Sept. 6, 2016 Chris Godwin | Jr. | WR
Q. Trace [McSorley] mentioned on this morning's conference call that he felt really confident about attacking Pitt using his outside receivers. What does that mean to you to know you guys are the kind of go-to weapon for your quarterback? Also what has that development process been like?
CG: It's awesome knowing that your quarterback believes in you and with the weapons that we have in our receiver group as deep as we are, it's something that we're pretty confident in, as well. At the same time it didn't happen overnight. It took a lot of time to build that rapport with Trace over the course of the off-season. So getting to where we're at now and obviously we still have a lot of room to grow, but we're looking forward to that growth.
Q. When you look at the deep ball, the timing on that for short throws is the same for every quarterback. But is there an adjustment between how [Christian] Hackenberg threw a deep ball than how Trace throws it or is that different from the timing you work on?
CG: No, it's not more of an adjustment. It just depends on what the defense is doing. Certain defenses call for certain passes and it matters what the defense is doing and you go from there. At the end of the day when the ball's in the air, it's our job as receivers to go up and get it.
Q. Do you feel there is a lot of air under some of the deep throws Trace has thrown or does that not make a difference to you?
CG: No, I don't think it makes a difference. At the end of the day when the ball is up in the air, it's our job to go up and make the play.
Q. Seemed like you guys were working really hard toward the end of the game to end on a positive note. You probably could have put the clock with a few more run plays, but you guys kept throwing. Is that because the timing is still a work in progress? How important was it to end the game with a touchdown pass even though it was to [Mike] Gesicki?
CG: I think it was more of a mindset thing. As Coach Moorhead likes to say, 'we're always going to attack.' We're not going to be on the passive end of things. No matter what point of the game it is, we're going to keep attacking. That was evidence of that. It was awesome to see Mike get that touchdown. Regardless of who makes the play, we're all in it together.
Q. How do you guys practice catching those 50-50 balls, those jump balls? I would imagine you use the quarterback, but do you use the jugs machine? Are you using other things to get more reps in with that?
CG: Yeah, it's a combination of using the jugs machine and our ball drills we do with Coach Gattis. Constantly working on your ball skills ends up helping you in the long run when it comes to those 50-50 balls.
Q. What has been your impression of Penn State Twitter and the experiences many have on social media? Also coming into a game like this, there are a lot of voices externally about the excitement of the game and maybe some negative things. How have you handled adjusting to that?
CG: I don't think it's been an adjustment for me. While I am on Twitter, I don't really tweet too much. But it is cool being on there and seeing all the support that we get from the Penn Staters. Just like any time any of our pages put out anything about one of us, the constant retweets and likes that we get is awesome. Coming into a game like this, each and every week we get constant support. So that support is awesome to see.
Q. I know James Franklin said when he looks at this rivalry and the history in 2000 you were just a little kid. What have the coaches told you guys about the history of this rivalry?
CG: We've heard different things from our coaching staff. Obviously Coach Smith has been a part of it, so he gave us the background. But Coach Franklin said, the last time this rivalry was played we were four or five-years-old. So outside of what Coach Smith and the other coaches have told us, we don't know much about it.
Q. What did Coach Smith talk to you about, in terms of the rivalry?
CG: It was just a regular talk explaining everything; explaining the rivalry and history behind it. But outside of that we treat it as a normal game because it's our next game on the schedule and now it's our most important game.
Q. Just dovetailing off of that, this is one of the most storied rivalries in college football. How excited are you to actually be playing in the renewal of this rivalry and also, too, can you elaborate on what you see from their secondary on film after that?
CG: I mean, honestly, it's an honor to play in a Penn State game period. I'm honored to be a part of this program. So each and every time I get a chance to step on the field I'm excited about that. The history behind this game makes it pretty cool.
As far as Pitt's secondary, they're a really talented group. They have some experience coming back. They're a really aggressive group as well. It's going to take a lot of time in practice, watching film and seeing what they do well and what they do really well, and just trying to attack that using our techniques as receivers.
Q. You guys are focused on the game. But how aware are you of everyone else and their focus on the rivalry and the history? Are you guys aware that everybody's been talking about this for years?
CG: Yeah, we're very aware of what's going on around us. Like I said earlier, we see the stuff on Twitter and on social media. We understand the history behind it. So we're not naive to the facts or what everybody else is saying.
Grant Haley | Jr. | CB
Q. We saw you guys use a lot of your sub-packages and we saw Amani [Oruwariye] play a lot. What do you like about that when you're able to show those different looks and how much do you think it benefits when you have so much depth in the secondary?
