This comes in from TI correspondent Gavin Oliver:
BRENT VENABLES
“I’m proud of our guys. Thought it was a big win. Really how we thought it would. They gave us a whole bunch of stuff, and we got worked, and our guys really adjusted to it really well. It was exactly what we thought it would be — a real tough, competitive, back-and-forth game. They weren’t going to give us anything. We were going to have to earn the W, and I didn’t think we were quite as sharp on third down as we have been, but tough, hard-fought win.”
How important was it to shut down the big play?
“It was really big. They stress you in a lot of different ways, and a lot of stuff they had done in the play-action game that we really worked a lot of, we didn’t get to see it. They tried a few deception plays — they had a reverse-pass, then a couple wheel routes and a screen-and-go, and we really defended all those in an excellent way. They give you a ton of formations and just a lot of deception pre-snap, and a lot of it was on our guys all night, so really, again, pleased with the positioning and the end result.”
Would you say the defense was very disciplined?
“Pretty good. Got a little aggressive on the long run earlier in the second half when the safety missed a fit, and then the late check-down to the back in the flat, just turned him loose in man coverage there, but otherwise, it was really pretty pleasing.”
It seems like your guys stepped up to the challenge of facing a team with a No. 1 defense and showing who the better one was.
“Didn’t have to be that close. Yeah, but they did. It was a very physical game. That’s just the mentality of their coach. I love Steve Addazio. He epitomizes toughness and discipline and does a terrific job. Very well coached team that just keeps coming after you. They don’t go away, they’re very physical and they know what they’re doing over there, so for those our guys to compete with them and come up with a win and play pretty good, it’s saying something because we knew we were going to have to earn it. They weren’t going to give us anything.”
D.J. Reader is coming back to practice on Monday. What can he mean to this team?
“Is he really? I don’t know. We’ll see how he comes back. I think he’s been working hard, so we’ll see, but we’re 6-0 without him, but he’s a guy that’s played a lot of good football here. Hopefully he’s ready, but we have a good group of guys who’ve played their butts off and gotten us to 6-0. We’ve played pretty good in his absence, so one more live, active body in the herd.”
BRENT VENABLES
“I’m proud of our guys. Thought it was a big win. Really how we thought it would. They gave us a whole bunch of stuff, and we got worked, and our guys really adjusted to it really well. It was exactly what we thought it would be — a real tough, competitive, back-and-forth game. They weren’t going to give us anything. We were going to have to earn the W, and I didn’t think we were quite as sharp on third down as we have been, but tough, hard-fought win.”
How important was it to shut down the big play?
“It was really big. They stress you in a lot of different ways, and a lot of stuff they had done in the play-action game that we really worked a lot of, we didn’t get to see it. They tried a few deception plays — they had a reverse-pass, then a couple wheel routes and a screen-and-go, and we really defended all those in an excellent way. They give you a ton of formations and just a lot of deception pre-snap, and a lot of it was on our guys all night, so really, again, pleased with the positioning and the end result.”
Would you say the defense was very disciplined?
“Pretty good. Got a little aggressive on the long run earlier in the second half when the safety missed a fit, and then the late check-down to the back in the flat, just turned him loose in man coverage there, but otherwise, it was really pretty pleasing.”
It seems like your guys stepped up to the challenge of facing a team with a No. 1 defense and showing who the better one was.
“Didn’t have to be that close. Yeah, but they did. It was a very physical game. That’s just the mentality of their coach. I love Steve Addazio. He epitomizes toughness and discipline and does a terrific job. Very well coached team that just keeps coming after you. They don’t go away, they’re very physical and they know what they’re doing over there, so for those our guys to compete with them and come up with a win and play pretty good, it’s saying something because we knew we were going to have to earn it. They weren’t going to give us anything.”
D.J. Reader is coming back to practice on Monday. What can he mean to this team?
“Is he really? I don’t know. We’ll see how he comes back. I think he’s been working hard, so we’ll see, but we’re 6-0 without him, but he’s a guy that’s played a lot of good football here. Hopefully he’s ready, but we have a good group of guys who’ve played their butts off and gotten us to 6-0. We’ve played pretty good in his absence, so one more live, active body in the herd.”
