Penn State Football
Appalachian State Student-Athletes
vs. Appalachian State – September 1, 2018
Darrynton Evans | RB | Jr./So.
Q: Talk about that kickoff return. What did you see because I saw a lot of open grass?
A: Yeah that kickoff return was pretty big, especially coming off not playing last year. I just started running. I saw a hole and was like you've got to be kidding me.
Anthony Flory | LB | Sr.
Q: A couple of years ago you had a very similar situation against Tennessee and you guys came out and matched their intensity and put them on their heels. Did you kind of have the same feeling today that you kind of came out and matched Penn State's intensity?
A: It's about knowing we can play with anybody. It's not like they're some big bad thing we can't touch. It's just they're in the Big Ten and we're in the Sun Belt. We come and play every game the same way. So we knew we were going to come out and be physical with them.
Q: When they started opening up their offense a little bit in the second half and really started attacking down the field, what were some of things the coaches were talking to you about to make sure as they changed what they were doing you guys were matching them?
A: They just told us to keep our eyes clean. Dirty eyes will get you beat. We just made mistakes that we knew we weren't supposed to be making. Stuff like that happens. We have to just keep playing.
Q: Trace McSorley puts a lot of pressure on a defense because he's so smart and runs an offense that really features him. What were the keys that you guys were talking about relative to making sure you weren't letting him really gash you down the field and at least making them work for some drives?
A: Our coaches do a great job of giving us set rules every week: What to watch, what to see. We weren't falling for the trickery. We see one thing and we react to it. Out coaches do a really good job of getting us ready, so it was nothing crazy for us.
Zach Thomas | QB | Jr./So.
Q: You started out 6 for 6, throwing a lot of quick stuff, that's what you took. As the game went on you went down the field more. What changed from earlier in the game with the quicker stuff to more of the deep stuff you got in the second half?
A: I think for our game plan we wanted to just start off with quick slants. I was able to put in that window and that gave us a chance. Then as the game went on we realized we could really throw on this team. I just read it out and delivered the ball to the receivers.
Q: How much of a confidence boost is this for you personally going forward into the rest of the season?
A: It's as high as it can get. I'm just really proud, I put a lot of work into this. To go out there tonight and show what I had, it was really just awesome to see.
Q: You were able to work the ball around to a lot of different receivers. There wasn't anybody you were kind of locked in on at any point of the game. Talk a little bit about the chemistry between you and the receivers that you could work the ball in that many different routes and that many different guys and have the confidence you did.
A: I put our receiving group up with anybody in the country. We have fantastic receivers and I trusted every one of them and they trusted me. So I just have to know when to throw the ball and they'll get it. What they did tonight was awesome.
Malik Williams | WR | So./So.
Q: You were a high school quarterback, didn't really play much receiver. So when you came in last year, you had to learn on the job. As you think back on the past 12-18 months, where do you feel the biggest improvements in your game have come as a receiver?
A: I would say route running, making people miss, just learning last year from those seniors just really helped make me a better receiver.
Q: What was it like for you guys after that kickoff return?
A: It was great. That really set the tone, gave us confidence, gave us momentum. We just knew we were going to be respected.
Q: You first stepped on a Power 5 field last year at Georgia. Seems like a pretty significant difference in your game from then to now. Talk about being there today and what it meant to go out there and perform the way you did.
A: It meant a lot to me because last year the older guys helped a lot by building my momentum up. They made me a better receiver. They just helped me and today was a great day for me.