Video: Clemson’s Tajh Boyd Previews FSU

CLEMSON, S.C. (WOLO) — Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd addressed the media Tuesday to talk about the Tigers’ upcoming Saturday night showdown with Florida State.

Q.  In a game like this how do you manage the difference between being as good as you need to be to win it versus pressing?

TAJH BOYD:  You know, this game is performancebased.  Obviously for us it’s all about going out there and just playing to our capabilities.  Honestly, the stakes are high, the pressure is here, but at the same time that’s when you step up and you perform to your best abilities.  I think we’ve been in every position you could possibly imagine playing this university in the past three years, and that means you’ve got to love playing in games like this.

Q.  What does the fan support, especially in a matchup like this, what does it mean to you as players?

TAJH BOYD:  It means everything, just to see as much as we’ve grown as a team and as a program, we’ve grown that much as a fan base, as well.  I mean, it’s a big deal.  You see the tents out there.  You see everybody getting ready for the game and getting geared up for it.  As much as we’re ready to go out there and show, the fans are the same way.  You just love the whole group of things that comes together when a game like this comes around.

Q.  The fact that it’s a nighttime game, does that contribute to the atmosphere you’re talking about?

TAJH BOYD:  Yeah, the only thing that’s kind of bad about a night game is you have to wait around all day to play.  You love just to wake up and go and put your gear on and get ready to play.  You know, you just have to sit around and just keep on thinking about the game.  You kind of overplay things in your head sometimes because instead of just going out there and just reacting, you have to wait the whole day to get ready for it.

Q.  In the time of the game when you’re not on the field, how conscious are you of what’s happening with the other offense?

TAJH BOYD:  I’m pretty involved in the game.  But at the same time I’m more worried about what we’re doing as an offensive unit.  Same thing about the defense; I’m there supporting, I’m there paying attention to the circumstances, because in the game anything can happen on any play so you have to be alert and be ready, but at the same time it’s about making those adjustments, making those corrections.  If it calls for me to go out there and keep uplifting my teammates on the offensive side of the ball, that’s what it takes.

Other than that, I’m pretty involved in just paying attention and being a fan of the game sometimes.

Q.  Coach talked about how every week is the biggest game for you, and I’m sure from a coaching standpoint they prepare and try to get you guys ready the same way.  As a player in the locker room I’m curious what this game means, the significance, the winner of it, as well.  Is there a difference when you guys are talking, a sense of urgency this week?  Do you feel a difference?

TAJH BOYD:  Not necessarily.  I can honestly say that the mindset doesn’t really change, and again, I think that shows that the team has grown up because when you make one game more significant than the other, I think that’s when you can have a lack of focus.  This game does mean more in a sense because it puts you in the driver’s seat.  It actually puts you in a sense where you can do the things that you want to do.

You know, it’s a top five matchup, and you know, when you lose it’s not as big as far as you dropping so much, if you lose a game like this or you win a game like this because you’re going to be in the same area regardless, but at the same time we’re all about our goals.  The next goal for us is to win the division.  This sets the line for us to do that.  The goal after that is to win the conference.  That sets the line to do that.

I mean, it kind of puts things in perspective in the front of you when you have a game like this.

Q.  Are you surprised that Clemson is an underdog?

TAJH BOYD:  Am I surprised?  Not necessarily.  It just comes with it, man, sometimes.  It seems like every time we play one of those major top 10 opponents, you’re an underdog.  You have some people that have us as favorites, and I guess the line is, what, three points at home or something like that?  It’s give or take.  But again, you have to go out there and play the game at the end of the day.

Q.  I know you’re a fan of great quarterback play.  What have you seen of Winston and who does he remind you of?

TAJH BOYD:  You know, he’s like a  he’s just like a player that’s older than  he plays older than he is.  He’s a redshirt freshman.  His teammates back him.  They support him.  He handles himself in a more mature way when he steps out on the field.

And you know, the thing is it will be different for him here, but we’ll see how he handles it.  I was in a similar situation and I was a year older as a redshirt sophomore, but going to play in different venues is always fun and always exciting.  You never really know how it is until you actually step in that arena.  I’m anxious to see how he handles it, but the coaches are going to prepare him as best as possible.  But at the end of the day, you really just have to go out there and make plays because regardless of what you did before, in a game like this you have to go out there and just be prepared for this game.

Q.  Is there a sense that you’re being battle tested, the fact that you played Georgia and were in the fourth quarter and had to make a play; last week you were in the fourth quarter trailing and had to make a play? Maybe they haven’t been battling tested the way you are.  Is there an advantage to that?

TAJH BOYD:  We’ll have to see.  Personally I love being in those situations where the ball is in your court, it’s in your hand.  You have to go out there and make a play when the game is on the line.  It’s kind of always been me.  That’s kind of why I love to play the position.

Growing up I wanted to be a quarterback because I wanted the ball in my hands.  When it comes down to making a play late in the game when you need it, when you have to have it, that’s always been my thing, regardless of the outcome.  You’ve got to love being in that position.  As a program we’ve been in that situation a few times this year.  We’ve been in that situation numerous times throughout my career here.  You know, it’s something that they haven’t really had to deal with so far this season, but again, they have guys who have played there for a while now and they understand the circumstances and situations and how big this game is for them, as well.

Other than that, I’m pretty involved in just paying attention and being a fan of the game sometimes.

Q.  Coach talked about how every week is the biggest game for you, and I’m sure from a coaching standpoint they prepare and try to get you guys ready the same way.  As a player in the locker room I’m curious what this game means, the significance, the winner of it, as well.  Is there a difference when you guys are talking, a sense of urgency this week?  Do you feel a difference?

