Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Steve Spurrier have exchanged plenty of words, but Swinney had some nice ones to say about the Head Ball Coach on Wednesday.

He also doubts that Spurrier won’t return to college football in some way, shape or form.

“I will miss Coach Spurrier from a college football standpoint because he’s one of the best to ever walk the sidelines,” Swinney said. “But he will resurface somewhere and be a part of the game.”

Spurrier, who resigned in October, was 6-4 against Clemson but enjoyed a five-game win streak against the in-state rivals before it was snapped with a 31-17 loss last season.

The Gamecocks and interim coach Shawn Elliott now enter this Saturday’s game in Columbia on a four-game losing streak and are 17-point underdogs.

“It’s different with him (Spurrier) not being there, but that all transpired a while ago,” Swinney said. “The difference from a game-plan standpoint is they’ve had different playcallers and different schematic things throughout the season. They’ve shown about everything. It’s a lot to get ready for, that’s the biggest challenge.”