Tony Elliott, Brent Venables, Uiagalelei, Myles Murphy, Shipley
Below, abbreviated transcription comes in from Michael Neal. (Quick-hitting quotes & unedited due to time constraints).
Tony Elliott:
- Was asked about the last drive. Said in the 2nd half, they had some key guys go down. Because of that, they had some younger guys in there that led to protection issues. Said they wanted to move the pocket to give DJ more room to work.
- Was asked about the multiple tackles for loss FSU had. Said FSU is disruptive and athletic. Said they’ve been good in giving up TFLs but weren't as good tonight. Said in the QB run game, didn’t get as much as we were hoping, but RBs were good enough to counter that.
- Was asked if they thought about playing Taisun going into tonight. Said game plan was DJ goes out there first. Said DJ does a good job of leading and game managing. Said in the end, DJ is the most battle tested.
- Said in the first half, all but one or two drives they had opportunities to score. Said BT is going to bounce back. Said biggest disappointment was consistency in 2nd half. But said making plays while backs against the wall is something to harp on.
- Said there are a lot of positives, but a lot of things to clean up. Said TFLs were an issue, needed to be better on 3rd down.
- Said yards after contact and big runs are plays that show the heart of the team. Said the players have the will to win, they just have to learn how to win.
- Said back shoulder throws were plays they needed. Said DJ put the ball where it needed to be and WR adjusted to make plays.
- On DJ: Said he was good at times. Said there are a few things they’d like to clean up. Noted that during TV timeouts, he could hear him through the coaches’ headset challenging the guys. Said as long as he continues to display that kind of leadership, he’ll continue to get better.
- On Trotter injury: Said he hasn’t gotten an update yet. Said Trotter was in the locker room, and when the injury happened, he was told Trotter would be out for the game. “Just how this season is going.”
- On performance of freshman RBs: Said they don’t get enough praise for the men they are. Said they're very mature beyond their years. Said they came in with great foundations. Said for Shipley to make the play at the end, it's fitting considering how much he's battled.
- Said he heard Shipley during conversations challenging the other guys. “Age isn’t a prerequisite for leadership.” Said Shipley has created credibility in the locker room. Said that’s what they’ve needed on offense. Said as long as guys are leading the right way, it doesn’t matter who it’s coming from.
- More on DJ: Said you gotta learn a lot of things in the heat of battle. Said he would’ve liked to see DJ throw it away when EJ slipped on the screen. Said he’ll continue to learn and grow through in-game experience. Film can only do so much. Have to trust fundamentals.
- Was asked how this game affects their confidence. Said they talk about finishing a lot. Said they got off to a good start in the first half, especially in the run game. Said they had plenty of opportunities to score but didn’t finish drives. Said they stalled in the 3rd quarter, but guys had success when their backs were against the wall. Said they’ll show up on Monday knowing this is what they're capable of.
- On the performance of Justyn Ross: Said we've seen that in practice. Said he's made plays like that since he was cleared to play. Said it just hasn’t quite transitioned to the field. Said him coming out this week and making plays was good to see. Said when he plays at a high level, he elevates the other WRs in the room.
DJ Uiagalelei:
- On being more vocal: Said it’s definitely something he's tried to focus on more. Said he was trying to get guys going.
- Said to score on the game winning drive was big. Said they put a great drive together. Said during season, they’ve just kept believing. Said Shipley had a great run. Said they made some big plays down the stretch.
- After making mistakes, said he’s “just telling myself I have to respond.” Said he's just trying to go out there and have fun.
- On sitting last week: Said it didn’t change his mindset. Said Taisun played great. Said he was excited to watch him go out there and make plays.
- On the INT into double coverage: Said it was a called play. Said that was the guy he was supposed to throw to. Said he wanted to give him a chance, but had to give him a better ball.
- Thoughts on performance: Said he felt good. Said the ball was coming out good. Said it was solid, but still a lot to work on.
- Was asked what his message to the team was after giving up the strip-sack TD: Said he just told them they have to go out and respond.
- Was asked about his mindset coming from the loss to Pitt into this week. Said he has belief in himself, and the offense. Said his mindset was to just keep fighting. Said they have to go out and just play football.
Brent Venables:
- On Myles Murphy: Said he was huge for them. Said they challenged their guys on the blocked kick because they hadn’t had one in a few years. Said they did a great job executing in that phase of the game. Said Myles has been right on the cusp of a breakout game all year.
- On offsides calls: Said it was disappointing and embarrassing. Said it was a display of total lack of discipline. Said they have to be poised and disciplined in those situations. Was pleased to see them fix it in the 2nd half.
- On Barrett Carter: Said he played well. Said they’ve been pleased with his progress this year. Said being with James Skalski, Baylon Spector, and the older guys has been huge for him. Said he's done a great job getting better in fundamentals. Said he's got a great future.
- On holding FSU to just 2/10 on 3rd down: Said they were much better on 3rd down this week. Said they spent a lot of time on Monday looking at some 3rd and 4th downs they’ve given away. Said they’ve done a nice job keeping people out of the end zone, but have stayed on the field by not making the “layups.” Said they haven’t been as precise as they’ve been in the past.
- Said it’s nice to see the maturation that’s taken place over the course of the year.
- Said they have a chance now to have a clean slate going into November, and to finish strong. Said a great lesson for them is to grow and learn through the challenges. Said they have to maintain belief in each other and how they do things.
- On Clemson’s front 4: Said he thought the guys played really well. Said they did a great job up front. Said they had a great pass rush plan, and the guys bought into it and executed one of their best games all year.
- Was asked how much they feed off of the crowd. Said the crowd affected the game from the start. Said the intensity was awesome, and it was a big benefit to them on defense.
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