Oct. 18, 2016 DaeSean Hamilton | Jr. | Wide Receiver
Q. Do you remember the first White Out that you attended, whether it was as a recruit or otherwise and I'm curious what it was like to see that scene for the first time and maybe how that compares to other atmospheres you've been in?
DH: The very first White Out was when I was a freshman, like the redshirt year that I took when Penn State played Michigan. We obviously know what happened that game. So that was probably my first one and that was probably the best one, the best college football game that I've ever been a part of and I've ever seen, live and up close and personal.
But compared to anywhere else, I don't think it does compare. It was a great atmosphere. It's been a great atmosphere the past two years, as well. I really can't compare it to anything else.
Q. So DeAndre [Thompkins] has really come into his own this year. How have you seen him grow throughout the past few years, and especially this year, how has he progressed?
DH: Oh, yeah, DeAndre, he's really just gaining confidence. That's all it is, to be able to play at this level is just having a ton of confidence and just being able to line up along the line of scrimmage across the guys and see that, 'I feel like I can beat this guy; I feel like I know what I'm doing.' And he's going out there, you can see the confidence in him every day in practice, and he brings that to the game on Saturdays.
Q. Just talk about Ohio State in general what you've seen from those guys watching film and just the excitement of going against that team ranked No. 2.
DH: It's pretty exciting. Obviously ranked No. 2 in the nation, we are looking forward to this. It's a pretty big game obviously. It's the White Out this weekend. Watching them on film, you see they are a very good defense. Just as physical as Michigan was and things like that.
We did a little bit of game planning during the bye week and just comparing it to their game against Wisconsin, nothing really changed up. We are expecting them to be very physical, up in your face, ready to attack the ball on every single down and things like that.
You know, it's going to be a fun match up for us.
Q. Coach Franklin mentioned a couple times how athletic the Ohio State defense is. Now you obviously have some great athletes on the offensive side of the ball, as well. How do you think that you guys compare athletically and are there plays where you can just out-athlete another player offensively or defensively?
DH: I think we compare to them -- we match-up to them, with their skill players and our skill players, we match-up very well. Obviously their whole defense, the guys that play on that side of the ball, is very athletic. You've seen it throughout the first half of the season.
There can be plays where people out-athletic or things like that, the other opponent. But really it comes down to execution. You can't really rely on athleticism on Saturdays and things like that. You know guys are going to be able to play the game. You have to be in the right spots. You have to be able to execute what the coaches call. And not too many teams rely on athleticism, and I know they don't do that for sure.
Q. Do you guys compare Ohio State to Michigan when you watch film, when you see them on TV over the weekend?
DH: We don't really try to compare the defenses. They don't really do too many things that are similar from a game plan standpoint, and then looking at the athletes, I don't think they are pretty similar in any way, shape or form.
But we try not to compare opponents and things like that. And especially from a game plan standpoint, they don't really do too many things that are similar.
Q. As one of the veterans, what do you tell the younger guys about preparing for a game against a No. 2 opponent, and what kinds of things have you learned over the years from these types of games?
DH: I tell the guys at the end of the day, it's another football game, and it doesn't matter what they are ranked. At the end of the day, they are putting their pads on the way same way you are. You just go into it, you don't really think about that as soon as the ball is kicked off and you're taking snaps; you don't really think about the other stuff from the outside looking in.
What I've learned is, like I just said, they put their pads on the same way. They might be held to a higher standard, but they are still football players, and we've got to go out and we are just going to give it our best shot. We are not going to do anything different just because they are the No. 2 team or whatever the team is ranked that we play throughout the season.
Q. What did you take and what was the feeling after the Michigan game compared to what you're feeling this week, the anticipation?
DH: The Michigan game, we just started in a hole to begin with, with the ball being backed up and gave them good field position after we go three-and-out, it kind of throws off the whole course of the game after that. But that's not an excuse of how we played.
Just taking that lesson and getting beat by another ranked team, a very good opponent. And if you don't want that feeling again, regardless of how good they were, we know how good we are. They just happen to be who we are playing on Saturdays and that's what we've got to treat it like.
Q. How did the bye week specifically help you most coming into Saturday and can you talk about the specific challenges you'll face going against the guys you'll see?
DH: Going into the bye week, I watched a lot of film throughout the bye week because you get a lot more time to yourself and you get time to rest and things like that.
So I used that time to watch film. Not do too many things physically. Making sure I'm getting my mind right for the rest of the season and this upcoming game. And then as I'm watching film, I'm watching who is going to match up against me, exactly what they are going to do as soon as the ball's snapped. I look at a lot of guys' foot placements, I look at their footwork, things like that, especially on the DBs. I don't pay too much attention to the outside corners because that's not who I go against. I watch the safeties, just look at their rotations, which one rotates to the field, who is more in coverage, who is more man-to-man and up in each other's face, and basically that's what I really look for.
Q. Going after that, when you're watching film versus watching it live, what are some of the challenges watching a game live?
DH: Watching it live, you're getting stuck in watching it, like being a fan of football, rather than being a football player. Watching it live, you don't get to see matchups on the outside. You don't get to see why exactly a play went wrong. All you get to see is the live play and you see the replays of it, exactly what the commentators are saying, but you can't really relate it to how you're game planning if you're just worried about watching the live film.
