recaps the Cavaliers’ performance versus Tennessee.

No. 10 Tennessee (1-0, 0-0 SEC) defeated Virginia (0-1, 0-0 ACC), 49-13, Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott recapped the Cavaliers’ performance following the season-opening contest.

“We knew the game was going to come down to the trenches on both sides,” Elliott said. “It was going to come down to the strength and then also the depth in the trenches. I thought that we probably could’ve done a better job of trying to establish the run a little bit earlier. We were trying to be aggressive and take advantage of some of the short fields, but they did a great job. They had depth, too. They were rolling a lot of guys in there and you didn’t see much of a drop off. Some of it was what they were doing, also some of it was us as well. Just not necessarily working in unison how we had been doing in the run or the pass game. Then, one-on-one matchups, at the end of the day they run their one-on-one matchups which resulted in our quarterback getting hit. We’ll evaluate it and see where the fundamental breakdown was. Sometimes, you’re just going to lose a one-on-one matchup. Sometimes a guy just flat out beats you. I can’t say that was the totality of it until I watch the film, but it was the difference in the game.

“The flipside, on their offense versus our defensive line, where they just covered us up too much and we gave up too much in the run game. I thought our guys fought hard, but we weren’t able to stop the run like we used to. From that standpoint, they can drive the pace of the game and set the mindset for the game if you’re able to establish the run. There’s nothing more frustrating for a team than when the opposing team is just able to run the football.”

PHOTOS: Tennessee football defeats Virginia in Nashville to open 2023 season

10 takeaways from Vols’ win versus Virginia

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Swinney ‘heavy hearted’ for Tony Elliott after Virginia shooting

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney spoke in length during his weekly radio call-in show Monday night about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, where three University of Virginia football players were fatally shot Sunday …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney spoke in length during his weekly radio call-in show Monday night about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, where three University of Virginia football players were fatally shot Sunday night while returning from an off-campus field trip.

The university went into lockdown mode at the time as law enforcement searched for the gunman. That hunt ended Monday morning when UVA police announced that a suspect, Chris Jones Jr., had been taken into custody. Jones is a former UVA football player.

The tragedy hit close to home at Clemson and with Swinney. Of course, Tony Elliott is in his first year as UVA’s head football coach after spending the previous 11 seasons on Swinney’s staff. He spent the last seven as the Tigers’ offensive play caller and was co-offensive coordinator for Clemson’s 2016 and 2018 national championship teams.

Although the sad and shocking situation that transpired is something Elliott could have never saw coming, Swinney believes Elliott is the right person to guide his team through this unimaginably difficult time.

“God took him there,” Swinney said. “There is nobody more prepared or more equipped to lead that group of young men in Virginia or minister to those guys than Tony Elliott. He is just a special person, but that doesn’t make it easy. He is the leader. He has to stand in front of his team. He has to get with the families. You just can’t prepare for that, but God has equipped him. I know he will use Tony in a mighty way to really just serve those young men, the families and the community.

“I am just praying for him, and I ask everyone to pray for Tony and the staff, and especially those players and those players’ families of the young men that lost their life. It is just so tragic. It is just sad. As a person of faith, you know there is evil. You know it is just devastating. You just have to love on each other.”

Swinney added that for him, it’s an opportunity to council Clemson’s players and talk to them.

“These are young people,” he said. “I know they are big and strong and all of this, but they are just young people, young men. When something like this happens, it really affects everybody, especially in the world that we are in. You realize these are young people that think they are invincible, right. And now all of a sudden you have to process something like this. It is very challenging. It is very difficult. It really hits home.

“So, an opportunity to just have a conversation and some council with our guys, but most of all just tell them that you love them and pray for all of the people up there in Virginia that are dealing with this.  I am just heavy hearted for Tony.  He is dealing with a lot of things and trying to pick his team up.”

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!

‘Just incredibly sad’: Virginia tragedy resonates for Clemson

A tragedy heard around the college football world today hit close to home at Clemson. A few hundred miles away in Charlottesville, Virginia, three University of Virginia football players were fatally shot Sunday night while returning from an …

A tragedy heard around the college football world today hit close to home at Clemson.

A few hundred miles away in Charlottesville, Virginia, three University of Virginia football players were fatally shot Sunday night while returning from an off-campus field trip. The university went into lockdown mode at the time as law enforcement searched for the gunman.

That hunt ended this morning when UVA police announced that a suspect, Chris Jones Jr., had been taken into custody. Jones is a former UVA football player.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are involved with that,” Clemson defensive coordinator Wesley Goodwin said this morning. “Just incredibly sad.”

UVA’s football program is in its first season under the direction of Tony Elliott, who’s in his first head coaching job after spending the previous 11 seasons on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson. Elliott spent the last seven as the Tigers’ offensive play caller and was co-offensive coordinator for Clemson’s 2016 and 2018 national championship teams.

Elliott’s successor in that role, Brandon Streeter, worked alongside Elliott for those last seven seasons. Streeter, who initially joined Clemson’s staff in 2015 as a quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator in December following Elliott’s departure, said he exchanged some text messages with Elliott after learning of Sunday’s shooting.

“Just said we’re praying for him, his program and obviously the families that were affected,” Streeter said. “Just a really, really tough situation.”

Having worked with him extensively, Streeter said he believes Elliott’s ability to connect with people is exactly what the Cavaliers’ football program needs to heal amid a time of immense pain.

“I know Tony is there for a reason,” Streeter said. “God put him there for a reason, and he has done an unbelievable job wherever he’s been just dealing with people. He’s a people guy, and he knows the right thing to say and how to move forward. But our thoughts and prayers are up for those families that are affected and obviously the program and Coach Elliott.”

