Nick Scott | Safety | Gr./Sr.
Q. To slam the door shut yourself on that long drive by Iowa, how rewarding was that for you? To be able to stop a late drive for the opponent, what does that do for the confidence of this defense?
NS: It felt great. Obviously any time you can influence the game in that kind of way and put your team in a better position to get a win, it feels great, and that's just what I'm trying to do week in and week out. That was last week. This week, I'm going to have to make plays and everybody is going to have to make plays again to instill that confidence as we go into this game against Michigan.
Q. Brent Pry, what are his strengths? Do any of his personality characteristics manifest themselves in the defense?
NS: I think one of his biggest strengths is his ability to relate to us and communicate with us being younger than he is and sort of getting us going. He's got a great personality. He's got a fiery personality. He can be very intense at times, which I think is great. The defense feeds off that. I think he's a perfect fit for us and I think this defense definitely emulates his personality in terms of our intentions when we come on the field.
Q. John Reid seems very confident. How has John taken strides this season? Because of his absence, what did that do for Tariq Castro-Fields and your cornerback depth?
NS: John Reid, he's playing physical. None of that is a surprise to us just because of the way he prepares, so it's great to just see it pay off. Tariq getting that experience last year was obviously huge. He's playing with a lot of confidence. So yeah, right now our DB corps looks good. We're prepared. We're going to get the game plan this weekend and try to apply it to the best of our abilities, but I'm very confident in those guys' ability to perform and do what needs to be done.
Q. What's different in Michigan with Shea Patterson? How does that change their offense?
NS: I think it adds a little bit of a running aspect with the quarterback that you have to account for. He's a guy that you have to worry about extending plays with his feet. He's really talented. He's got a great arm. It's going to present a challenge for us and finding out a way to sort of eliminate him from the game. That's the kind of challenge that as a defense you look forward to. That's why we come here to Penn State.
Q. Is there a guy you've played against before that you think is similiar to him?
NS: That's a good question. I can't think of anybody off the top of my head. A lot of the quarterbacks that we play, especially in this day and age, are athletic and can use their feet. I don't think it's anything new to us. He's been excelling in it and doing it at a high degree and doing a great job.
Q. How has the safety room changed and evolved since you've been here because you guys have a lot of depth now? How is it different than the room you walked into?
NS: That's a good question. I think in terms of our mentality, I think it's pretty much the same. Coach [Tim] Banks has done an unbelievable job since he got here in molding the safety group. It's a group that we all take a lot of pride in and try to withhold a standard that guys like Malik [Golden] and Troy Apke and Marcus Allen set. I think these guys in the safety room right now have a hunger for the ball, trying to get after the ball and take a lot of pride in takeaways. I think we've been doing a great job so far and hopefully we can just continue to influence this defense in a positive way.
Q. How do you help a young guy to learn to not do more than his job? Is that an acquired skill when you come in from high school and you can make up for mistakes with your athleticism but now you stay with your assignment? Does it take time to have that discipline?
NS: I would say it depends on the person. You know, everybody has a journey, everybody has a different thought process when we're on the field. Everybody obviously wants to make big plays. You learn through experience what you're talking about, just the patience of letting the game come to you and understanding that there's 10 other guys around you on scholarship who are going to do their jobs. The sooner you can trust that, the better off you'll be in terms of executing your own job.
Q. Two years ago, Michigan had a 39-point win. Now 31 straight where you guys have had a lead at some point in the fourth quarter. Do you ever totally shake off that feeling of what you felt as a team when you get on the flight out of Ann Arbor in 2016? Do you carry that motivation with you to avoid that kind of scenario?
NS: I'd say two years ago, I shook that feeling off the next week we were getting ready for the next opponent. That's the code that I live by personally. I don't have any vengeance. I'm just worried about this Michigan team this year, this Penn State team this year, and preparing ourselves to the best of our ability to go out there and compete and go 1-0 this week.
Q. How do you assess your ability to get turnovers? How would you say you guys are catching the ball? Do you think you're getting better there? There's been 18 fumbles by the opponent and you guys have only gotten four of them. How do you wrap your hands around that stat?
NS: I definitely would say that this defense right now, we're definitely very hungry for the ball, trying to go after the ball every chance we get. The turnovers we have gotten have been a result of guys doing their job and trusting their keys and making a play when they had the opportunity.
