Nov. 8, 2016
Penn State Football
Weekly Press Conference - Players
November 8, 2016
Marcus Allen | Jr. | S
James Franklin was in here telling us about how you guys are trying to focus on trying to stop the shot plays against Indiana. How would you assess what you've seen on film versus what you think you have to do to try to slow that offense down?
MA: We've seen that they are a fast-paced team. They like to take their shots down the field. The quarterback is a nice, precise thrower. It's going to be a good test for the secondary to see if we can shut that down.
Do you guys like thrive on that?
MA: I love that. As far as a quarterback that likes to like give us chances to break on the ball and make more impact plays in the passing game. That's a great feeling to have. Last game [against Iowa], it was a more running-oriented team. This is a great week to play against a throwing quarterback.
How much fun are you having this season? Is it easier to improve as a team on defense when the fun factor is as high as it's been?
MA: That's a part of the game for me. As long as we're having fun, that's going to have a big impact on the team. When everybody is having fun and everything's energetic, it brings more excitement to the game. I think that's why everybody came to Penn State to play football. It's just to have fun and win big games.
Speaking of having fun, that mannequin challenge video went viral. Whose idea was that and did you expect it to be shared as much as it has been the last couple days?
MA: Yeah, I expected it to blow up like that because anything we post up, I believe it's going to blow up. The idea? I believe Antoine White, he said he wanted to do it when we got in there and we just did it. So it was pretty fun.
Do you feel like the chemistry in the locker room is getting better each and every week with each and every win or has it been pretty consistent?
MA: To be honest I think it's always been consistent. Since camp, everybody has been real close with each other and bringing a lot of excitement to the game of football and just competing.
So from camp as far as the competing vibes it was crazy and extraordinary. It is something that I have ever been a part of. I knew it was going to be like this.
Who are your locker mates in the locker rooms? Who is on your left and right? We heard it's a little mixed up.
MA: It's mixed up, definitely. I have Evan Schwan to my left and Brendan Mahon to my right. And then way down there, you have Saquon [Barkley] and Chris Godwin. But it's definitely mixed up.
Do you think Saquon is a legit Heisman contender?
MA: Of course. You don't have to ask me that. You know I'm going to say he is. I don't know why people are not talking about him. Everybody should know that he's a Heisman contender.
I'm just curious if any of you guys watched the College Football Playoff rankings or how much you pay attention to that?
MA: We love all the talk about being ranked, that's something special to us but we are so focused on the next game that we don't really have our mind wrapped around it that much.
So I don't even go to my phone or anything and like that. Right now, it is more about going on my phone to look at film and look at Indiana. Yesterday, that's all I was doing, looking at Indiana [film]. It's a nice thing to have that number by our name.
LaVar Arrington tends to give you a lot of love on Twitter. How long have you known him and what impact has he had on you as a player and a person?
MA: I look at him as a mentor. He has given me a lot of wisdom throughout my career and my life, both on and off the football field. I look at him as an older brother to be honest, but that's the role that he plays in my life.
So people describe you as an interesting guy, and I've also heard Evan Schwan described as an interesting guy. How would you talk about Evan and his personality, having a locker next to him?
MA: Evan is just Evan. He has his own personality just like I do. He can be a character at times and he can be serious at times. It's no telling what he's going to do.
As far as me and him being next to each other, we have those two vibes like colliding with each other. So it can be funny. Everybody is laughing when we are talking and stuff in the locker room.
What are those two vibes?
MA: It just different vibes. I have my own type of personality and he has his own type of personality and when both of them are mixed, it's going to be a funny environment.
James was telling us that the seniors do the team shares; do you remember anything about Paris Palmer's, or maybe one person that their story stuck with you?
MA: Somebody's story that stuck with me, to be honest, I would say Jordan Smith, although I knew his story before he told it. Some things that he said made me wonder, "wow, I never knew about that about Jordan." For him to tell me and the team about his whole life like that, that really made me feel like good, that he felt good to tell us that.
Coming out of right field on this one. James told us that you guys do media training. What do you remember about doing that and what was that process like so you could get comfortable dealing with us?
