Garrett Riley on Clemson offense, facing Georgia again

that's the last three weeks to to a month um quite a bit you know I mean you got a lot of guys that are back and some of the new pieces that we added since last season and healthy um you know and so you just kind of got the the Arsenal of guys out there and and really trying to build chemistry so that's the biggest thing that we've been able to see and kind of feel as an offense and offensive staff is is I feel at this point um in the year starting the season compared to where we were a year ago obviously I feel like we got a little bit more of a pulse of our our identity um and kind of who we are and who our Playmakers are and what's going to be our best Personnel you know going up against Georgia whomever um so I just feel like we got a little bit better feel Al together that way um that that would be the biggest thing I would say is going to be a reunion of Coach Luke with Coach smart um first game coaching together um how good is your comfort level right now with yeah a lot I mean we've he's a great guy he's a very adaptive person I mean he's been in this thing a long time so he's just um you know from a a staff Dynamic and all those things I mean he's a great teammate that way so he's been he's been awesome um love everything he brings to the table for us and and uh you know looking forward to to go into battle together yeah I wouldn't the bowl game is kind of a little different deal for both of us uh you know see he was out there on the field with us in that game but now as we're he settled in we're settled in together can't wait I know that R came out of the spring ahead is he still ahead going into game week and what have you seen from him at the center situation yeah Ryan's Ryan's done a really good job um I think he's just gotten better and better um obviously with the amount of reps that he's gotten compared to last year you know felt like he would take a step and he has like everything we've tried to throw at him what he's going against every single day in practice who he's practicing against um you know you're really able to get a great evaluation on him that way and uh and ultimately that's made him better and made our offensive line better so can't wait to see him play G we've heard a lot this offseason about Kate club Mick his confidence his command what do you see from him going to year two of your offense and what's your relationship like with your quarterback now yeah can't wait to see him play you know I think just as I've said a bunch I mean play in that position and some of the things he had to go through personally last year um you know having to go through it having to be in the fire having to overcome and adapt and you know we had to start to to play the game a little differently ending last year and and we put ourselves in a position to win some games there down the stretch and so you got a kid now that's that's confident because of that because of the way it ended the momentum that he carried Into Summer and then now just the the game experience and being in a lot of close and tight games last year I mean that that experience alone just goes a long ways and so feel like we're seeing a player now that's just more settled in that's more comfortable um you know from a game management that that's going to be the thing that I can't wait to see him do um you know compared to just what we're seeing in practice where things are a little bit more controlled so I think he's going to take a huge step forward uh but obviously he's got to go do it on Game Day have the helmet Communications improved things in that regard and you know is it one of those things where you can say Hey you know typically here if you know they're doing this look for the safety he may come off the edge can you can you say stuff like that oh yeah yeah I mean it's it's definitely an added element to the to the communication and you know a tip here or there um obviously just play calls and stuff like that um is is a whole different mechanism for us now is everybody's infatuated with this deal but yeah to me it's just kind of an added element um you know you still want a quarterback to go out there and play quarterback too okay if you got a coach talking to them every second that you're allowed to on the on the headset you know at the end of the day does that make him more cloudy than not from a decision-making standpoint so there's going to be a a fine line with that I think but certainly something that I think if you use it the right way it can be a big bonus are you still going to Signal there'll be mixture yeah I mean now we've got kind of a a whole gamut of operation stuff um on how we can get a play call and all those sort of things but yeah we're certainly using it you have a some really good young Talent at running back with the Back Field is going to be a little bit different this year and that you're not splitting carries as evenly as you were last season um how how different is that Dynamic for you do you have a preference between having a featured back with like MAA this season or um having two guys that are kind of sharing splitting the ball um in my experience has just kind of been different everywhere I mean I think at the end of the day you're going to need a deep running back room if you really want to make a push and and kind of have the run that you hope to have at the end of the season so to me it's going to definitely be by a collection of guys obviously we got MAF who's kind of the Bell cow and and obviously one of our best players and so um you know he'll certainly get featured a ton you know but I do think that you got to have a you got to do it by committee still and uh it's a long season um and and the way we want this thing to go that that room's going to have to be deep and play well and be productive as a unit so we talked last night about just the Readiness of Brian Wesco and then also bring TJ Moore along just what are you expecting from the two freshman early on this year yeah I mean I think they're they're both going to help us you know I mean obviously Brian's got a little bit of a leg up just from a mental standpoint of being here longer and going through Spring ball and all those sort of things and then TJ's coming on very very quickly and uh but from a talent standpoint from uh you know it's you've just seen him in practice you hadn't seen him in games yet but what we're seeing on the field against our defense every day um you know those two guys are not they're not shy to go make a play I'll put it that way and so that's always a great sign to see from some young Talent you know again kind of with what they're facing every single day in Fall camp and the defense they're going against I mean they're getting challenged so uh I've been been very very proud of them you know up to this point so we'll see how they how they do in the game TJ Parker said Coach Riley has finally opened up his bag on us davo says no we're finally just executing the place the right way is that kind of what you've seen you know in Camp that the execution has taken that next step yeah for sure for sure I think just the the ability to make routine plays at a higher rate um just being targeted uh decision making just all the things I mean not just at quarterback just everywhere uh just feel like we're in a much better place and and kind of again what our identity is who we are what we're about I just think those things are are uh up to this point have been sharper with with injuries in your offense really a lot of times it's all about can we just play pitch and catch you know snap toss play cat you do you feel like you were limited that way last year but but now with the offensive line taking a step the in healthy wide receivers adding the talent at wide receiver that maybe you're better prepared to do that yeah I mean we're we're we're