Sept. 21, 2011
Click Here to Watch Video Q&As with Crawford and Zordich
University Park, Pa., -
No. 81 - Jack Crawford, Senior, Defensive End
Q: With the defense. You kept creating turnovers and giving the offense chances (at Temple). With the way the offense is struggling right now, can you talk about taking some onus on yourselves to keep giving them chances in the short field to get them going?
A: There's been some speculation about saying the offense is struggling. I think that's pretty unfair to say that. We work as a whole team together and Saturday, there were some things we did on defense, too, that hurt us. I think when we come together as a team, like we did on the sidelines that game, the whole team pulled together and, offensively, we got the job done. It may have looked like that from watching the game, but there were a lot of things that went into it, where the whole team had to come together. It wasn't just an offensive/defensive thing. On the defensive side of the ball, we have to do our best to get the ball back to the offense, every game. Sometimes we do it better than others, but at Temple, it helped us out a lot.
Q: Do you think it can pick them up (to create turnovers)?
A: Of course, any single player in the game might not be having a good game or something, you want to pick them up. It's just the team aspect. That's what I think Coach (Paterno) saw on Saturday. We had some adversity early on in the game. We gave up a touchdown, and we just picked each other up. People expect us to win against Temple, but it was a very good Temple team. At the end of the day, we came through and got the victory, we got the job done.
Q: Sean Stanley is starting to come on this year. I know he has been through a lot last year, on and off the field. How has he matured?
A: Since my sophomore year, I've seen him play. He's always been a great player. He played his freshman year. He's always been productive, he's always helped the whole defensive line. Now, we depend on him to be effective, because he has so much talent. One of the plays he made on Saturday was expected, because he's got such talent that we expect that type of play from him. When someone like me is lacking in a play, he can pick up the pace for me and get me going again. We really depend on him to make those types of plays.
Q: Describe the feeling in the huddle in the 4th quarter, last couple drives. Was it a surprise that, at that point, so much of the game was on your shoulders?
A: I wouldn't say we were surprised. I will say we were just determined. You get to a point in the game, that when the game's that close, you've got a lot on the line. You know you have to depend on each other and pull each other through. You can't be tired at that time, you can't be thinking too much. You have to go out and give it your all. We said, "we have to get this ball back for the offense. We have to shut out this game, end this game." The offense, when it came to the point when they just scored, it was a must to get the job done now, and not give up a touchdown. We kind of pulled each other through and kept doing what we have been doing and end the game.
Q: You said earlier, you said it was pretty unfair the offense was getting criticized a little bit. There might be a perception that the defense might be mad at the offense for not scoring enough. That's not the case with you guys? Do the defensive players feel that the offense is taking some unfair criticism here?
A: Of course, it's not like that at all, especially in the locker room. There's never any blame. We're a very close team, I have a lot of friends on the team and I'm very close with everyone on the team. We never point fingers, never blame each other with something like this, because we know it's a team thing. And we know, if they don't score a touchdown, that reflects on us, too. We might not be challenging them hard enough in practice. It's on all of us. We try to encourage them and they try to encourage us. And that's how we're going to get back as a team. If we start pointing fingers, there's going to be more tension on the team and it's going to break down.
Q: Eastern Michigan's got a pretty balanced running attack with a couple of guys that can do things. What are you doing to prepare for that?
A: We just started watching tape, yesterday and today. We're really good at preparing for skill positions. I think their quarterback's pretty elusive. I don't think he's been sacked many times. He likes to scramble a lot, so as a defensive line, we're really trying to keep him in the pocket and stop him from scrambling. I think as a defensive line, we're going to have to start bringing more pressure and I think this is the game to do it. Temple, we really didn't get enough pressure on the quarterback until the end of the game.
Q: Jack, can you describe how your year is going so far and are you a 100 percent physically coming back from the injury?
A: I've definitely had some ups and downs. I feel good, the injury doesn't bother me at all. I get some arthritis, but not in the game; it really doesn't affect me. I think I was happy with the Alabama game, watching myself on tape. I was happy with the Alabama game and the first game, Indiana State. I think the Temple game, some things slowed me down a little bit on the field. Just watching their formations, it was hard to read a little bit at times. I spoke with Coach Johnson. I think that's something I just have to let go. It's my final year, so the next game you can't be worrying about formations and what plays are coming. You just have to let everything go and take off.
Q: Before the season I talked to the O-Line. They said how important it was for them to gel and play as one. Playing against them all year, how have you seen that unit progress?
A: You can definitely tell just from practice and workouts and (pre-season) camp. People just generally get closer and groups on the team get even closer. The offensive line, I've seen them get closer. When someone like Mike Farrell goes down, everyone on the offensive line feels it. He might not have a big appearance on TV when you watch it. But he's such a big part of our team, not everyone sees that. I can see just the bond between them. I think Quinn Barham, one of the captains, has really stepped up and taken leadership of the offensive line group. It's a really good offensive line, they always challenge us in practice. It's pretty balanced and what you see on TV, it might look a certain way, but it's really not.
