When asked what makes Georgia Tech such a difficult prep, Swinney didn’t hesitate.
“I just put this — I mean, you know, this is critical. It’s always critical going into style of play. Everybody presents their own challenges,” he said. “From an obvious standpoint, these guys, I mean, pretty much every snap there’s a shift, there’s a motion, there’s some type of jet, and then, by nature of just their scheme, you know, it’s quarterback power, quarterback counter, RPOs built into it.”
Swinney explained how the Yellow Jackets use confusion and execution to their advantage.
“We call slash guys coming down the line of scrimmage. You know, they just control them based on reaction. Keep it, pull it. If I do pull it, well, there’s a pitch — not necessarily a pitch player, but there’s an outlet pass,” he said. “So it’s basically a triple option scheme from spread formations. Just different ways to get you to run around, and then bam, they hit you right up there with some type of downhill play.”
Quarterback at the Center
Swinney stressed that the entire system lives and dies with Georgia Tech’s quarterback.
“It’s all about the quarterback. I mean, he makes it go because he’s the decision-making,” Swinney said. “So it’s hard. It’s hard to make him wrong as long as he’s equipped to make them right. So you have to win matchups.”
Tackling in Space the Deciding Factor
The Tigers’ head coach circled one key area that will decide Saturday’s game: discipline in space.
“You gotta win matchups, you gotta tackle in space. So high discipline is critical, certainly with the physical matchup — that’s critical,” Swinney said. “But we also gotta do a great job in space, because the ball gets into space just by nature of everybody doing their job.”
The perimeter will be a major point of attack.
“We gotta have some hard edges. They’re going to challenge you on the perimeter,” Swinney explained. “That’s what they do best. I mean, they make you defend the field sideline to sideline, and then they got the shots built in.”
The Bottom Line
Swinney knows this first ACC road test is more than just a September matchup — it’s a statement game. Clemson’s defense will have to stay disciplined, win individual battles, and shut down a quarterback Swinney repeatedly praised as a “warrior.”