That's why I really rely on watching game film and using my iPad just to watch film basically on who we are playing or who they played in the past; and how things might adjust when we're playing them, and then what we've seen from other teams that they could probably copy and try and emulate on the Saturday we play them.
Q. Is there such a thing as watching too much film on somebody, do you think?
DH: I don't think it's watching too much film. Might be watching the wrong things on film. Really matters what you're looking at rather than just watching maybe just segments of each play.
You've got to really like put yourself in that player's shoes or put yourself in that situation of what play you could be calling in that situation the defense is giving you and things like that. I don't think you can watch too much film. I think you can watch film the wrong way, if that makes sense.
Grant Haley | Jr. | Cornerback
Q. As a corner, how do you judge a quarterback when he runs a play-action pass to himself as far as trying to come in and stop the run versus sticking with your receiver?
GH: I think as corners, we're obviously pass first. So it just depends what coverage we are in. If we are in a coverage where we become the primary force, we just have to be able to be disciplined and read our keys very well. He's an athletic guy. He's strong and powerful and he's an X-factor in this game.
Q. Why is the White Out important to you guys as players and for the fans to be involved?
GH: Yeah, I'm sure you guys hear it all the time. The White Out is one of the reasons why you come to Penn State. Just seeing that atmosphere, seeing how electrifying it is. We have people at Nittanyville, we have almost 700 people staying out there every single night.
It just shows how much Penn State fans just love us and just support us through anything. Just coming out there on Saturday, under the lights and just seeing it all white, it's just a scene that you can't really put in words. I think that's just an extra, extra thing for us.
Q. With Ohio State losing Braxton Miller, Jalin Marshall and Michael Thomas to the NFL this past off-season, what have you seen from their new wide-outs, any tendencies, anything you've been able to gather on film?
GH: I think those guys have really stepped into their roles. They are young guys so they are still getting their way, feeling the Big Ten football. But Parris Campbell, Noah Brown, Dontre and Curtis, they all are athletic guys. Noah is a good red zone threat. They all bring size, speed, their different strengths to the table.
Q. Is it fair to say that this is the best offense you'll face this regular season?
GH: I think they are the best offense because they have a great quarterback who can run and throw and they just have athletic guys on the edge, too, and a great offensive line.
Q. What is the key for you guys to be successful? What do you need to do above everything else? What is the main priority there?
GH: I think we need to make them a one-dimensional team. We obviously need to stop the run, the quarterback run especially, and also running backs back there, Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel, just make them beat us through the air. If we can make them a one-dimensional team, it makes our chances of winning more successful.
Q. James said there's a chance linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell could be back. How much does that help if you can get them back in terms of what you can do defensively, having two veteran guys like that?
GH: Yeah, we know they are important to this team. They have a lot of experience that they bring to the table. But they have been helping the younger guys step into their roles, like Brandon Smith, Cam Brown, Manny [Bowen], even Koa [Farmer] at linebacker.
I think even though they haven't been on the field with us, they have been on the field with us by teaching the younger guys, like seeing what they see on the field and just having those guys back, it would be excellent.
Q. And you missed a couple games. How long does it take for somebody to get back in the groove after you've not really played a lot?
GH: I think it's just one of those things, it's different for each person. Might take a half, might take a quarter. I think with those guys, they are pretty experienced players, so I think they will get back in the swing of things as soon as they come back.
Q. For the White Out game, what's it like on the field for the defense, especially, because that's when the crowd is the loudest. What's it like being out there at the center of something like that, and what does it do to you as a defensive player when the crowd gets going and you're making plays?
GH: I mean, you could almost give the argument that it's like a 12th man out there on the field. It's electrifying. You can feel the ground shaking. Just having the fans impact the game like that, that's huge. Just having some of the best fans in the country coming in and supporting you day-in and day-out, I think that just gives us pride playing for your university. Everything we do is just to make them proud.
Q. Is there a point where you get too excited?
GH: No, I think when you come out of the tunnel, obviously it's a great sight. It's a great atmosphere. But as you get through the game, you realize it's just another game. You can obviously hear it but I feel like for me, playing in front of a 100,000 people, I've learned to adjust and be able to kind of like almost zone it out, but you can still see the impact that it has on a different offense.
Q. One of the things you said was the ground was shaking, and I've heard some of your teammates say that, as well. Can you expand on that a little bit? Is that literal? Does it feel like a small earthquake? What does it feel like?
GH: I don't think, it's not a small earthquake, but you can definitely feel like a little rumble on the ground. I'm sure that makes people be like, wow, the stadium, these fans, they are crazy, like they love their school. They are going to have an impact on the game. So it's just amazing.
Q. James Franklin said last week that tackling was a point of emphasis, presumably with the younger guys. How would you assess the tackling for the defense as a whole so far this season?
GH: I think obviously it's something we need to work on, going. To the off-week, even though we might not have been in pads, we still did the technique and fundamentals almost as like if we were going back to day one of the camp. So I think that was a great help.
And I think going into this week, banging against each other this week, I think we did a better job of it the last two games than I think we did early in the season, so I think it's just progressing.
Q. What did guys tell you about the White Out and how does that compare now that you've seen it?
GH: It's something that you can't really tell somebody about it until you see it. I've heard it's been crazy. I know before I came here, the last one was Michigan, and the overtime win. Just hearing about it and then seeing about it is two different things. When you see it, it's just something like, it just catches the eye. Like it's unexplainable, the atmosphere. It's unreal.