TAJH BOYD:  Not necessarily.  I can honestly say that the mindset doesn’t really change, and again, I think that shows that the team has grown up because when you make one game more significant than the other, I think that’s when you can have a lack of focus.  This game does mean more in a sense because it puts you in the driver’s seat.  It actually puts you in a sense where you can do the things that you want to do.

You know, it’s a top five matchup, and you know, when you lose it’s not as big as far as you dropping so much, if you lose a game like this or you win a game like this because you’re going to be in the same area regardless, but at the same time we’re all about our goals.  The next goal for us is to win the division.  This sets the line for us to do that.  The goal after that is to win the conference.  That sets the line to do that.

I mean, it kind of puts things in perspective in the front of you when you have a game like this.

Q.  Are you surprised that Clemson is an underdog?

TAJH BOYD:  Am I surprised?  Not necessarily.  It just comes with it, man, sometimes.  It seems like every time we play one of those major top 10 opponents, you’re an underdog.  You have some people that have us as favorites, and I guess the line is, what, three points at home or something like that?  It’s give or take.  But again, you have to go out there and play the game at the end of the day.

Q.  I know you’re a fan of great quarterback play.  What have you seen of Winston and who does he remind you of?

TAJH BOYD:  You know, he’s like a  he’s just like a player that’s older than  he plays older than he is.  He’s a redshirt freshman.  His teammates back him.  They support him.  He handles himself in a more mature way when he steps out on the field.

And you know, the thing is it will be different for him here, but we’ll see how he handles it.  I was in a similar situation and I was a year older as a redshirt sophomore, but going to play in different venues is always fun and always exciting.  You never really know how it is until you actually step in that arena.  I’m anxious to see how he handles it, but the coaches are going to prepare him as best as possible.  But at the end of the day, you really just have to go out there and make plays because regardless of what you did before, in a game like this you have to go out there and just be prepared for this game.

Q.  Is there a sense that you’re being battle tested, the fact that you played Georgia and were in the fourth quarter and had to make a play; last week you were in the fourth quarter trailing and had to make a play? Maybe they haven’t been battling tested the way you are.  Is there an advantage to that?

TAJH BOYD:  We’ll have to see.  Personally I love being in those situations where the ball is in your court, it’s in your hand.  You have to go out there and make a play when the game is on the line.  It’s kind of always been me.  That’s kind of why I love to play the position.

Growing up I wanted to be a quarterback because I wanted the ball in my hands.  When it comes down to making a play late in the game when you need it, when you have to have it, that’s always been my thing, regardless of the outcome.  You’ve got to love being in that position.  As a program we’ve been in that

situation a few times this year.  We’ve been in that situation numerous times throughout my career here.  You know, it’s something that they haven’t really had to deal with so far this season, but again, they have  have to go out there and wait and see.

Q.  Your receivers have had a lot of open room to run over the last few weeks against the zone.  Florida State, they like that man defense, so they’re going to challenge your receivers at the line of scrimmage.  How do they have to deal with that physically and mentally?

TAJH BOYD:  You just have to go out there and beat your guy.  At the end of the day, this game comes down to really who wants it more and can you beat that guy in front of you.  Comes down to that for our Oline, comes down to that for our Dline, for our receivers, our DBs, et cetera, et cetera.  You know, again, this has always been a physical game.  It’s always been the matchup.

They’re not going to do a lot of complicated things.  They feel like they can come, bring pressure with what they’ve got and cover you on the back end.  It’s a challenge for us as an offensive unit.  It’s a challenge for us out there on the perimeter at receiver.  I feel like my guys are confident.  I know they’re ready for it.

Last year in some situations they got the better of us.  It’s all about going out there and responding and beating the guy in front of you.

Q.  Sammy, does it still stick with him?

TAJH BOYD:  I haven’t really talked to him about that particular thing.  I know it still resonates with him.  At the end of the day you want to go out there and perform and prove that you’re that type of player, you’re that caliber player.  Sammy feels like he’s the best receiver in the country, and I feel like that, as well.  You know, at the end of the day you’ve just got to go out there and perform and prove it.

Q.  Winston has played on the road before but hasn’t experienced anything like what he’ll experience Saturday in the Valley.  Do you remember your first experience like that in a hostile environment, maybe at Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech, your first year as a starter?  What do you remember about it?

TAJH BOYD:  Yeah, I guess it was my first big game on the road.  It was a little different for me.  It was a homecoming for me.  So walking out there and being a captain for that game and getting booed when they called your name, I just loved it.  I thrived in it.  I felt like I was right at home.

Again, it’s different for everybody.  Everybody has different ways that they deal with it.  But again, for me and how I deal with it, I’ve usual got to love it and embrace it.  It’ll be something we’ll see how it goes, we’ll see how he adjusts.  I think in a way, for me, after a while it all gets blocked out because all it comes down to is you performing that particular play every time you step on that field.

But again, it’s different here.  I’ve seen situations where I feel like the crowd has actually won it for us.  Florida State game a couple years ago, Auburn game when the guy threw the pick, it was just that loud in here.  But again, it’s different for every quarterback in every situation.

Q.  Can a crowd like that weigh on you if it just continues to keep getting to you?

TAJH BOYD:  Oh, for sure, most definitely.  Again, I think that the more you’re in those situations, the better you become at it.  You know, some of it last year when we went down to Florida State.  We did some really good things.  They got a kickoff, returned it to about the 2yard line or something like that, and the crowd just erupted.  Again, being in that situation you have to kind of weather it.  You have to make sure your teammates understand it.  But it all comes down to you, it all comes down to the quarterback because if they see you’re composed and you weather it the right way, they will, too.