CLEMSON, S.C. — Saturday night at Memorial Stadium will be the first time Dabo Swinney and James Franklin stand on opposite sidelines, and the Clemson coach spent part of his Tuesday news conference talking about a friendship that goes back two decades.
Swinney said he first got to know Franklin in the 2000s, when Franklin was an assistant at Maryland. Their wives are close friends as well. Most of their time together comes on Nike trips each February for top college coaches, which both men began attending around the same time.
Franklin is in his first year leading Virginia Tech after nearly 12 seasons at Penn State. He has hinted at offensive tweaks for this game, since he knows Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen, his former coordinator at Penn State. Swinney said execution by players will matter more than any scheme changes.
Clemson has given up 268.2 yards a game since its opener against LSU. Clemson brings a 4-2 record, 2-1 in league games, into the 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN, and the visiting Hokies are 5-2 with a 2-2 mark in the ACC.
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