Obviously we wish we had a little bit bigger ratio than 18 to 4, but there's nothing we can do to go get those fumbles back. We're just going to keep attacking the ball like we have been and presenting as many opportunities to get the ball as we can.
Q. What would you say is the philosophy on special teams this year? Obviously in the past we heard a lot about the next one. How does [Phil] Galiano compare coaching style-wise to Coach [Charles] Huff?
NS: Coach Galiano has been doing an amazing job, taking this special teams and creating our identity. Right now, we have -- we call ourselves the unit, which is a group of elite guys who know their job and perform it extremely fast and violent. So that's our mentality. We want to play as fast and violent as possible, and he's been putting guys in positions to make plays. Lamont Wade is a guy that really stands out who's been playing physical the past couple weeks, and that's a testament to Coach Galiano and his scheme.
Q. How would you describe Galiano? Is he a high-energy guy? What is his style?
NS: I would say that he's a teacher first. He's very concerned with making sure that everybody understands what he wants done. He's not a guy that's necessarily going to scream in your face. He'll raise his voice if he has to but only so the whole room can hear him. He's pretty even keel, and at the end of the day, he just wants everybody to execute like any other coach. He's been doing a great job so far.
Q. The one day we were at practice, Coach Galiano had a headset on and was speaking through a microphone. Is that something new this year? How does that help you guys with him being able to communicate?
NS: Yeah, that's something new that we've done. The whole point of that is so everybody on the field can hear him when we're talking about special teams because special teams is a phase of the game where you can have 11 guys on the field spread out throughout 50 yards. When he's giving coaching points, it's important that the kickoff returner in the end zone can hear him as well as the front line guy at the 50-yard line, and even the guys not on the field. That's the main purpose, just making sure that everybody has an opportunity to be tuned in and hear the coaching points.
DeAndre Thompkins | Wide Receiver | Gr./Sr.
Q. How would you evaluate the special teams performance overall so far this season? How would you evaluate your season up to this point?
DT: Special teams, we have a lot of thing that we've got to key up on. We have a lot of guys who can make plays in certain positions, and it's just trying to figure out where guys can fit best. Coach [Phil] Galiano does a great job of that. I think that we have a little adversity here and there, no season is going to be perfect on offense, defense or special teams, so just trying to find a mix of guys that can do the certain jobs that Coach Galiano wants them to do and do them consistently. I think we've been doing a pretty good job of that.
As far as as my season, ups and downs here and there, but most importantly, just keep doing my job, doing whatever Coach [Ricky] Rahne and Coach [David] Corley want me to do and do it consistently to the best of my ability.
Q. Statistically, Saturday was your best receiving game of the season. Was there anything that was different about that game, either in the way you approached it or the way you did your job?
DT: I just approached it just like I approach every other game. I was well prepared for it. Just the ball seemed to find me a little bit more this game than others and I'm not complaining about that. I just tried to make the best of my abilities. I got more opportunities this game than other games and hopefully we can continue to improve upon that.
Q. You mentioned earlier this season, regardless of whether passes are coming your way, you're going to try your best to be a really good blocker. The block you threw for Trace down the stretch to free him up for the final stretch of that touchdown. Was that one of your proudest moments as a blocker? What was the conversation like with him after that?
DT: Yeah, it always feels good to be that guy to makes that one block that springs a touchdown. Just knowing that he was behind me running full speed and I turned around and he was gone, it kind of puts a smile on your face. And then when you get in the end zone, you're just happy for everyone, happy for him to get back in the game. He had a little injury and came back, and he just took off, and I was surprised he was running as fast as he was. To have him to spring loose like that and to know that I played a big part of that just puts a smile on my face.
Q. James Franklin just made his case why he believes Trace is the best player in college football. What would your case be for Trace as that best player in CFB right now?
DT: His resume says everything. Look at the games he's been playing in, the big moments he's been clutch in, and then think about the guys who he's made better around him and the guys he's been playing around. It just speaks a lot about who he is and who his character is. Look at the things he does off the field, as well, having his degree, working for another degree and stuff like that. Then look at his parents. His parents are a big part of him and what he does, and he just bleeds blue and white on and off the field. Everybody at Penn State and the alumni know that. He's just a very infectious guy positivity-wise.
Q. KJ [Hamler] is from Michigan and gets a chance to go home this game. Do you expect any more juice out of him this week? Do you have to try and keep him even keel before taking a trip like this?