MA: Just answer the questions. Just answer [the questions] honestly, that's it.
You're a pretty honest guy it seems like. Do they put cameras in your face?
MA: Yeah, we are in a room with 150 cameras, and they press us out. No. I'm playing. It's way more than this, it's like 107K in there. But, really it's just simple, simple training to be honest.
Trace McSorley | So. | QB
A few times Saturday night you were scrambling out of the pocket on third down and you found [Chris] Godwin cutting back. It didn't look like it was the originally route, so how do you determine that chemistry and build to knows when he is going to break off the route?
TM: We work drills like that in practice. We'll work scramble drills, when things break down in the pocket and the quarterback gets out. There is a little base set of rules for receivers, where you are in relation to where the quarterback is or whether you have to mirror him or break down the field or come back to the quarterback, things like that.
We just work that in practice. It's one of those things…where you just let [receivers] be an athlete and break open from defenders and find open space in the defense, things like that.
How can you tell your offensive linemen are gelling on the same page during the course of a game?
TM: I think a lot of it is the body language that they have and how you see them working together on the sidelines, talking through things that they are seeing. They are communicating the different kinds of twists and stunts and alignments that they are seeing on defense. Then, working with Coach Limegrover on how to block up certain looks that might be a little bit different than what we had presented during the week of practice.
I think that's the biggest thing is seeing them on the sidelines and in practice, and just how they gel with each other, talking to each other and their body language.
What do you think are two or three of the most telling stats from this five-game win streak? Was there anything that jumps out to you that you think maybe explains how this offense has put it all together?
TM: I think a big thing would be our turnover margin. We've done a really good job during our win streak of not turning the ball over and being able to end every drive with a kick as Coach Moorhead says, whether it's a punt, field goal or extra point. So, just not turning the ball over.
Obviously the explosive plays for us have been huge. That's something that this entire year, I think we've been pretty good at, and continue to have success at doing those type of things.
So, our turnover margin is probably the biggest thing and then continuing to have the explosive plays.
Talk about Indiana and what you have in store out there and what you need to keep this streak going?
TM: Part of it is the same thing I just said: not turning the ball over and taking what the defense gives us. We cannot force the ball or put the ball in jeopardy from the quarterback position by trying to force things in the pass game. Then as we have been, running the ball and being able to read the defense up front and get Saquon and our running backs in one-on-one matchups against safeties and defensive backs. We are confident they will be able to win those one-on-one battles. So we need to continue to do those things. Get our running backs and our athletes in space, and let them be athletes and win their one-on-one matchups on the outside and protect the football.
Chasz [Wright] looked pretty frustrated with himself after he gave up his sack. Did you say anything to him? Did anybody say anything to him and how do you think he did in his first extended period of time on the field?
TM: He obviously knew that he kind of messed up a little bit, so the biggest thing is that he knew what happened, and he knew how to fix. I think that the best thing for him was that he himself knew what he needed to do in order to not let that happen again.
I think that was able to help him out the rest of the game. From then, he didn't give up any more ground. That was the only one we had. I think it was awesome for Chasz to be able to step in. And for him to come in and not miss a beat, just step right in with the offensive line and continue to gel with the whole unit as they have been, was huge. It was huge not only for him to be able to have that confidence, but also our entire offensive line to know that we have guys on our depth chart that can come in and not miss a beat with what we have going on.
How do you think you've progressed throughout the year in making split-second decisions?
TM: I think as I've been able to be more comfortable and gain more confidence throughout the year, that's something that I have been able to see things a little bit better and see how things have been progressing and anticipate things a little bit better.
It is also how we've been preparing during the week as an offensive unit. That has been huge for us. Our preparation has stepped up each and every week. What we did the week before isn't going to be good enough this week. That's something we've really taken ahold of as an offensive unit and continued to progress on. I think that's a big part of being able to anticipate things and being more confident and seeing things better because we are preparing that much better during the week.
With the experience you have with the new offense, you guys can get a little more creative, but did you ever think that you would be handling the jet sweep to Tommy [Stevens]?