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!

Horrible news for Virginia

A shooting at the University of Virginia late Sunday night has left three dead and two others injured. A source tells The Clemson Insider that members of coach Elliott’s football team were impacted by this incident. The active shooter is a former …

A shooting at the University of Virginia late Sunday night has left three dead and two others injured.

A source tells The Clemson Insider that members of coach Elliott’s football team were impacted by this incident.

The active shooter is a former Virginia football player according to multiple reports.

Please send up your prayers for the University of Virginia, the football team and the families of the players impacted.

Did Tony Elliott forget where he came from?

It seems as though Tony Elliott might have forgotten where he came from. Clemson fans might be surprised to hear what the longtime Clemson assistant, and new Virginia head coach, had to say regarding wanting Charlottesville to build a reputation of …

It seems as though Tony Elliott might have forgotten where he came from.

Clemson fans might be surprised to hear what the longtime Clemson assistant, and new Virginia head coach, had to say regarding wanting Charlottesville to build a reputation of being a tough place to play.

“I believe, at Scott Stadium, we can create the most difficult place for other teams to play in the ACC,” Elliott said.

After being on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson since 2011 and coaching in games at Death Valley for the last decade, Elliott enters his first season as the Cavaliers’ head coach in 2022.

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!

Desmond Howard on what ’causes concern’ for him with Clemson

An ESPN college football analyst expressed concern when discussing Clemson during the network’s College GameDay show this past weekend. Desmond Howard talked about the Tigers’ coordinator changes, saying the departures of former Clemson offensive …

An ESPN college football analyst expressed concern when discussing Clemson during the network’s College GameDay show this past weekend.

Desmond Howard talked about the Tigers’ coordinator changes, saying the departures of former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott to Virginia and former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables to Oklahoma “causes concern” for him.

“When you look at what they lost – not just players but the coordinators – that causes concern for me,” he said. “These are like two special play-callers. They lost Tony Elliott. He was the offensive coordinator. I mean, it takes skill, intuition – it takes a lot to be a play-caller. It doesn’t show up every week – it shows up against opponents where you’re probably kind of equally matched. Now he’s at UVA.”

Dabo Swinney, of course, filled those coordinator roles on his staff internally, promoting Brandon Streeter to offensive coordinator and Wes Goodwin to defensive coordinator.

Streeter and Goodwin got a dress rehearsal, so to speak, when they called plays for the first time in the Tigers’ Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State last December. But Howard is interested to see how the play-calling works out for Clemson this season.

“I understand that they hired within. But I think that people don’t give the right amount of attention to guys who are long-term play-callers, who are successful at it or who are great at it,” Howard said.

“You just don’t step into those shoes and fill in like it’s nothing to it. There’s a rhythm to it. So, that’s what I want to see. I want to see how the play-calling happens on offense and defense, because they lost Brent Venables, too.”

Herbstreit talks Uiagalelei, discusses ‘a legitimate concern’ with Clemson

During ESPN’s College GameDay show this past weekend, Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on Clemson heading into the 2022 season. The ESPN college football analyst talked about the coordinator changes on Dabo Swinney’s staff, with Swinney promoting Brandon …

During ESPN’s College GameDay show this past weekend, Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on Clemson heading into the 2022 season.

The ESPN college football analyst talked about the coordinator changes on Dabo Swinney’s staff, with Swinney promoting Brandon Streeter and Wes Goodwin to the offensive and defensive coordinator roles that were vacated by the departures of Tony Elliott and Brent Venables, respectively.

“They got a little bit of a dress rehearsal in that bowl game, the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State. I think that’s a legitimate concern until you see it,” Herbstreit said.

“I think Dabo’s beyond confident in what they can do on both sides of the ball, and they have history. Remember when Chad Morris was there and he left to become a head coach, Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott emerged together to become co-offensive coordinators. Jeff Scott eventually went on, Tony Elliott was there by himself. Now Brandon Streeter, who’s been underneath as just a quarterback coach all this time, has had a chance to learn from all of them. So, he’s in position, and they’ve done the right things to give him his opportunity to become the guy.”

Herbstreit also discussed DJ Uiagalelei, who began preseason camp roughly 30 pounds lighter than the 260 pounds he played at a season ago.

Herbstreit says that while it’s great that Uiagalelei dropped weight, the junior quarterback must be willing to use his legs in the run game to help open up the Tigers’ offense.

“I think everybody’s said it, and until we see it, it’s reality. It’s one thing for DJ Uiagalelei to lose the weight. For me, it’s a willingness to run the ball,” Herbstreit said.

“Because whether it’s Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson, especially Tajh Boyd, in that offense, the quarterback has to be a run threat, and last year, I saw a hesitant quarterback instead of being decisive in either getting the ball out and throwing or running and taking off. So, it’s great that he lost weight, but where is his mind, and is he ready to be more aggressive in running the ball, which will open up those throwing lanes to those talented receivers.”

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

Clemson football all-time roster: Coaches, kickers and specialists

See which coaching and special teams legends made the cut in our all-time Clemson football roster.

A program with a long, rich history, Clemson has seen a lot of great teams with a lot of incredible talent over the years as the program has developed into a marquee name in college football.

As our all-time rosters wind down, the final part is a look at the best of the best special teams players and the coaches that have been a part of Clemson football. 

From one of the most exciting special teams players in ACC history in C.J. Spiller to a pair of national championship-winning head coaches, the Tigers have seen incredible success from both the special teams unit and the coaches that helped make the program so special. 

Here’s a look at our choices for the special teams starters and the coaches on Clemson football’s all-time roster.

See Clemson’s all-time offense and all-time defense. 

Check out our other College Wire all-time lineups: Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin