Sept. 4, 2007
GEORGIA TECH WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
September 4, 2007
HEAD COACH Chan Gailey
One of your players said that Appalachian State was mentioned (in your talk to the team)?
“Sunday night that was mentioned. I think that’s one of the things that come out of a game like that. You get to talk about the importance of every game and how you get ready each and every week. It’s a great reminder.”
You’ve been on the other side of that situation, the Championship Division coach going to the big school. What does Pat Sullivan, or anybody, say in that situation?
“I heard or read a couple of the things Appalachian State players said. Coach Moore had told them all week that they’re football players just like us. They played in high school, they’re playing in college, and to just go make your plays, do your thing. Anything can happen, and they were right. If you’re on the other side of that, you look on the other side and say that’s not Superman over there. He’s another football player. He’s another man. You do your job, and let’s see what happens.”
Will that cause some backlash from teams that might not want to schedule a team like Appalachian State, or like Georgia Southern used to be?
“I think there’s always been reluctance to that, to be honest with you. There probably has always been a problem doing that. There are plenty of people out there that want to play. You just have to find the right fit for you, for your program. Proximity is normally a part of it.”
What’s the most important thing you take from Saturday’s game at Notre Dame?
“Confidence is the number one thing you take away from a game like that. But our tackling can be better. Our return game can be better. Offensively, our red zone can be better. I’ve never seen a perfect game. I’ve never come out of a game and said, `Guys, just take the week off. We’ve got nothing to work on.’ I’ve never been in one of those. There’s always something you can work on and get better at, and you’ll need it somewhere down the line.”
How do you grade the offensive line in game one after Choice had such a good performance?
“I thought that the offensive line played extremely well. I thought the combination of Jacob Lonowski and A.J. Smith at right tackle worked out pretty good. Coach D’Alessandris kept subbing those out back and forth to keep them fresh, until A.J. got hurt again. Our other four starters, the four guys who have been starting all along, played very well in the ball game.”
How do you think (freshman defensive back) Morgan Burnett did in his first college game?
“I think he did a very good job in his first game. He has a very good feel for the game. He understands angles. He understands his speed and the relative speed of the guy he’s playing against. He knows how to tackle. He’s not afraid. I thought he played very well for a true freshman in his first ball game on the road at Notre Dame.”
The members of this year’s signing class were highly touted. Did you feel like you got more out of the ones that played Saturday than you expected?
“First of all, we haven’t had many games here when we’ve been able to play a lot of other guys at the end. Seems like every game we’ve played is a nail-biter. I don’t think anybody in this room anticipated one of those last Saturday. So we were able to play some younger guys. Morgan is one of the few non-special teams guys that were playing on the field early in the ball game. We were able to get Mario Butler and Brad Jefferson in on some special teams. That was good. Scott Blair kicked off well. I think we ended up playing about six (actually eight) true freshmen.”
What did you think of (backup quarterback) Josh Nesbitt Saturday?
“Nothing rattles the guy. If you’re on the sideline and tell him he’s going in, he says,’ OK.’ You talk to him after he comes off, and you ask him what he saw, and he says, `I saw this and this.” You ask him if he needs any explanation, and he says, `No, I got it.” He is unfazed by anything. That’s a great trait to have in a quarterback. He was in there first or second series. Nothing rattles the guy.”
Where have you crossed paths with Pat Sullivan?
“We’ve known each other a long time. When I was with Dallas, he was at TCU. We’d see each other at events and functions. We’ve cross paths and talked and visited, and we have a lot of mutual friends.”
Will it be good for your secondary to get a test from a quarterback like Adcock?
“They threw it pretty well. Last week on their first drive, it was three throws and they’re in the end zone. It will be good for us to get a little bit more of that. It will be good to have our pass defense challenged a little bit earlier in this ball game.”
How do things changed in your secondary with Word-Daniels out?
“If Jahi’s out, we’ll adjust some things around. We really haven’t come to exact terms on how that will happen yet. But I can see us having to change some nickel people and some dime people around.”
Did you get the sense Saturday that Taylor Bennett was not always comfortable in the pocket?
“I don’t know if comfortable is the word. You’d have to ask him, but I think he thought that he needed to be quicker than he needed to be. I think he rushed some things that he didn’t need to rush. It was good for him to experience that. Now he can say, `I did have a little time.'”
Does this week become bigger for him?
“Let’s remember this. The objective of a quarterback is to lead his team to victory, with whatever you have to do to lead your team to victory. He is 1-0 this year in that department. You can say he had a lackluster game, but he didn’t throw an interception, and he didn’t do anything dumb. He helped led his team to victory. He got us in the right plays. He checked quite a few times to the right plays. And he’s going to get better and better. I have complete confidence that he will each week as we go along.”
Fr., RB
What was your reaction to playing your first collegiate game at Notre Dame?
“It was great; probably a dream come true. It was just an exciting moment for me. Not many people get that opportunity, even to travel to a game like that, and to score a touchdown was great.”
Have you had a chance to see the Notre Dame game on film?
“I know my mom recorded it, but I really haven’t seen it yet other than the film that we watched yesterday. It was a memorable moment for my family and myself so we are going to cherish it as long as we can.”
What is your reaction to being ranked in the national polls?
“It’s exciting for us and it shows that we have a team capable of competing for an ACC Championship. We still have to go out there each and every week to prove ourselves and prove that we are a good team.”
What type of threat does Samford pose this Saturday?
“Each team is dangerous. You saw that from the Appalachian State-Michigan game that if we don’t come ready to play, anything can happen. We have to stay focused on each of our opponents because every team on our schedule will come out ready to play.”
How have the upperclassmen treated you true freshmen?
“The upperclassmen here are great guys. They have been big brothers to us they came in and took us under their wings. I know the running backs, Tashard (Choice), Rashaun (Grant), Jamaal (Evans) and Bull (Mike Cox) just told Roddy (Jones) and me what to do. They have helped us out whenever we needed anything.”
What does Tashard say to you?
“He just tells me what I need to look out for as far as the game is concerned. When he came out of the game, he told me some key facts about what plays were working. He’s pretty much another coach besides (running backs) Coach Curtis Modkins.”
What kind of running back is Tashard?
“He is a very patient runner. He runs very hard and it takes more than just one person to take him down. The way he runs is just smooth and very nice and something that I really want to do. I look up to him as a great runner and a great blocker as well.”
