Nov. 16, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; -
No. 10 - Malcolm Willis, Redshirt Freshman, Safety
Q: You're one of the number of kids from the Maryland/D.C. area. What does it mean to get to go down there this week?
A: It means a lot to us. Kids like me, Devon Smith, and Stephon Morris, we've been dreaming about going back home and playing for our home crowd the whole year. We're going to try to get that win.
Q: What was your reaction when you noticed you wouldn't be going to Bloomington to play Indiana?
A: I didn't really have any feelings until they announced where we would be going. That's when everyone from Maryland really got excited and really started to look forward to the game.
Q: Did you grow up a Redskins fan and has it been a dream of yours to play at FedEx Field?
A: I grew up a Redskins fan, a Wizards fan - not a Nationals fan - but yes, it has been a dream of mine to play in a professional stadium. For it to be this stadium makes it more worthwhile.
Q: Is it interesting to you guys that a team would give up a home game?
A: We really haven't thought about it like that. I find it to be really interesting, especially to pick that venue. It's going to bring a lot of fans in and I'm really looking forward to it.
Q: The last two weeks you guys have played running quarterbacks,. This week with Ben Chappell, assuming he plays, what are some adjustments you have to make against a passing quarterback compared to a running quarterback?
A: The adjustments we have to make are just to make sure we're doing everything we do at practice. Really focusing on our technique and pursuing the ball because they are going to throw it a lot just like Northwestern did. Word was that the starting quarterback got hurt, so we really don't know what we're going to have to look for.
Q: How many tickets do you need to gather to take care of your family this weekend?
A: I need about 50. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get all those, so we'll just have to see how many I can get.
Q: Can you talk about facing their wideouts?
A: Their wideouts are really good. I know at least two of them are in the Big Ten leaders categories. I know number 2 (Tandon Doss) has good hands and is an excellent runner so we're going to have to make sure our scout team is doing everything they can looking out for number 2.
Q: Coach (Paterno) talked about how young the team was this year. Do you think with all the injuries, the young people have stepped up?
A: Injuries are a part of the game. At any given time, you can get hurt. Being one of the young guys, we have to be able to step up and fulfill that role for the team.
Q: You guys came into the season with streak of 17 consecutive games without a giving up a 100 yard rusher. What's different for defense this year?
A: Nothing is really different, we're going out there and we're competing. It's just, we get put in the right position and sometimes the opponent is shifty. There's nothing wrong with the defense, but just have to keep working hard.
Q: Your playing time increase dramatically when Nick (Sukay) got hurt, how much more comfortable do you feel now since going in on a fulltime basis since the Illinois game?
A: I'm getting more comfortable with every snap, every rep in practice and mental reps, things like that. Having Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay in my corner to help me out with my checks and just making sure I'm reading the right things is making me real comfortable out there. I'm starting to feel like I can play up to the par of the team.
Q: As a young player on a young team, are there lesson to be learned from some of these lopsided losses?
A: I don't think it has anything to do with the group. I think with any athlete it's a lesson to learn in any sport when you take a loss. You have to re-group or maybe you have to do certain things. In our situation, we just have to keep coming on and playing hard. We're doing what we need to do, we just have to give that extra effort, whatever it might be.
Q: Are there positives you can take away from those losses?
A: There are positives. We all know that we are capable of playing as a unit. With the winning streak that we went on, that's in the past, we have to look into the future. We have to give everything we have and come out playing as a unit.
Q: For the long-term future of the program, how much will it help that a lot of young players like yourself are getting a lot of experience?
A: It's going to help a lot just to know that you have those extra guys that can play key roles just in case a player gets hurt or a key player gets injured and isn't able to play.
Q: With Mike Mauti not playing this weekend, how will you do without him on the field?
A: Like I said, as a player, if you're behind him, you have to be ready to step up. Injury is part of the game. It would be great if he could play, but at the same time, we have to know who is going to be his replacement. Whoever it is, is going to have to step up and fulfill that role.
Q: You got your first pick (interception), what was that like for you?
A: It was really exciting. It was a key point in the game. I was kind of disappointed in myself that I couldn't stay inbounds....It was a dream come true. In a big game like that on national TV, it was big for me to catch that.
Q: It has kind of been a trend that past few years to recruit kids from that Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area, do you think that kind of speaks about that quality of football at the high school level there?
A: I hope so. There are a lot of athletes all over, but us Maryland guys feel that the Maryland guys up here and the ones going to key programs like Florida and places like that is a big contributor to the D 1 conference. We feel there is a lot of talent down there.
Q: Do you feel that you, Bani (Gbadyu) and (Evan) Royster have bonded because you're from the same area?
A: We all stick together, but not more than we stick together with any other group of people. Just knowing that you have those people and those roots that go back home, and that when we get off, there is another player to go home with. It would be harder to do that if we were from California or something.
Q: In the Wisconsin game, Indiana gave up 83 points. What do you think about that?
A: Looking back at the score and the highlights, it doesn't really stick in my mind. We have film from them playing Iowa and they played Iowa really tough. The score really didn't indicate how hard they played, I think. We've just got to play hard at practice and be ready to play a tough game.
No. 83 - Brett Brackett, Senior, Wide Receiver
Q: With this being your senior year, what do you hope to accomplish in your last two or three games?
A: Obviously, I would like to win these last two or three games. Just trying to continue the legacy of Penn State just because this senior season hasn't gone where I wanted to go, doesn't mean we're not doing good things and not accomplishing things. Obviously, my goal and the teams goal, is to win the last two or three games we have together. It's more than that, it's more than just myself and my goals. It's a team and there are a lot of things that go on.
Q: The losses you've experienced this season have all been by 20 or more points. Is that indicative of the way the team is playing?
A: There are a lot of factors that go into a loss or a win. I think if you look back at the games, not each one of those games were 20-point games. Here or there, different things going our way, us handling situations a little different, it's not a 20-point game. A 20-point loss here is obviously the result of the game and you have to look at that, but if you really want to look deeper into the game, I don't necessarily think classifying it based on the points won't necessarily give it the credit it deserves.
Q: Did the loss to Ohio State take a little bit longer to get over considering what happened in first half, comparing it to the other losses this year?
A: I think it's something that it depends on how you take it personally. Everybody handles everything in life differently. A loss of the game is obviously handled very differently by different people. Personally, yes, it was very tough to get over. It's football and next week we have another game, so it's something you need to do, you have to get over it. Some guys handle it differently and some take it harder than others. Everybody was obviously affected by it, but we have to get over it and be ready to play this weekend.
Q: It seems like in the last few weeks Joe has put more expectations on the younger guys as they've gotten some time. Have you noticed at practice if he has gotten on the younger guys more?
A: We're 10 games into the season, it's technically almost over, so a lot of these young guys aren't technically young guys anymore. They're getting experience, they're playing and making plays, they're doing things, so now that excuse of being young almost can't work for them anymore. Coach tries to prepare them for that and puts the pressure on them at practice like he does everybody else and gets them to make plays and know that they aren't young. They've been doing good things and they need to step up even more.
Q: This year you haven't had the big time pass catching tight end like a (Andrew) Quarless or a (Mickey) Shuler. Has that maybe held back the offense a little bit?
A: I think all-in-all as an offense, we've done a pretty decent job this year. I think we lack a big play here and there when we need one. That's attributed to everybody on the offense. I don't necessarily think that the lack of a pass catching tight end or a position in general is the reason for that. For whatever reason, the results haven't been us making big plays when we need them.
Q: Can you talk about the frustration of the second half at Ohio State and dealing with the crowd?
A: Obviously, that's a frustrating thing, just getting rallied there. They're getting fired up and obviously our job as an offense is to try to get the ball in the end zone and quiet them back down. Not being able to do that is frustrating. It's a thing that, obviously we're trying to do that, but it doesn't matter if we're trying, it's all about the result. So there is something we have to do differently in those clutch situations where we can make that play and get the ball in the end zone to quiet those fans and try to change the event a little bit. We have to find something that will change the result and make those things happen.
Q: Coming into the season you hadn't really had a lot of success on the field. Was the NFL ever on your mind coming into the year?
A: That's something as a younger kid, growing up you want to play in the NFL. As a football player, you want to play in the NFL. No matter what the chances are, no matter what it is. From my freshman year to now, my desire to play in the NFL is no different. People's outlook on me playing in the NFL may be different, but my willingness and want to do that has never changed.
Q: Now that you've had some success on the field, do you see it as more of a possibility?
A: Obviously, I'm going to try to hardest to see what I can do. I'm not really sure at point. My biggest focus right now is that we have two games left in the season that I need to try my best. I'm more looking forward to these games coming up. I am looking forward to playing college football these last games because I really enjoy doing it. I've loved my five years here.
Q: How excited are you to play at a pro stadium?
A: It's a really cool thing to do. We've done it a few times now. My freshman year, I didn't play, but we were out at the Outback Bowl where the (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers play. We played Temple at the Linc (Lincoln Financial Field). This game coming up is going to be really exciting. It's just a cool environment. Obviously, we talked about it earlier, how growing up as a kid, you aspire to be a NFL football player and you go to games and stuff like that, but being able to play in that type of environment is a really cool thing.
Q: I'm sure you saw a long time ago during the season how Michigan State was able to beat Notre Dame, with the pass here and the holder here. Have you ever suggested with your quarterbacking background, that might be a good play for Penn State?
A: Of course. Absolutely. I would love to get a chance to throw the ball, but our coaching staff is really good at figuring out what the defense gives you. The programs in the country aren't dumb enough to not know that I played quarterback in high school, they are very well aware of that. It's probably something that won't happen because everybody is so aware of that.
Q: Have you ever thrown a pass here at Penn State?
A: At practice, that's about it.
Q: Can you talk about Indiana's loss to Wisconsin?
A: To be honest with you, we looked at some tape from that game and they're a good football team. They have a lot of great players and made great plays. I think we have to look more at the film against Iowa. Not only that tape, but a couple other games in the season we are kind of going off. Breaking down their film, you can tell they are a good football team.
Q: What do you think the younger guys have learned from some of these lopsided scores?
A: I think that going to places like Ohio State and being in that environment and getting a chance to play is an experience in itself. I think what happens in the game is another experience. I think they realize you have to work extremely hard to have success in the very competitive league that we're in. It's not always about trying to work hard and working hard, you have to be making it happen. And that's what's key. We have to do something to change that and make a better effort in off-season workouts. Whether it's something somewhere that needs to be triggered to make plays and hopefully in the future if they're in that position again, it will happen.