Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:06 >> Coach mentioned yesterday that none of you guys were happy with what you put on
00:08 film.
00:09 He thought you guys responded well and walked through on Sunday.
00:11 How did today go and what did you take from that game?
00:14 >> Today's been a whole turnaround from last week.
00:17 We didn't go in there playing how we wanted to play at all.
00:19 We didn't get fast, we were physical.
00:21 And we did everything wrong that could possibly go wrong and
00:23 still come out with a victory.
00:25 So I was just detrimental to my mental, being the top team,
00:29 we think we are, and playing like that.
00:31 But then Sunday we came in and everybody had a purpose.
00:33 We were moving around fast, we were moving around physical.
00:35 You could tell once we walked into the lift, everything was different.
00:38 >> I know you don't wanna have to learn a lesson like that, but
00:40 do you think the lesson was learned and you take it from it?
00:43 >> I think it was definitely a lesson learned.
00:45 You can't look down on any opponent you go up against.
00:46 Everybody has a hit out on us, they wanna get us.
00:49 They got something they wanna prove against us.
00:51 They did that, we can't let that happen again.
00:53 We gotta go out there and play how we play.
00:55 We're the top team and we can't let that ever happen again.
00:57 >> Should it have that kind of problem getting up against for Clemson?
01:01 How exciting is this challenge for you to get back to a dead belt?
01:04 >> Good, I heard about the environment out here.
01:05 It's a hostile environment, it's loud, they get physical.
01:08 I'm excited for it.
01:09 This is what I come here for.
01:10 >> The noise of practice, a little louder than usual,
01:14 is that difficult to communicate with?
01:15 I guess how did that impact practice at all?
01:18 >> I think we actually responded to it very well, just tuning it out.
01:21 Everybody still, we have a lot of hand signals and stuff like that.
01:23 We're doing our hand signals, looking at each other in the eyes,
01:25 making the calls, everyone's getting it, we're getting it down fast.
01:28 I'm not letting what happened Saturday, the tempo of that,
01:30 come mess with us this week.
01:32 We're getting, responding to everything quickly.
01:34 >> That is how they attempt to pass that right?
01:36 To have it out there?
01:37 You guys are having fun with it?
01:39 >> Yeah, it's like getting prepared for Saturday, cuz it's gonna be a loud game.
01:42 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:44 >> Her offense is really showing you
01:47 specifically more looks.
01:48 Are they blocking differently than they did last year as far as using running
01:51 backs or tight ends or double teams?
01:53 >> Yeah, last year I was getting a lot of one on ones.
01:55 I'll get chips every now and then, but I responded to them well.
01:57 But this year it's getting the slide, I'm getting the chip by the running back with
02:01 the guard coming with me.
02:02 The tight ends taking me, and then the running back shipping me, and
02:04 the tackles coming out of nowhere.
02:05 I'm getting blocks I've never seen before, even at other levels.
02:09 So it's definitely difficult, but with the film I've studied,
02:13 watching people at the next level, everything like that, I'm like,
02:15 I think I'm getting a hold of it, understanding how I can counteract stuff
02:18 like that. >> How much does it affect the way you
02:20 blush or pass the ball?
02:22 Jayden Daniels is one of the quarterbacks, and
02:23 then that kid last week ran around like a slobber seed, but he was really quick.
02:27 How does that change the way you rush as a quarterback?
02:29 >> We have to change our rushes a little bit.
02:31 You can't go too high because then they're just gonna take a gap.
02:34 You can't go too low because then they're gonna bounce outside you because they're
02:36 quick enough to do that.
02:37 We have the speed to contain them to the edge, but they're only to a certain point.
02:40 They get to a certain point, they're gone.
02:42 So you just have to change your rush, constrict the pocket,
02:44 just make sure there's no ways that you get out of it.
02:46 >> And the kid this week can move a little bit too.
02:48 I don't know if he's quite the Boston College kid, but
02:51 he's a good athlete.
02:52 >> He's a great athlete.
02:53 He's very fast.
02:54 He gets downhill.
02:54 Once he gets downhill, he's quick and everything like that, running back and
02:57 the quarterbacks.
02:58 That's something we definitely have to take into consideration,
03:01 cuz we don't go up against a lot of quarterbacks that are just gonna sit in
03:03 the pocket and throw the ball.