TM: Definitely not something I thought about when we first came in. We were going through some of the old Fordham tapes and I had never seen that. We kind of had it in the works and started talking about it and working on it. We got really excited about it.
It was awesome for us to be able to put that in and show that we can have a package where we have two quarterbacks in the game and there are so many different things that we can do. It definitely puts a defense on their heels. From that play, just looking over the defense, once they realized that Tommy wasn't a slot receiver, there was this kind of look of confusion on a lot of the guys on the defense, not really knowing how to approach it.
I think it's a huge benefit to our offense and adds a lot of excitement for the things that we can do when Tommy is in the game with me. Having both of us in there at the same time [is exciting].
From the first Monday you met after the Michigan loss to yesterday, how have those extra film sessions changed or improved or grown?
TM: There are more guys showing up now that they are seeing how that's been able to help us. The dialogue that goes on during those meetings is a lot better between the guys on the offensive line and Saquon or the offensive line and me. All the guys that we have showing up, helps in just different things that guys are seeing and the kinds of things they are pointing out.
I think that's been the biggest part is just more guys showing up and the dialogue have been evolving during those meetings.
Last season, [Christian] Hackenberg was kind of known for his arm strength, but this season when it comes to balls thrown over 20 yards, you have the higher completion percentage. Does that surprise you? Why do you think you've been so effective on those explosive plays?
TM: I think part of it is what we've been able to do on offense with our running game. I think we're getting guys more open downfield and being able to have better one-on-one matchups where you can let one of our guys go up and make a play.
We've got some big body receivers that are athletic and can go up and make a catch and make contested catches and that's part of it is you don't have to put the ball in the exact perfect place every time. You've got a one-on-one match up with one of our guys, you can put it up high and outside or maybe a little behind them.
Guys like Saeed [Blacknall] and Chris [Godwin] and DaeSean [Hamilton] will still be able to box the defender out and go up and get the ball and make plays. I think that's been part of it.
We have been able to get guys running wide open down the field, whether it's based off of concepts or defensive breakdowns and have been able to put a lot of stress on defenses with our run game or when plays are breaking down and guys get open downfield.
Like I said earlier, being an athlete when plays break down and the quarterback start scrambling and creating some separation from a defender. I think that's probably been a big part of it.
Curious how you're feeling physically? Going into the season, it had been awhile since you took a season full of hits. How are you feeling and how do you erase some of those hits from your mind?
TM: I feel good. Our athletic trainers do a really good job on helping with any kind of bumps or bruises. They do a really good job with getting us back to feeling 100 percent and making sure that we're able to go out and play.
As far as not thinking about hits? It's football. Things like that happen and you've just got to be able to treat every play as its own play and not worry about things that happened a couple plays before or on the last play. It is about focusing on the task at hand and the play you're about to run. If you do that things will take care of themselves.
Going back to that Tommy Stevens jet sweep, it looked like he had an option to lateral or throw to receiver on the outside and it was covered and then against Ohio State, you had a play where you cut up field and looked like either you passed it, it was a lateral or legal pass at the time. Being able to fake out the defense in that way, what was your reaction to that wrinkle in the offense and Jim Moorhead first showed you that?
TM: That's part of what we do with putting guys in distress on defense. At least the Ohio State play, we kind of ran off of a base read, reading one guy, and then there's kind of a next phase to it, so that's part of it. We're constantly putting one guy on defense in a bind where he's got to choose between two guys, and we have answers to that.
I think that's the biggest part of what we do on offense is try and put certain defenders in a bind. With what we know of what the defense is running and being able to diagnose that and understand what each guy's responsibility might be and how he's trying to be taught to play based off our film study and what we can gather through that. Then we are running plays that attack that and are able to put that guy in a bind and things like that.
You mentioned Monday's film. Is that players only?
TM: Yeah, that's players only.
Your ball protection has gotten so much better. Do you attribute that to the offensive line, or is there something more conscious that you're doing when you're getting hit?
TM: I think part of it is definitely the offensive line in what they have been able to do and how they have improved over the entire year is a big part of it. Then it is what we do in practice. We do ball security circuits every single day. I think that's a big part of it is just taking those as seriously as we possibly can, especially after the first couple games where turnovers were an issue for us.
