Parker Not Happy with Late TDs Allowed

CLEMSON — The 10 ^th ranked Clemson Tigers remain undefeated in ACC play after Saturday’s win against Virginia at Memorial Stadium.

T.J. Parker spoke with the media following Saturday’s game to give a recap of his performance, the defense, and more.

–After Virginia’s five scoreless drives in the second half, Clemson’s increased substitutions allowed the Cavaliers’ offense to add two late touchdowns to make the score seem closer that it was. Parker said, “When the young guys got in and they started giving up points, I told them the standard doesn’t change because you guys get in the game. You guys have to be ready. You have to be prepared.” He added, “At the end of the day, we have a standard to play to. We don’t play down to our opponent.”

—The Cavaliers scored early in the second quarter to take their only lead of the day, 10-3. Parker said the defense “flushed it” and moved onto the next play. He said, “We had a windshield mentality; the offense went out and did their thing. We just continued to play.”

–Peter Woods was back for his second game after missing two games due to an injury against App State. Woods was back last week but not able to go full speed. Parker said, “I’m excited for him, I know he’s been dying to get back out there at full speed. I’m happy he’s back. He’s making a lot of plays, it’s like he didn’t miss a beat. He’s a very key part of our defense so I’m just super excited to see him.”

–Heading into their second bye week of the season, the Tigers have reached the halfway point in the season. When asked about his evaluation of this team, Parker responded, “I feel like we’re in a good spot. We still have a lot of work to do but I feel like we’re aiming in the right direction.”