This is from TI correspondent Tim Hadsell, who joined me at the West End Zone today:
Jake Fruhmorgen
-- Feels good and that today he’ll have a full day. Yesterday he was running around and felt good.
-- The injury was on the third play he got twisted up and thrown into a pile. Knee was stiff after that.
-- Grew up as a Norte Dame fan as a kid. His grandpa loved the team, his step grandma went to Notre Dame and he is Catholic, all reasons why he was a big fan as a kid. This game is one he had circled on his calendar.
--- He was a little bitter that he didn’t get recruited early on by Notre Dame, eventually they did offer but at the time he was frustrated because of how late the offer was. It isn’t going to be a revenge sort of game, he has understood and moved on since then. Jake states that he feels confident that he’ll be ready to go if his number gets called this week.
Eric Mac Lain
-- Says he has the most random people you can think of asking for tickets, some of them high school teammates he hasn’t talked to in five years. These tickets have been gone since summer. "Maybe in July you had a chance to get a ticket from me."
-- Can you really treat this like another game with all the hype surrounding this game? “Yes, only thing different is a talking to a couple more cameras and a couple more microphones. The football field is still 100 yards long and 53 and 1/3 wide so it’ll still be the same game.”
-- Mac Lain believes ND has good depth at the defensive tackle and end positions. They do a lot of cross overs and stunts, very tenacious group. Going to be a good battle.
-- Mac Lain is a strong advocate for trash talking. He believes “it is the game within the game, when you can get into people’s head and psych them out and you know it’s going to be a long game for them.”
-- Mac Lain states that there is a total lack of respect when you don’t play and drop in the standings. The team has definitely taken notice of it. “Hopefully after playing Notre Dame we will have the media and world's attention.”
Mitch Hyatt
-- “(Louisville) was a big difference than playing at home. Having that first road start was big for me, especially because it was on Thursday night, kind of best of both worlds. Just having that definitely helps for later games this season.”
-- Anticipation going into night game in Death Valley. Hyatt states, “I have a little bit of the jitters, but having older guys like Eric (McClain) helps out. When everyone else is in the locker room is so focused around you it is hard to have the pregame jitters so that definitely helps.”
-- Said it is probably going to be the best D-line he has faced thus far. “The D-line is intense, they’ll get after you and then keep coming.”
Wayne Gallman
-- “Last week watching the games during the bye week man, seeing everybody just play on that national stage, all I was thinking about was the Notre Dame game. It is a big opportunity not for just me but for the whole team to get that respect we deserve.”
-- Wayne was asked if this is the ultimate measuring stick for the team thus far, Gallman says “we just look at it as the next game.”
-- Asked if he thinks it is going to be a chippy game or a lot of trash talking going on he says that “I’m not a big trash talker, I just smile. People try to talk trash and its funny. Jayron (Kearse) though is already talking to everybody about it trying to get everyone hyped up.”
Travis Blanks
-- Travis says this isn't a statement game for Clemson. He believes that every game that they play is a statement game. Also, he isn’t really giving the media much attention either. “We have only played three games, the book is still being written.”
-- When Travis was asked how long it takes to develop the “just another game or the next game” mentality he stated “it takes time, really. It takes maturity, leadership to develop that kind of thought process.” He goes on to give praise to Dabo for implementing that sort of thinking. As a result of this mentality he believes that everyone in the locker room is on the same page. Including the young guys like Van Smith and Mark Fields. Everyone has bought into that.
-- Last quote from Travis: “I’m just a gamer, I’ll do whatever it takes. Anyone can talk trash; not everyone can execute”
Jake Fruhmorgen
-- Feels good and that today he’ll have a full day. Yesterday he was running around and felt good.
-- The injury was on the third play he got twisted up and thrown into a pile. Knee was stiff after that.
-- Grew up as a Norte Dame fan as a kid. His grandpa loved the team, his step grandma went to Notre Dame and he is Catholic, all reasons why he was a big fan as a kid. This game is one he had circled on his calendar.
--- He was a little bitter that he didn’t get recruited early on by Notre Dame, eventually they did offer but at the time he was frustrated because of how late the offer was. It isn’t going to be a revenge sort of game, he has understood and moved on since then. Jake states that he feels confident that he’ll be ready to go if his number gets called this week.
Eric Mac Lain
-- Says he has the most random people you can think of asking for tickets, some of them high school teammates he hasn’t talked to in five years. These tickets have been gone since summer. "Maybe in July you had a chance to get a ticket from me."
-- Can you really treat this like another game with all the hype surrounding this game? “Yes, only thing different is a talking to a couple more cameras and a couple more microphones. The football field is still 100 yards long and 53 and 1/3 wide so it’ll still be the same game.”
-- Mac Lain believes ND has good depth at the defensive tackle and end positions. They do a lot of cross overs and stunts, very tenacious group. Going to be a good battle.
-- Mac Lain is a strong advocate for trash talking. He believes “it is the game within the game, when you can get into people’s head and psych them out and you know it’s going to be a long game for them.”
-- Mac Lain states that there is a total lack of respect when you don’t play and drop in the standings. The team has definitely taken notice of it. “Hopefully after playing Notre Dame we will have the media and world's attention.”
Mitch Hyatt
-- “(Louisville) was a big difference than playing at home. Having that first road start was big for me, especially because it was on Thursday night, kind of best of both worlds. Just having that definitely helps for later games this season.”
-- Anticipation going into night game in Death Valley. Hyatt states, “I have a little bit of the jitters, but having older guys like Eric (McClain) helps out. When everyone else is in the locker room is so focused around you it is hard to have the pregame jitters so that definitely helps.”
-- Said it is probably going to be the best D-line he has faced thus far. “The D-line is intense, they’ll get after you and then keep coming.”
Wayne Gallman
-- “Last week watching the games during the bye week man, seeing everybody just play on that national stage, all I was thinking about was the Notre Dame game. It is a big opportunity not for just me but for the whole team to get that respect we deserve.”
-- Wayne was asked if this is the ultimate measuring stick for the team thus far, Gallman says “we just look at it as the next game.”
-- Asked if he thinks it is going to be a chippy game or a lot of trash talking going on he says that “I’m not a big trash talker, I just smile. People try to talk trash and its funny. Jayron (Kearse) though is already talking to everybody about it trying to get everyone hyped up.”
Travis Blanks
-- Travis says this isn't a statement game for Clemson. He believes that every game that they play is a statement game. Also, he isn’t really giving the media much attention either. “We have only played three games, the book is still being written.”
-- When Travis was asked how long it takes to develop the “just another game or the next game” mentality he stated “it takes time, really. It takes maturity, leadership to develop that kind of thought process.” He goes on to give praise to Dabo for implementing that sort of thinking. As a result of this mentality he believes that everyone in the locker room is on the same page. Including the young guys like Van Smith and Mark Fields. Everyone has bought into that.
-- Last quote from Travis: “I’m just a gamer, I’ll do whatever it takes. Anyone can talk trash; not everyone can execute”
