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DR PEPPER ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: CLEMSON VS MIAMI

November 27, 2017

Christian Wilkins

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. I'm just curious where you feel like the performance of the defensive line is at going into this game, given that some guys have been kind of in and out of the lineup and health has been an issue towards the latter part of the season. Do you kind of feel like the group is sort of clicking on all cylinders at the right time now?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Yeah, definitely. I feel like we're all pretty healthy relatively and everything. Not too many guys are beat up or bruised too bad or anything like that. I just feel like it's championship game, and a lot is at stake and a lot is on the line. Fortunately for us all the guys on the D-line have a lot of experience and know how to perform on the big stage and the bright lights and everything, too. I feel like going forward we could definitely be leading the team, leading the charge, and setting the tone.

Q. As a guy who appreciates some good on-field swag, what is your take on the turnover chain?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: I think it's good for them. You know, that's good for Miami. It's incentive to get turnovers and things like that. It's pretty good for them and all that. But we hope they don't have many turnover chains this weekend going into the game. We want to make sure they keep those locked up somewhere. But they've done a good job for us in turnovers all year and everything like that, but hopefully we're the team that comes out with more forced turnovers by the end of the game.

Q. Curious of your memories of the game against Miami a couple years ago, 58-0 at their house, all that. What do you remember from that day?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: I just remember even before the game it got a little chippy and everything like that. You know, there were some words said and things like that and tempers flaring a little bit before the game. I just remember we came out firing and just took it to them, and I'm sure there's still some guys on the team from then that might come into the game with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder because of what happened last time we played them at their place. But we're ready for it. We're ready for everything they're going to be coming at us with, obviously a high stakes game and a chance to win a championship this week, so we hope to go do that.

Q. Your programs were in such different places at that time. With the way you guys were rolling at the time, do you line up against a team that day and say we're probably if we do what we do, we're probably going to win this game?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Say it again? I'm sorry.

Q. With where the programs were at that time in 2015, do you line up for a game like that thinking if we do what we do we're probably going to win this game?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Yeah, that's just a mindset that we create. If we just be ourselves, if we do what we know how to do and just compete and live by the rest of our standards, we'll be fine. We'll win the game. But obviously they've made strides as a program since that game, and they look a lot better and everything, too. They're more than capable of beating us. But again, if we just worry about us, because it's not about them at all, it's all about us and how we prepare and how we practice and how we are going forward, then we'll hopefully get the result we want.

Q. I'm just wondering if you could make some comments about Malik Rosier, the young quarterback, and what kind of challenge, if any, he presents for you.
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Oh, yeah, he's a good player. He's a good quarterback. He has some good weapons around him, a solid offensive line and good skill around him, as well. You know, he can definitely throw the ball. He's done a good job doing that. He has a pretty good arm, and his ability to run the football is better than I thought. After getting a chance to see him on tape and everything, you know he can help with his feet, everything like that, and he seems just like a pretty good leader the way he leads the charge, leads the team and everything like that, as well.

Q. He obviously had his worst game, had an off day this last game that they lost. How do you think that you being a player, how do you think that affects someone, especially a quarterback, know what I mean, coming into such a crucial game?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Well, definitely for me personally, I know like as a competitor, you always -- especially when you have a bad game, you're always hoping to bounce back, and you usually come out stronger the next game, and obviously it's a big game, so I'm sure he'll be ready to go against us, and he'll have the troops ready, as well. We've definitely got to be prepared for them and expect him and the rest of the team to give us all they've got.

But at the end of the day, it's still, like I said, it's all about us, no matter how ready they'll be, we've still got to prepare hard and be ready to go, so we'll be prepared for anything.

Q. You guys have lost a game, too, so you lost also a game against a team that had a losing record.
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Right.

Q. In that circumstance -- I'm not talking about let's say individually having a bad day, but as far as the team losing against Syracuse, how do you come back and rebound? What's your thought process after that?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Really just get back to whatever it is you've done in the previous weeks and just over time to get wins. For us after our loss, we knew we didn't have to do anything miraculous and change our culture or our ways, it's just one loss. And I'm sure for them it's the same. They had one loss this year after having a really good season up until that point, so they've just got to get back into their ways and do what they do. I'm sure that's probably their mindset coming into it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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