Q: Last year, (Temple RB) Bernard Pierce had a good game against you guys, and this year you shut him down. Can you talk about the development of this defense from last year to this year? Your numbers have improved across the board. How do you guys feel as a unit?
A: We definitely came closer as a unit. Time wise last year, we had a lot of time we couldn't bond. We couldn't get together, as a team we were more individuals last year than a team. This year, we are playing more as a team on the defensive side. Overall, we're playing more as a team. Someone like Bernard Pierce, who's a good running back, we were able to shut him down. Everyone on the defensive line, we all trust each other. We're all pretty close. We all knew if we stopped the run, we could get after the quarterback a little bit. That took a while. But at the end of the game, we were able to get to the quarterback and that's when Sean Stanley had the sack-forced fumble to end the game.
Q: Besides his penalty Saturday, what does Drew Astorino bring to the defense as a whole?
A: Since I've been here, he's been a leader. He's a character. He's someone you like to be around. He can really hit hard. He's just a good football player. You can always trust him to be in the right place at the right time. That penalty did seem pretty bad. He was just being aggressive. He got caught up in the moment and left his feet. He's a real good football player and everyone on the defense trusts him. He's a character.
No. 9 - Michael Zordich, Junior, Running Back
Michael Zordich |
Q: Where do you guys feel the offense is at this point? Do you think you're making more progress than the numbers show?
A: We're definitely not where we need to be. We expected more through all the pre-season and off-season work that we've done. We're disappointed right now, because we haven't performed the way we've wanted to and the way that we can. We're doing everything we can right now to work to get back to the numbers we used to put up and be the offense the defense can rely on.
Q: You're dad played here and he coaches with the Eagles. Does he get to see you play? Do you guys talk a lot?
A: We talk a whole lot; mostly father-son stuff, not really too much about football. He was able to come to the first game, but that was pretty much it. The rest of the time, he's with his other family doing that and coaching. He's busy, but he's having a lot of fun doing that.
Q: Does he keep an eye on you and tell you things you should do? Do you get to any of his games?
A: He's never really been like that. He'll watch the games and he'll keep an eye out to spectate. He's never been a coaching father. He's just been the proud dad that watches. He just has fun watching the games. I'd rather have a father-son relationship than a player-coach. I've been down to a couple games. I went to the Atlanta game last year. Whenever I can, I go down and just visit.
Q: Does your family live in Philly now?
A: We are in Youngstown. My dad lives in Philly during the season and then when he can come back to Youngstown, he comes back and the whole family hangs out.
Q: Last week, Eastern Michigan gave up 376 yards on the ground to Michigan. You're running game has struggled a little bit. Are you guys licking your chops to get that running game going a little bit?
A: I am, because I think our running game has serious potential. We watch ourselves on film and it's never a lack of effort. It's always been one small thing that's caught us. One guy missed his assignment or one guy that got beat. Once we get that fixed up, our running game's going to be very serious. We got a whole lot of talent in Silas (Redd) and (Brandon) Beachum.
Q: Mike, the fumble recovery might have won the game. Can you relive that play? In the situation you guys were in, you really had to have that ball. What goes on in the pile to get that ball?
A: I was supposed to get the ball that play, so I was already running up to get the hand off. I saw Rob drop the ball and I jumped right into the pile, because I knew that was our last chance to score in the game. Luckily, it bounced right in front of me when I was in the air diving down for it. I was able to jump on it. Everyone gets a little scrappy down there. Everyone starts reaching and doing everything they can. It's a dogfight. Luckily, we ended up with it.
Q: As a former linebacker, is it frustrating for you when the offense can't take some of the pressure off the defense?
A: I'd say it is frustrating for the whole team, not just me, because we know what we're capable of doing. And we know that we have the ability to not be the burden and to be a premier offense. We just have to get things done and we have to get it done on our own. I would say, you definitely get frustrated, but you don't let it get to you, you don't stop working. You don't stop practicing and watching film to be that offense and trying to get better to be that offense.
Q: You're talking about how much the potential the offense has and what you can do. How much of that falls on the offensive line?
A: The offensive line, they really haven't played too much together yet. They're still molding and forming. A lot of great offenses fall on their offensive line. But there's other guys. Wide receivers dropping balls and running backs not making blocks, not making plays. It's never on one certain group, it's always on the whole unit. The offense hasn't made the plays that we need to make in order to be what we want to be. We have to put that on the shelf and not point fingers. We have to work hard to become the offense...
Q: You guys have 2 quarterbacks, 2 kickers, and 2 fullbacks. How would you rate how you guys (fullbacks) are doing right now?
A: Me and Joe (Suhey), we're doing good. We did this whole thing last year and we formed a unique relationship with it. We've got a nice system going and we both bring certain things to the table. I think that the coaches and me and Joe are using it really well.
Q: Do you know exactly when you're going into the game?
A: No, we have no idea. It's whatever the formation and personnel is. The play call comes in and we get the nod and one of us will run in there. That's for any fullback on any team in the country.
Q: Do you go in certain plays?
A: No, we both run the same plays, they just mix it up for us.