Syracuse's head coach discusses the matchup with Georgia Tech.
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00:50 >> Hi, good morning everybody.
00:59 [INAUDIBLE]
01:05 >> Really proud of the effort that the guys put in on the game.
01:09 I thought it was a physical contest and a good solid opponent.
01:14 Coach Narduzzi does a fantastic job with those Pitt Panthers.
01:20 And I was really, really proud of the effort and
01:23 the way the guys played the game.
01:25 Game balls for the game, defense is Bellamy, special teams is Elijah Clark.
01:34 And offense was Dan Valari.
01:38 In closing, I really want to thank the fans that came out
01:43 to support us in Yankee Stadium.
01:45 You could definitely hear them.
01:49 And to get an opportunity to go back and
01:51 celebrate with the band up there in that tall corner.
01:54 It was awesome after the game.
01:57 And for the guys to go over there and rally and show them how much we support
02:02 those band members and everybody else being there for us, it was really nice.
02:07 We've got a very, very good opponent this week.
02:10 Coach Key is doing an amazing job at Georgia Tech.
02:14 And those guys are really, really high in the conference and
02:18 we know they have a fantastic team with fantastic athletes.
02:22 And we know it's gonna be difficult, we know it's gonna be hard.
02:25 And we're looking forward to going down there and
02:28 having the opportunity to play that football team.
02:32 Questions?
02:35 We'll start right in the front.
02:37 And go ahead.
02:37 [INAUDIBLE]
02:41 When going back through the film from Saturday,
02:43 was there a specific offensive play or moment that you were most
02:49 proud of the guys being able to pull off and execute in this unique game plan?
02:52 You know, I thought one of the biggest plays was of the defensive play
03:00 by Bellamy for him to get that interception and then it's not so much.
03:06 Bellamy made a fantastic play on the ball.
03:09 But if you watch all the blocks that were made,
03:14 they were classic, pay attention to details.
03:19 Don't give them an opportunity to throw a flag.
03:22 This can be a fantastic play.
03:24 Rally, scratch, claw.
03:26 Don't clip, don't do this, show your hands.
03:29 I mean, they really, they turned that interception basically into a punt return
03:35 for a touchdown and I thought the defense and
03:38 the personnel that were on that side of the field did an amazing job.
03:40 What about on offense?
03:42 Was there an offensive play at all that stood out?
03:45 There was a lot of offensive plays that stood out because we had a lot of
03:49 offensive plays and we scored a lot of points.
03:51 I thought the biggest thing about what happened offensively is what
03:55 happened with the offensive line, for that offensive line to be able to churn out,
04:00 I don't know, 366 yards, something to that effect on the ground versus
04:05 a tough physical pit team, that was impressive.
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04:13 >> Hey, coach, how do you build off and continue the success and
04:18 the strategy of football that you played on Saturday while also
04:23 knowing that Georgia Tech has that whole game on tape and we'll see those plays?
04:29 >> You know that, it was quite a task to pull that off in a short week.
04:36 And the coaches rallied and did a really nice job,
04:42 but you can't do that without the players buying in.
04:45 And I thought the players gave us the opportunity,
04:49 allowed us to show them that this could be happened differently.
04:53 We can do this differently, you gotta believe, you gotta have faith.
04:57 And by the time we got to game time, I thought we had that.
05:01 Now it was close at halftime, but when you looked in their eyes at halftime,
05:05 Tommy, you could tell that they were all there, they were all locked in.
05:10 And that's why the fourth down stop down by the goal line on the one,
05:16 when we didn't get in and you turn around with Bellamy with the big play getting us
05:20 in, that was the snowball going downhill that we needed.
05:24 And from that point on it got extremely fun.
05:29 >> Do you see that being able to continue these next few weeks?
05:32 >> Never know, we're gonna always play towards our personnel.
05:36 And we have to find out what personnel we have,
05:39 cuz it was extremely physical game and the training room is filled up, okay?
05:46 >> Go back in front of Chris here in the middle.
05:51 >> How different was your week as coaches to come up with something so
05:55 different from like a brainstorming perspective?
05:58 >> It was long, and it was lack of sleep.
06:02 Our eyes are not so clear.
06:04 But it didn't matter how fresh we were,
06:08 the only thing that matters is the players are fresh.
06:10 And we were tired, offensively we were tired coaches, but that's okay.
06:15 That's okay.
06:18 >> I don't know if you'd be willing to share in terms of where the brainstorm
06:22 sort of came from, but did it come from you sort of telling Jason, hey,
06:26 we need to be more physical and this is what he came up with?
06:28 Did another coach sort of come up with the grain of sand that became an idea?