GH: I think having four or five corners that play ââ'¬" I think we played about eight or nine DBs the whole game ââ'¬" having that depth keeps everyone fresh and can keep the number of reps down. So just having that depth…we're a young group, but the experience in there, not true freshmen, with red-shirt freshman and sophomores and even guys like Malik [Golden] and Marcus [Allen] playing a lot. I think that's helped us from the experience and leadership standpoint, as well.
Q. When you're covering a deep route or you know it's going to be deep and ends up going deep and you see the ball leave the quarterback's hands, what are the characteristics of a throw that you know you're going to make a play on that and maybe get an interception?
GH: You just have to know you're in position first, because if you're not in position you have to play [the receivers] hands and match his hands when he goes to the ball to reach for it. But if you're in position, you can get your head around. You've have to look up because that's where the ball is coming from and its really just about reacting to the ball. When you see the ball in the air, it becomes your ball. Like playing baseball, playing centerfield, you see the ball in the air, and you've just go get it.
Q. It sounded like Malik [Golden] had a really strong camp and he had a really strong game on Saturday. Could you evaluate his progress? Also, what's he like off the field?
GH: Malik is one of those guys I look up to. He's been here for a while. We've been here together for almost three years now. So his leadership has grown tremendously. I know the guys in the secondary and guys on the team look up to him and his work ethic, his leadership. His play has been different. He's more physical, he's more vocal out there.
So just him having all those five years being here, growing and learning from other people, I think it's helped him tremendously.
Q. After the game Saturday, Coach Franklin talked about the pass rush and the quarterback was able to scramble and get out of that. What has the secondary and linebackers worked on this week to prevent big plays if the quarterback gets out of the pocket?
GH: I think Kent State had two athletic quarterbacks, so that has helped us prepare for running quarterbacks. I know we lost contain on a couple of those blitzes and the quarterback got outside, so we're going to definitely work on that and keeping the athletic quarterbacks and in tight spaces so they can't really run around and get outside of the pocket.
Q. What has your family told you about this game? How many people are you expecting to be there from your family?
GH: I have a good amount of family in Pittsburgh. My dad's from Pittsburgh, his parents still live in Pittsburgh and his brother and sister [live there]. I've never really grown up knowing about the game. But I knew it was a very big game for the state of Pennsylvania, and I'm just excited to be a part of it, be a part of regaining history, I guess you could say.
Q. Any idea how many people are coming?
GH: Probably about a dozen, a good amount.
Q. In the secondary you made a couple nice open-field tackles on Saturday. Specifically you and Christian [Campbell], what do you think it is that makes you guys good in that aspect to be able to come up and make those plays?
GH: I think we definitely worked on tackling in the off-season, because I knew it was one of the things we needed to work on after last year ââ'¬" open-field tackling. We definitely grew as a unit, and as a whole, from corners to safeties. I think it's just the things you work on in practice, the little details, wrapping up, being physical, flying to the ball, taking good angles. I think we took that more seriously and it translated to the field.
Q. I know you guys were very young last time these teams played. What did Terry Smith tell you guys this week?
GH: He just talked about how much it meant, every single game, how much it means to the past Penn Staters, the current Penn Staters and the future Penn Staters. You don't take anything for granted. Every single game matters because you never know which one could be your last. [He talked about] really having fun out there and enjoying the atmosphere, as well.
Q. I know your mom went to Penn State and was on the track & field team. And your dad, went to Pitt for a couple years. Do you remember him being a Pitt fan growing up? At what point did his Pitt fandom maybe end, if it has?
GH: So I'll tell you this, my mom did go to Penn State, but they both went to medical school at Pitt and that's where they met. Then they moved away from Pittsburgh and went to Detroit and found themselves in Atlanta. Growing up, my dad has been a low-key Pitt fan. He hasn't been one of those really rabid fans. Besides the Steelers, that's about it. So he wasn't too crazy about it, you know.
Q. Before the season Coach Banks talked about how you spent time in the off-season jumping around to be more aggressive when the ball is in the air. How does that thought process work when you start to play more athletic receivers that can beat you guys deep with big plays?
GH: I think in practice you can't have that fear. You're going to make a mistake, you've just got to make that mistake. I know Coach Franklin on Friday at the hotel to us just to forget all the fear. Just get out there and have fun and play hard and aggressive, and we really took that to heart.
Every single time we think there is an opportunity to make a play or not just bat the ball down, we are trying to get turnovers and interceptions now. I think that mindset has translated on the field in so many ways that we feel more comfortable and more aggressive, as well.