So the entire team, from the a skill perspective, started taking those ball security circuits more seriously. Not that we weren't before, but when turnovers became an issue, that became a very big focal point for our offense and the guys on the offensive side of the ball; so we weren't turning the ball over and putting our team in the best position to win, based off of that.
Last year, you spoke highly of [Christian] Hackenberg after the Bowl, and wondered how much communication has there been with him now?
TM: I mean, not too much. He's been able to come back a couple times. We did not really talk too much football. Just, "hey, how you doing?" I haven't talked to him in a while. It's more that kind of conversation, not too much of actually talking about football.
He's got a full plate. He has a real job now and he's getting paid. He's got a lot on his plate and he understands the position I'm in now and that I have a lot on my plate. A lot of times you see one of those guys, you want to catch up and say what's up and not talk too much football. Just kind of hang out and see how each other is doing.
James has talked about the team shares and we talked about Paris Palmer this morning, what do you remember about Paris's share, because obviously he's got a pretty unique story?
TM: From Paris's share, he kind of talked about his family and how he was raised. Coming from North Carolina and how he progressed from North Carolina going to junior college and some of the struggles he went through with the injuries and things like that. [He talked about] how he was raised in his hometown and things like that. And then how he kind of got here to Penn State.
I heard he talked [to the media] about a peanut story where he was working in a peanut factory. I hadn't heard that story. That wasn't part of it. But definitely that's something that those shares have been awesome for us because you get to see guys in a different light and get to learn a little bit more about some of the guys -- you see guys every single day you're with them all the time, but you don't realize how much you don't know that person.
So I think it's been awesome for the team to kind of have guys come up and tell their story and kind of tell things that might be a little more personal than they would want to say on the outset and go a little bit deeper into who guys are.
After having competed with Tommy right up through camp, how has your relationship with him changed during the regular season and how have you seen him progress and maybe settle into his role on the team right now?
TM: Our relationship is as good as ever. Him and I, and all the quarterbacks, including Billy [Fessler], Jake [Zembiec] and Mike [Shuster], we all have a good time. We're all in a really good relationship. Tommy and I room together on all the trips, whether it's home or away.
We have a real good relationship. I don't think it's been any kind of weird thing since everything's happened where had to name a starter at the beginning of the year to where we're at now. He's done a really good job with what he's been able to do.
Every time that we've had an opportunity to get him in the game, he's been able to lead the team down the field and either get points on the board or get some more yards, always getting positive yards and showing his athletic ability, especially when he has the ball in his hands.
I think it's been awesome for him and what he's been able to do in his role and kinds of being able to help the offense as a whole. He comes to the Monday meetings and he's giving input just as everyone else is. It's been awesome with how he's been able to handle that and really the entire team has been able to handle the Monday meetings and things like that.
This receiving core is obviously very deep. How has each different individual kind of helped you adjust in the starting role and maintain it and progress as you've gotten more experience?
TM: I think each guy has one certain thing that they are really good at. Talking about DaeSean [Hamilton] with how he runs his routes and the savvy he has in and out of cuts. Chris [Godwin] plays the ball really well in the air. Saeed [Blacknall] is a deep threat with his speed and how he plays go balls and stuff like that.
I think from my perspective, those three guys, and that's not even to mention Irvin [Charles], Juwan [Johnson], DeAndre [Thompkins] and the other guys that have made big plays for us throughout the year. Each guy has their own certain little niche that they are really good at. You can kind of gauge that based off of what those guys are really good at and what their forte is on certain plays.
If you have a guy on a route, it is about how to throw the ball to give them the best chance to go up and make the play the best way that they are capable of. But, if you're taking a deep shot with Saeed, you let him run and throw the ball to let him run, use his speed.
Knowing the talents that they have and the certain things that they are best at is key. I don't want to say pick and choose based off the route we have called, but knowing the type of routes that they are more likely to win on and being able to anticipate when they are going be able to come out of breaks and being able to do that.