06:34 >> I knew you were gonna ask this question, so
06:38 I've really thought about this answer.
06:40 It was Team Syracuse.
06:43 It was Team Us.
06:44 And the entire Ohana bought in.
06:48 >> [INAUDIBLE]
06:57 >> So coach, you had mentioned personnel
06:59 is going to play an impact in scheme going forward.
07:02 What would it take for
07:03 you to want to move away from the strategy you employed on Saturday?
07:08 >> Health.
07:09 Health forced us to play that way and health can move us away from it.
07:12 >> [INAUDIBLE]
07:17 >> Well, we're on the topic of health.
07:19 Garrett, after his one of two throws on Saturday kind of looked like he was
07:24 reaching towards his back, his shoulder area seemed to be visibly uncomfortable.
07:28 If you had needed him to throw more than that five yard pass in the game,
07:33 would he have been able to comfortably?
07:35 >> Emily, too much information on an open meeting.
07:38 >> Would Garrett have been able to throw for
07:40 more than five yards on a single pass Saturday?
07:43 >> Heard you the first time you asked me in English,
07:45 too much information in an open meeting.
07:47 >> What about Carlos then?
07:50 He, I don't believe, was suited.
07:52 Obviously, we know he had been injured and
07:54 you hadn't heard last week when we talked to you, what's his status right now?
07:57 >> I saw him yesterday and he was moving through space extremely well.
08:01 And I was like, Carlos, you're moving better than I thought you'd be moving.
08:04 But we still gotta wait and see what the doctors say this week.
08:07 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> What have the doctors told you
08:11 to this point?
08:13 >> They haven't told me anything.
08:14 They see these guys on Monday night.
08:17 >> I mean before, like last week.
08:19 What was last week's report?
08:21 >> On?
08:22 >> On the quarterbacks.
08:23 >> Which one?
08:24 >> I'll ask about both, Garrett and Carlos.
08:26 >> Garrett was a maybe, and so he played.
08:30 Carlos was a no.
08:31 >> How would you characterize how the quarterbacks now further down
08:36 the depth chart can throw the football?
08:38 >> Ask the question again.
08:41 >> So asking about Braden Davis, asking about Luke McPhail,
08:44 we didn't see a lot of passes against Pittman.
08:46 Like how can they throw the football?
08:48 Are they capable of running a lot of?
08:49 >> They're quarterbacks, they can throw the football.
08:51 We didn't feel like, based off of what was going on in the game plan,
08:54 we didn't feel like we had to.
08:56 >> Okay.
08:56 >> Henry and then back to Jesse.
09:02 >> You've talked about just how the team bought in.
09:06 Obviously, the wide receivers didn't really get,
09:08 there were no catches from them at all.
09:10 Were they throughout the week able to buy in like the rest of the team, or
09:13 did they take a little longer than just?
09:15 >> Well, I've coached wide outs for a long time.
09:17 I've coached quarterbacks, I've coached running backs, I've coached DBs.
09:20 I've coached everybody except the O line and the D line.
09:22 I played linebacker.
09:23 Wide receivers are different, but they are my babies.
09:27 I love wide receivers.
09:28 I say the exact same thing.
09:29 I've been saying it for four decades.
09:31 They're a little bit different, okay?
09:34 But they're special.
09:35 And we could not have pulled off what we did Saturday night without the wide outs.
09:41 Those perimeter blocks are key in what we were doing.
09:44 And those guys bought in 100%.
09:48 One of those guys with a C on their chest bought in.
09:51 And I couldn't be more proud of what those guys did.
09:54 Coach Johnson did a really nice job.
09:56 Coach Caponelli did a really nice job with those receivers and
10:00 those tight ends on those perimeter blocks.
10:02 And you can't even think about lining up in something like that
10:05 if you're not gonna have the perimeter blocked.
10:07 >> What does it take for a wide receiver to kinda shift that,
10:10 kinda think of instead of being a pass catcher most of the game,
10:13 I'm just gonna be a blocker?
10:15 >> You have to be absolutely unselfish, and
10:18 you have to believe in something greater than yourself.
10:20 >> Can you take that back to Jeffy?
10:24 >> Coach, you mentioned the blocking of the wide receivers, but for
10:31 the offensive line as a whole, knowing the up and
10:33 down season that they've had, to see them put their heads down and
10:37 have you guys get, what was it, almost 400 rushing yards, I believe it was,
10:41 in the game, just for something along the lines of that, but-
10:43 >> I'm on the Georgia Tech.
10:44 >> [LAUGH]
10:45 >> I don't have the numbers.
