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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 30, 2009

Thomas Austin

LINDSEY ROGERS: Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining today's football championship student-athlete media teleconference. Appreciate everybody for joining. Just a reminder, later today there will be a transcription as well as audio files available on theACC.com of today's call. In addition, later today at 5:00 the credential deadline for our ACC Dr. Pepper Football Championship will be due. If you have any questions, please call the main line at the ACC office.
At this time we will be joined with senior guard Thomas Austin from Clemson. Thomas, are you there?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Yes, ma'am, I'm here.
LINDSEY ROGERS: Welcome, and thank you for joining us today. Austin has helped the offensive line guide the Clemson Tigers to the second-best scoring offense and third-best rushing offense of the ACC this season. We'll open the line for questions for Thomas at this time.

Q. I wonder if you could describe what it's like to block for C.J. Spiller, and years from now when somebody asks you to tell stories about what it was like to play with him, what stories will be remember the most?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Well, C.J. definitely makes our job better as an offensive line, makes our job easier. I never cease to be amazed at how he'll turn a play that doesn't look like there's anything there into a big gain. His versatility out of the backfield, kickoff coverage, all those things, make him such a valuable player to our team.
But he's also developed the last couple years and been able to put his head down and get those tough yards.
You know, but as far as a specific one, there's so many to choose from. I think probably just the first year I saw him in camp where he made about three or four jump cuts and took it 80 yards in a scrimmage, I was like, this guy is going to be pretty good. I never cease to be amazed at the plays that C.J. makes.

Q. Can you tell me about the unique challenges in playing a team twice in one season?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Sure. It is a unique challenge. I've never had to really do it before in college. You know, we know their personnel well. We've gone against those guys the last couple years and this season, but from a schematic standpoint, we know what they do, they know what we do, so I think for us it'll just be a matter of not trying to hide things but just doing what we do a little bit better. From an execution standpoint, we're going to have to be on our "A" game in that regard, and then just playing a complete game for 60 minutes.

Q. I just wanted to ask you a little bit more about C.J. Spiller. Playing with him for the past four years, how have you seen him grow and change in his game over the course of his career?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Well, C.J. has always had the big-play threat, even coming in as a freshman. He's tremendous out of the backfield, catching the ball, from a special teams standpoint, always been good at that. I think how he's developed the last couple years that I've seen him is into a better running back, not only between the tackles but also sweeps and everything like that. So from our standpoint, he's become a better true running back in that he sees defense better, he makes better reads, better cuts, and like I said, he can put his head down and get those tough yards when necessary.

Q. What's it mean to the program do you think to have this opportunity to win a league title for the first time since '91 and get to one of the marquee Bowl games?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Well, it's absolutely vital for us as a program. We have a winning tradition here at Clemson that's something we take pride in, as does Georgia Tech, have won a lot of championships here. But to not have won a Conference Championship in 18 years is something that we see as a unique opportunity for us to capitalize on that and to play well this weekend and to have a chance to play in those big BCS January Bowl games is something that is a goal as a player, and that's what we were sold on coming out of high school, that we were going to have that opportunity if we came to Clemson. To see that come to fruition the last couple years, just a lot of hard work, it's very rewarding for us.

Q. I want to ask you about Kyle. How have you seen his progression this season come along, and when was the moment where you saw he really took over the team and really took over the offense there?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Sure. Well, obviously Kyle is playing very good football right now. I think one thing about Kyle is that he's always willing to take chances and to throw the ball, and he's not afraid of that. Really just has a tremendous amount of poise. I think from a lineman's standpoint he works the pocket extremely well, avoids pressure, can make things happen with his legs, very athletic guy, can throw well on the run, as well as pick up some yards on a carry.
But I think the turning point for him I think was maybe Miami. He had had some good games from that standpoint, but the fourth quarter we started putting a winning drive together, then he throws a pick in the end zone, and then the next series he just puts it behind him, leads us down the field again, and we kicked the field goal to tie it and put it into overtime and win in overtime on another good throw on his part.
So for him just the poise that he's -- and learning to sometimes take what the defense gives you, not try to force too many things, and he's made a lot of good plays for us.

Q. And I just have one more follow-up that's unrelated. Derrick Morgan, of course, for Georgia Tech, everyone has been talking about him this year and how good he is. Just what is it about him that's so tough for you guys to defend when you reflect back on that first game?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Sure. Well, he's a very talented player, has a tremendous burst off the ball, two-step quickness, but he's also very powerful. So it's a unique combination of a speed rusher on the outside, but he also has a very strong bull rush, as well.
And he's a relentless player. He makes a lot of plays running guys down the backside, has a tremendous motor, doesn't take any plays off, and so for us to try to neutralize him is going to be key for us this weekend. We gave up a couple sacks to him the first time we played them. We're definitely going to have to keep him in check.

Q. You just discussed what it means for the program right now to play in the ACC Championship. Can you expand a little bit for what it can mean with either program with mostly new coaches for the future of both teams?
THOMAS AUSTIN: Sure. We're both coming off a tough loss, and whoever loses this game is going to be on a two-game losing streak going into the Bowl game, so I think that'll be a tough mentality to overcome through the month of December.
For us to win this game, to have a chance to play in a BCS Bowl game, obviously carries all kinds of momentum into the off-season, I think recruiting-wise and obviously just to put our program back on the map a little bit. We've been very close the last couple years, but to see what Coach Swinney and his staff have done just to turn our program around the last year has been a tremendous testament to him and to the leadership of the team.

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