Dabo Swinney praises Mike Norvell following victory over Florida State

After defeating the Florida State Seminoles on the road in a prime-time ACC matchup, 34-28, Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney had a few words with the ESPN broadcasting crew covering the game. Swinney said he was proud of his team after winning another big conference matchup. But he also praised the team on the other side and gave a major compliment to Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell.

“That’s our culture. We got great kids. We have a great staff,” said Swinney. “We went from 4-3 last year, everybody writing us off, to 13 in a row. And you don’t get lucky and do that. I’m proud of these guys. It’s not easy to win, especially on the road. That’s four road games in our league.

“I think to me we need to acknowledge coach Norvell because these kids didn’t quit. I mean, we’re up 20 points. And I’m disappointed with how we finished defensively. We’re kind of playing to the scoreboard, people leaving, and all of a sudden, we forget these kids don’t quit. And I think that is a real compliment to coach Mike and his staff, and I told him that before the game. These guys have turned a corner down there. They played their butts off. We were fortunate down there at the end. I’m proud of the team. It’s a great win for us.”

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Clemson had a 20-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but ended up falling asleep at the end defensively, allowing Florida State to make it a game late. The Seminoles came within an on-side kick of sending the game into overtime or upsetting the no. 4 team in the nation. Fortunately for them, that was not the case, and the Tigers can head home undefeated with a firm lead in their conference’s division.