10:46 >> But just to see them put their heads down and
10:49 put a performance like that together on the field, was that kind of
10:52 the potential that you saw from this starting five all the way back on the camp?
10:56 >> They were sitting over there yesterday.
11:01 And they got a huge round of applause from everybody else in this room.
11:08 I couldn't be more prouder of them.
11:10 They've been the butt of too many jokes this year, popped up in too many articles.
11:17 And for them to rally around and do something like that as a unit,
11:22 and I was really, really proud of them.
11:26 That's even with Joe Cruz playing a lot at guard,
11:30 mixing it in and out at Bradford's position.
11:35 I couldn't be more proud of them.
11:36 And you definitely had to have faith that they could do that.
11:42 But now you no longer have to have faith,
11:46 cuz you can look at the results, that it is definitely possible.
11:49 >> Go ahead, Michael.
11:51 >> Coach, I don't know if you got a chance to see him, but
11:58 last night some of the local high school championships were in the dome.
12:01 I talked to Dante Vishay after the game, and
12:03 he said that he could see himself playing in the dome for a long time.
12:08 What does it mean to you from a recruiting perspective that there is still
12:12 local interest in the program?
12:14 >> There should be local interest in the program.
12:17 I mean, this program is historic.
12:19 One of the reasons I came here is because of the history of this football program.
12:23 And anyone that really loves football and really knows the history of it
12:28 should have something in their heart for Syracuse University.
12:30 >> Thank you.
12:32 >> We'll go back across the front to Brent Nemily.
12:35 >> Coach, do you have a story or a performance that relates to what
12:43 Dan Valari did, a player stepping into a different position,
12:47 taking on a different role?
12:48 Is there something that has come along in your career that you can compare it to?
12:52 >> Yes, we had a similar thing happen my,
12:58 I wanna say my junior year at Hawaii.
13:01 We lost three quarterbacks, and
13:03 we were going to play Arizona State, who was ranked in the top 20.
13:07 I can't remember if it was the 11th or 12th game of the year.
13:12 And I do remember that they had a guy,
13:14 I wanna say they had a quarterback by the name of Mark Malone, was their quarterback,
13:19 who's a big decathlete guy, awesome body, great looking cat.
13:23 But we had lost our quarterbacks and we took the best competitor
13:30 on our team, our free safety on defense by the name of Blaine Gison.
13:35 And moved him to the offense and he played quarterback.
13:39 And you gotta go look up the stats, cuz this is really eerie.
13:43 I may be off on the stats, this was a long time ago.
13:46 But I wanna say that we threw like seven passes and
13:50 we completed like two or four of them, and I'm not sure they were all his.
13:56 I think that some other positions, some running backs completed some passes.
14:00 But his leadership, his courage, the way he ran the ball, and
14:06 the way the team rallied behind him, we came up with a big win versus Arizona State,
14:10 who was ranked and we were not ranked.
14:12 And to be able to do something like that, and
14:16 to get everybody else to be unselfish,
14:18 they gotta be rallying behind somebody they believe in.
14:21 And I said this at the post game, but when you talk about LaQuinn Allen and
14:27 Dan Valari, and we didn't know Garrett Schrader was gonna be available, but
14:31 you add Garrett Schrader to the mix, and you've got three guys that
14:36 have a huge heart and they play the game the right way.
14:38 >> LaQuinn got his eye poked on Saturday.
14:45 I'm curious if you saw that play and what your thoughts were,
14:47 because there's definitely discourse about whether it was dirty play or not.
14:52 >> I'm not gonna talk about the play itself.
14:54 I did see the play, and I know Pat Narduzzi extremely well.
14:59 He's a very close friend of mine, and I'm sure that that'll be handled.
15:06 But the play speaks for itself.
15:09 >> You mentioned just not knowing when, if Garrett would be available, and
15:13 you had said earlier he was a maybe for the week.
15:15 When did you guys definitively find out, okay, he's got the okay from the trainers,
15:19 he can go out and be a part of this?
15:22 >> I'm not gonna get into the exact detail of it, but
15:24 when they told us that he was available,
15:27 all we had to do was switch some plays around, he's a valuable member.
15:31 >> Where's Tom and then Tyler down here in front?
15:35 Looking ahead to Saturday with two teams coming in at five and
15:38 five, both playing for bowl eligibility,
15:41 what type of football game are you expecting?
15:44 >> Physical, exciting, close.
15:50 >> And how about the Yellow Jackets?
15:53 What stands out to you so far from what you've seen?
15:55 >> Just they have their tenacity.
15:59 I mean, that's a good football team.
16:03 It's got a bunch of conference wins.
16:05 It's up at the top, it's not down at the bottom.
16:08 Their quarterback is extremely, extremely good.
