Dabo Swinney talks quarterback change, another ACC championship during postgame interview

Clemson won the ACC Championship once again, taking down North Carolina on Saturday night in Charlotte. However, the bigger overall story may be what Dabo Swinney did at the quarterback position, inserting freshman Cade Klubnik over DJ Uiagalelei.

Swinney was asked about the decision, saying Klubnik was going to get into the game no matter what. The plan was to get him snaps starting on the third drive but based on the play of Uiagaleli and eventually Klubnik, the move was permanent.

Both quarterbacks received credit from their head coach for helping Clemson win throughout the season. However, one got it done to give the Tigers another ACC Championship trophy.

“We went into the game, saying we were going to play him on the third series,” Swinney said when speaking to ESPN’s Molly McGrath postgame. “We hoped DJ would start off well. He didn’t. So, Cade came in and did a heck of a job. I’m really proud of him and reality is, we wouldn’t have won the Atlantic and we wouldn’t have been here without DJ. And we wouldn’t have won the ACC Championship without Cade. It’s awesome to see this young man grow up.”

Swinney said Klubnik was not ready for the switch when there was an attempt against Notre Dame. He threw an interception and then Uiagalelei put up a couple of impressive performances following. However, the hard work wound up paying off for Klubnik, with Dabo saying “he’s worked his butt off.”

“We tried to make the change at Notre Dame, wasn’t quite ready,” Swinney said. “DJ bounced back. Played well against Louisville and Miami. Tonight was an opportunity for him and he’s worked his butt off all year. Great to see him play.”

Dabo Swinney grateful to win another ACC Championship

Winning the ACC has been a staple of Clemson since their run began under Swinney. They have appeared in seven out of the last eight games, winning all seven of them. Even so, it’s still an honor for the Tigers to play in Charlotte according to their head coach, and get one over North Carolina.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” said Swinney. “Seven out of eight years. I’m happy for our fans. Really proud of our team. We don’t take it for granted, we’re not entitled to be here. These kids earned their way here and earned the game tonight. Congrats to North Carolina, I love Coach Brown. But tonight was our night.”