GRILLO: Coach Dabo, Clemson football team on the rise

How many times do you think a writer talks to a football coach who says all the right things about his team, and three days later his squad makes him sound like a prophet?

I had Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney on the phone four days after the Tigers mauled Wake Forest, 38- 3, and three days before they forged a heart-pounding 40- 37 overtime victory on the road against 10th ranked Miami.

My remarks focused mainly on the triumph over Wake Forest.

It wasn’t a flawless game, but it wasn’t far off either.

What impressed me mightily was how much orange paint from the Clemson helmets and uniforms seemed to saturate the uniforms of the white clad Demon Deacons.

Do you know how hard you have to hit your opponent on either side of the ball to transfer your colors to his uniform?

Talk about a paint party. That’s contact coaches dream about.

“Our kids are playing hard,” said the Tigers first year full-time head coach.

“When we’ve lost, it (has) literally been on the last play of the game. So they’re learning how to win, and Saturday against Wake Forest, they put it together, and hopefully we can build on that. And really it was more a matter of us doing things better as opposed to anything else. I mean just not dropping balls or missed assignments; really playing with clean execution.”

They’re a talented bunch, and they’ve proven it now two consecutive weeks.

Defining his team, Swinney likes to say, “We’ve got more than most and less than a few. We’re a veteran defense but young on offense. I’ve got a freshman quarterback. I’ve got one senior offensive lineman and a bunch of young wideouts. We’re a maturing offense, and hopefully we can show that maturity on the road this weekend. We’re gonna go down and play a 10th ranked Miami team. We can play with those guys. We’ve just got to know how to win those games, and when we do and hopefully it will be this weekend, then we’ll be heading downhill from there.”

Bingo.

There have been several sensational games in the ACC already but Clemson-Miami may have moved into the penthouse in that department.

Freshman quarterback Kyle Parker had a coming out party. Defensive back DeAndre McDaniel was superb coming up with two interceptions, one returned for six points.

Jacoby Ford scored the winning touchdown.

But Clemson couldn’t have won without No. 28 C.J. Spiller.

Is there a better halfback in America? If he doesn’t play another down this season, he should receive Heisman Trophy considerations.

I’ll take Spiller and Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer as my first team All-America running backs over anybody.

The scintillating Spiller returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and caught a 56-yard touchdown pass. The kickoff for six was the sixth of his career and third this season.

He totaled a school-record 310 all-purpose yards against the ’Canes, and he is destined to become the NCAA all-time leader in that category.

Swinney couldn’t be more thankful Spiller came back for his final year.

“I think he wanted to be a senior,” Swinney said. “He knows you only get to be a senior one time, and he wanted to finish what he started.”

Swinney is smart, imaginative, dynamic; characteristics he’s brought to the recruiting game where he’s considered gifted.

He’s filled his staff with winners.

His exuberance and energy are contagious. He knows how to celebrate with his players when things go right. He also knows how to lift them when things aren’t so right.

He was as physically exhausted as most of his players after the Miami game.

He coaches 100 percent, and his motto for this team is “all in.”

A lot of good things transpired the past two weeks for Clemson football, including the coming of age of its young, unsinkable head coach.

One short phrase from William Christopher “Dabo” Swinney definitely sums up the program,

“We’re just getting started.”