Clemson 24, Boston College 14: Quotables

Boston College Head Coach Steve Addazio overall thoughts:

"I just met with the team, and obviously we are disappointed. We fought hard and the guys left it all on the field. We took the No. 3 team in the country toe to toe, but we just did not finish. Clemson has a very good football team and they showed it today. I will never be happy with a loss, and I will not be happy today. I like our team a lot. We did some really good things and some really bad things. If we can keep working and keep believing, then good things will happen. We had to burn too many timeouts to avoid penalties and we could have used those towards the end. I really like this football team, and I will keep working to make them better."

Addazio on Chase Rettig performance:

"I thought he made some great plays and made some great throws. I loved his leadership and his demeanor today. It's hard in there, backed into the endzone where it is loud. He battled his tail off and kept his composure. That guy is competing his tail off, and he is laying it all on the line. I am very proud of him."

Addazio on play calling:

"We need to get some more creative plays, because the defenses we are playing are very good and we have to throw some different looks at them. I thought we threw everything we had at them today, and we were very successful at times."

Addazio on what he has learned about his team:

"They are tough and there is a lot of heart and determination on this team. I love our coaching staff and our players. We are really wrapped tight together and we work well as a unit. There is no doubt that anyone watching us sees that we are improving and getting better as a team."

Addazio on FSU vs. Clemson matchup:

"They both have great talent on their teams and they are very explosive and fast. It will be one of the better games of the year. They both have really good defenses and both have two really good quarterbacks. Plain and simple, they are both really good football teams."

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney overall thoughts:

"It's good to know that we can win a street fight. You have to give Boston College credit. They were a tough team, but we battled, we played very physically and we were just a little bit deeper than they were. It's good to pull out a win. The play of our defense was tremendous. We held the nation's leading rusher to 70 yard, and that was awesome. We've held opposing teams to 14 points in five straight games. Our defense is playing great.

"We missed a lot of opportunities on offense. We had a lot of miscues. We totaled 500 yards of offense and that was the worst we've played all year, but that's very encouraging. We had a lot of missed opportunities and have a lot to improve on. We showed resolve and character and won the second half, 21-7. If you want to be a good team, you have to win games like this. We kept fighting and overcame mistakes and it's good to get out with a win."

Swinney on the play of both defenses:

"Boston College had a great plan against us. They brought unusual pressure. Our guys were well prepared, but didn't take care of business. We got turnovers and big plays when we needed them and showed a lot of heart. The fun is in the winning. Physically, Boston College really got after us and Florida State (earlier in the season). We really played sound on defense."

Swinney on the play of his defensive line:

"Our fans made a difference in the game. They gave us unbelievable energy when we needed it, especially in the third quarter. I can't thank our fans enough. They've turned this into a hard place for visiting teams to execute. Our defensive line took the game over."

Swinney on the play of the offense:

"The standard here is really high. We had 500 yards of offense, but we're not happy. We left a lot on the field. You can't put the ball on the ground; that's what causes offenses like ours to stall and let teams hang around. We couldn't finish our drives on offense. We're not always perfect, but at the end of the day, it's all about the `W'."

Swinney on the play of Roderick McDowell:

"Rod is one of the best leaders we have on the field. We gave him the ball right after his fumble because we knew he would go out and execute. You have to overcome some things, and he did. Unfortunately, we don't have perfect coaches or perfect players. People make mistakes, but we overcame them today. All the credit goes to the players and fans. This is a hard place for visiting teams to win and I'm proud of everyone."

Postgame quotes via bceagles.com.