16:11 Their tailback combination is fantastic.
16:15 They have a receiver faster than everybody on our team, 10 to 100 meters.
16:18 That guy should be on the Olympic track team, not playing football.
16:22 And that doesn't even count their defense.
16:23 Their defense is huge, big defensive line, guys that run around.
16:27 They're an extremely talented team.
16:31 And then they got a guy that used to play for us playing for them.
16:34 So it's another one of those deals where we got a guy with a Syracuse degree down
16:39 there playing football for them, and we're happy for him.
16:42 But hopefully we'll find a way to score one more point and come out with a W.
16:46 >> So as you just mentioned, one win away from bowl eligibility.
16:53 And a lot of people see getting to a bowl as kind of the marker of
16:57 a successful season.
16:58 Do you agree, is getting to a bowl game
17:00 what dictates a successful college football season?
17:03 >> You know, when I played, I played, counting my red shirt year,
17:08 I played five years in college, counting my red shirt year.
17:12 Never played on a losing football team.
17:14 Never went to a bowl game.
17:17 It's back in the times when there wasn't a lot of bowl games.
17:22 Okay, so for me to be able to say I never played on a losing college football team,
17:25 I never played on a bowl game, everybody's looking like, what?
17:28 That's how it was back in the day.
17:30 So when guys start this, you have levels,
17:35 championships, national championships, da, da, da.
17:39 But the bottom part of success is getting these guys to a bowl game.
17:43 They give up their summers, they go through broken bones,
17:47 torn ligaments, surgeries.
17:50 If we can find a way to get them to a bowl game, to me, that's a good thing.
17:56 >> Back to Michael in front.
18:03 >> Coach, circling back to Georgia Tech.
18:06 They've got Georgia, the number one team in the country, to close out the year.
18:09 So how do you prepare for a team that's probably playing with a bit more
18:13 desperation this week,
18:14 knowing that it's their best chance to get bowl eligibility before the season's over?
18:19 >> I can't speak for Georgia Tech, and I can't speak for their schedule either.
18:24 I mean, that's their rival, they play them a lot.
18:27 We have rivals that we play a lot.
18:29 My focus is on Syracuse and staying locked in with the guys in this room.
18:34 And making sure that we can better or
18:36 match the effort that we just put in last week at Yankee Stadium.
18:41 >> We'll go all the way back to Maddie.
18:45 >> Coach, you said that the guys had a buy-in to get the win over Pitt.
18:49 Now heading into this week, snapping that losing streak.
18:52 Have you seen a shift in the mindset from the players at all?
18:55 >> Haven't seen them on the field.
18:57 When we came in here yesterday, it's a good feeling.
19:01 You hand out game balls because we only hand out game balls after a win.
19:06 So we were sitting on some game balls to hand out, had been around for a while.
19:11 And then when we announced the new guys, then we go through our film study.
19:17 So there's, you know you won the game, but
19:20 you've got to go through some bad stuff too.
19:22 And trying to get that stuff to be exactly right, to be perfect.
19:25 So there was some mixed emotions based off the day, but
19:30 for the most part everybody was happy.
19:32 They were fired up and they were together.
19:34 Now they got their time off and
19:36 we get to see them tomorrow morning at 6.30 AM in this room.
19:40 >> Take a couple more from Coach, if anybody's got them, we'll start with Chris.
19:44 >> How much do you think sort of the element of surprise helped?
19:52 And if you have to play the same way the last two games,
19:55 do you think that could be a winning formula for you guys the rest of the way?
19:59 >> I think the biggest thing is, once again, this thing was dictated off of
20:02 personnel, when we can't keep basing our, hey, so and so's gonna be healthy.
20:08 So and so's gonna be healthy, so and so's gonna be healthy.
20:11 And then so and so's not healthy.
20:12 That's not fair to everyone else.
20:16 So we're basing these things off of guys who are healthy,
20:20 not somebody we're expecting to be healthy.
20:21 So it could change based off of how our health changes.
20:25 >> And then Emily in front, my last question.
20:30 >> I know you hadn't seen it on Saturday, but
20:32 have you seen the footage of Garrett's backflip and what were your thoughts?
20:35 >> I just saw him, what was it?
20:40 It was 8, 8.32 AM today I saw him.
20:45 I saw him last night, we had a kumbaya meeting with 103 stepbrothers watching.
20:51 But I thought he nailed it.
20:55 I thought it was a ten.
20:56 >> All right, thanks coach.
21:00 >> Thank you guys.
21:00 >> I'll come around for the question.
21:02 >> Thank you.
21:07 >> Well, there's a few.
21:09 >> That must be where I went.
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