healthier and so just your arsenal of weapons is is different than than maybe at some points last year and at the end of the day you got to go play with what you have and and try and put yourself in a position to win games and for guys to succeed but you know yeah we feel like we've got a a skill level Al together that can can really be diverse um I think we can distribute the football to a lot of different people that we can truly count on and when one-on-one mashups um you know went over the top I mean just whatever it is I just feel like we got a we got a unit that's primed to do that and obviously we got a huge challenge of of who we're going up against uh this week to do that here in game one but you know I feel very very confident in that room to to create plays and make plays coach the last quarter you were out there uh in the Gator Bowl 28 points in the fourth quarter Titan the school record was that somewhat of a breakthrough do you think heading into next season it was just a momentum Builder is is kind of how I viewed it you know I mean it was nothing Earth shattering we were doing it wasn't all of a sudden we just started calling great plays it wasn't magic started happening it just it kind of clicked and um you know even in a game that had a lot of ups and downs in that bowl game um you know it was I just thought that was a huge momentum Builder to finish the way we did doing things in a routine way and and uh getting the result that we wanted so yeah it was a big momentum boost boost for sure and as far as you guys uh you personally going up against Georgia again I know there's been a big buzz you know opening up against a number one team but for you personally having a chance to get a get back from the national championship how has that helped you get a little motivation uh it's a great challenge I mean anytime you can go against a a top ranked team to to start your season I mean what a what a blessing what opportunity that is and so we know we got our work cut out for us but um can't wait to play him any questions for Coach virtually anybody else in the room can you elaborate on what you're seeing out of TJ that's allowing him to sort of come on like you said yeah just just everything kind of slowing down for him you know from a talent level to catching and getting open and just his skill set and he's he's got it there's no question about it it's just the the the detail and and the mental part of it that obviously you got to bring some young guys along and um and now that we're truly getting into a normal week a game plan you're not installing things every other day like you kind of typically do in Fall camp and things move quickly from an install perspective you know things will will start slowing down for him pretty fast you think this offense can have a a deep strike quick strike mentality to it like you Clemson fans were used to seeing that a few years ago when they winning championships offenses that struck deep deep balls and quick strikes I love to do that um yeah I mean that's what this game's about if you can be explosive and then generally you're going to be a a very good scoring offense you're going to be statistically all this stuff at the end of the year most likely so explosives are a huge part of it on both sides of the ball as we all know um but yeah I mean I I I feel good about our team and feel like we're going to be able to to go attack people um you know and and like I said kind of have a unit that can do some things underneath but also have people uh to go win and and some schemes to go over the top who do you feel most comfortable with on the offensive line beyond the starters like six seven8 right now yeah there's a collection of of you know that seven eight nine guys that you want to really feel good about um you know uh Harris Su and Colin Sadler and and U you know guys that have played a lot even last year Trent Howard um you know Elijah Thurman's a freshman that has really come on has done a lot of really good things for us as well as dietr Pennington I do think's improved and so you know like I said there's there's kind of that seven8 nine guys right now that that I think can go in there and function for us and and help us win a ball game full healthy wide receiver room at this point um how much does that open up and is there a number of guys that ideally hey I'd like to get this many people Targets in any given game or how does that rotation kind of work the repertoire yeah I mean you're always going to be trying mindful of of getting your best Playmakers the ball you know and and having a plan that way based on what defenses are doing to you um I do think there's there's the element though of of balance and um yeah I kind of always have taken this from from Leech but balance isn't always just run pass you know I mean it's ball distribution it's getting him a touch it's getting him a touch it's getting the back back a touch in the passing game just whatever it may be and so when this thing's usually at its best is when you're Distributing the football to a lot of people and um obviously if you feel good about your Playmakers everywhere that's when this thing really goes had time for a couple more for Coach Riley if anybody has any I don't think you want to put k out for any unnecessary shots but how much do you envision the quarterback run game being more Incorporated this season well I mean his legs are always going to be an X Factor right I mean he just has to be at the quarterback position and whether that's designed runs or him just managing the football game the way he needs to as a quarterback where he needs to scramble or take off or whatever you know he's athletic enough to to create some plays that way so he he's just he's certainly going to be an X Factor that way not just in this game but all season he's going to need to be for us coach mentioned trying to avoid the third and long situations against Georgia I guess for you for your offense how do you guys plan to I guess avoid those situations oh you're trying to stay on schedule I mean that's the that's the easy answer um you know but the biggest thing probably is just not taking negative plays and minimizing those is probably the biggest thing you're going to try and take shots you may hit them you may not okay and all of a sudden you're looking your second and 10 well we got to get back on schedule a little bit so that's always going to be a big part of any game plan uh but certainly when you're going up against them and they were the number one uh third down defense in the country last year so that's something they do very well so we got to we got to try and minimize some of those bad situations for sure from coordinator perspective does not having a formal Georgia depth chart out change anything if at all for you game ones are always just you know what I'm saying they're no matter who you play they're just kind of a crapshoot with some of the personnel and even scheme wise um now Georgia's been really really good for a long time and they're going to do what they do I would assume um you know but yeah I mean not I I don't try and over complicate it especially for a game one one more for Coach Riley if anybody has one how much of a problem is Mike H Williams number 13 on the edge he's a problem he's long he's Twitchy um I think he's got a really really good motor I think uh you know I think they certainly got several guys up front that are really good players I think number 11 has a ton of juice and uh I'm sure he's going to be a bigger role for them this season um you know and obviously very very deep at the linebacking position and and uh got some some key key guys on the back end um headlining by number 24 I mean really really good player very instinctive so it it'll be it'll be a fun matchup so yeah they're they uh they got some dudes over there for sure all right appreciate