03:05 >> I know every time you wanna start off fast, start off well, but
03:08 how important is it to not give that kid confidence early on and shake and rattle?
03:12 >> We definitely have to get there.
03:13 He gives us confidence.
03:14 He's good.
03:15 He's a very great player.
03:17 But we take that away and everything will handle itself.
03:19 Everybody else will do their job and everything will come the way we want it to.
03:22 >> With offenses maybe blocking a little differently than they did last year,
03:25 I guess as you're back, is that more the adjustment more,
03:30 physical adjustment, mental, to know you're getting chipped,
03:32 getting double team backhands?
03:34 >> I think it's more of a mental thing.
03:35 I've never been worried about my physical.
03:36 I'm strong enough that if a running back chips me,
03:38 I don't think I'm gonna get going flying across the field.
03:41 But it's just a mental thing, cuz if a guard and an attack will come on me,
03:44 that's a whole different conversation, cuz it's like 700 and
03:47 something pounds versus 100 and something pounds running back.
03:51 So it's just a mental thing, figuring out if he chips me, I have to do this instead,
03:54 or I have to go attack him.
03:55 So in his head, he's like, he's gonna come attack me, so he lays off a little bit.
03:59 So it's kind of a mental thing, how do I handle it?
04:02 >> The coaches I know have talked about how you've been maybe more impactful than
04:04 your numbers show through the first few games.
04:06 Is it hard to not worry about that a little,
04:08 maybe not having the pressure of last year?
04:09 Is that easy to come from side to side?
04:11 >> It was hard definitely at the beginning of the season,
04:13 especially social media.
04:15 You're looking at everybody's like, he had no sacks,
04:17 he had no impact on the game, he didn't do anything.
04:20 But then me and Coach Novell sat down last week and he was like,
04:23 you're doing great, keep doing what you're doing.
04:25 Really helped my confidence, cuz it took a big plummet moment,
04:28 just playing, not having the production I wanted.
04:31 But talking to him, it changed my whole life.
04:34 That conversation really changed my perspective.
04:36 So now it's like, if I don't have sacks, people are gonna say,
04:39 he got locked up, look what happened.
04:41 Everybody else was getting one on ones, and
04:42 you give everybody else on our team a one on one, you pick your poison.
04:46 Like, that's bad news.
04:48 >> You guys have been, I feel like, really good stopping running backs.
04:52 You've had some quarterbacks that have busted loose, but
04:54 why have you all been so good at stopping traditional running backs running the ball?
04:59 >> Cuz we're a strong front, it's D line.
05:01 We just handle everything, we stay in our gaps.
05:02 We know our linebackers are gonna come handle theirs, so
05:04 we just have to do ours.
05:05 We'll constrict every gap, we're strong enough to press them back.
05:08 If there's a little bit of space, everyone will close it down.
05:11 If the ball closes down, the guard will bring it down, everything like that.
05:13 So it just depends, people just handle what they gotta do, their job.
05:16 >> And then Shipley, obviously, is a very good player.
05:18 The kid behind him is a good player.
05:20 What kind of challenge is this going up against?
05:22 >> It's just that his ability to bounce outside the box.
05:24 We'll be able to handle putting people in gaps and constricting the pocket,
05:28 everything like that.
05:28 But it's his ability to bounce, how quick he is, how fast he is.
05:32 He reads the game so well, he gets down the hill so well.
05:34 He's an amazing player, so
05:35 we just have to be prepared for whatever he does and respond to him.
05:38 >> And rally to the ball, too, cuz he can break some tackles?
05:41 >> Most definitely.
05:41 Once one person gets them up, holding them,
05:43 everybody has to get in there and finish them down.
05:44 >> I mean, you said you're really excited about going up there.
05:48 Can you sense that your teammates have that same sort of excitement for
05:51 this challenge?
05:52 >> Yeah, I ain't gonna lie.
05:53 We walked out on Sunday, we met, everything like that.
05:56 We got rid of the Boston College from, moved on from that.
05:58 And everybody's talking about Clemson.
05:59 You see people smiling, all excited for it.
06:01 Talking about the environment, Death Valley, everything like that.
06:04 I'm hyped up for it.
06:05 I ain't never been there.
06:05 I heard it's a fun thing to do, so I'm hyped.
06:08 >> All right, thanks, Sheriff.
06:10 - Thank you, man. - Thank you.