DT: Any time a player gets to go back home and perform in his home state, it means a lot to him. I know KJ is going to take full advantage of that. It's one of those things that you don't really dial back somebody with that kind of personality because that's who they are. You kind of don't want to control anybody like that. He's just one of those guys that he is who he is. He's going to be who he is, whether rain, sleet, snow, Michigan, California, Florida, whatever. I'm always going to make sure he does his job to the best of his ability, and what he does outside of that really doesn't matter.
Q. Juwan [Johnson] got 10 snaps last week, missed a half against Indiana. Brandon [Polk] didn't have a catch last week, but you stepped up. The three of you are so much older than the other receivers in that room. How have you three, regardless of what you're producing on game day, maintained that leadership role throughout the course of game week?
DT: We have a next-man-up mentality, no matter who's in, whether it's one of us three or one of the younger guys. No matter who's in, just as long as they do their job consistently and make sure they're doing the right thing at all times, and we get a win, that's the only thing that matters.
We want to be in, want to do this, want to do that, but at the end of the day, we just want the team to win, whether that's us being in the game, getting 50 plus catches or whether that's not being in much and just blocking, it doesn't matter to us. We're older guys and we understand the politics of the game, and we understand no matter what, the team goal comes before the individual success.
Q. Do you think the team has put it all together in one game this year? How important is that to happen this week?
DT: I believe that it's a process, not just one game where everything is going to click. It's a game of football. You never know what's going to happen, when it's going to happen. I think we've learned as each week goes on, we've learned a little bit about our team and capitalized on it, and I think that's something that we do very well. Each game has its own identity and we've figured out what the identity was of that game, attacked it and tried to improve upon it and moved on to the next week.
Q. You guys got a lot of freshman receivers that have stepped in and done their job. How have you helped them along? Is there a competitiveness there too? You guys want to be on the field but it's part of your job to help them. How do you balance that?
DT: That's a good question. As an older guy, you've been through the ropes. You know little things here and there that some of the younger guys don't really know yet. Like I said, overall, the most important thing is team success, whether that's guys getting more reps than the other guys, so be it, but just as long as you're in the game and you're on my team you're going to know what you're doing, when to do it and why you have to do it. That's why the older guys like me and Juwan and Polk try to teach the younger guys, no matter whether you're in or not or what happens, you've got to know what you're doing and when you're doing it, because whether I'm in there or you're in there, it has to be the perfect play for the perfect look and you have to be doing your job. It's kind of a balance of you're competitive, you're trying to make each other better, but at the end of the day, you know that the team win is more important than trying to make a split between two people.
Q. We've seen a little bit of Jahan [Dotson]. What can you tell us about his game? How do you see him developing, not only to the end of this year, but going on through his career here at Penn State?
DT: Jahan is a very special player. He has very raw potential. There's little things that as a receiver only experience can teach you, and that's something that he's going to have to look forward to, as he gets older. I feel like he has a lot of things that you can't really teach for a younger guy. He's very fluid in his motions. He catches the ball very well. He has a good mindset, and the way he moves is just fantastic. He's very smooth. He's not very choppy. He trusts himself. Those things are only going to send him further when he gets older.
Q. You've had two wide receiver coaches now the past two years. What are the differences between these guys, and what are the similarities? How much does a new position coach affect a room throughout the course of a year?
DT: It's one of those things, you've got to be their player to kind of figure out. It's kind of hard to describe their two personalities. [Josh] Gattis is one of those guys that he's very attention to detail. He pays attention to really small, fine things and he's very knowledgeable about the game. Coach [David] Corley is the same. He's very tuned into the details. Very little things are important to him. They're just two separate people. It's not really much of an impact in the room because still, no matter who it is, they're still giving the same message, attention to detail, fundamentals are important, and overall team success is more important than individual success. The same message is being applied to everyone.
Q. Are they coaching you guys the same things? Are there adjustments in terms of how he wants you to play the game versus how Josh Gattis wanted you to play?
DT: That's a good question. I think that both receiver coaches coach within the scheme. You can go on YouTube and look up all these drills and stuff like that, but whether it applies into a game situation or a certain scheme that we're trying to do, there's certain things you can and can't do as a receiver, and those are just things that you have to learn, watching film, talking to coaches, stuff like that. I think both coaches do a great job of having certain techniques with certain schemes that match certain looks on the defense. They have different ways of teaching it, but I think it's the same concept as you teach within the scheme and what you're learning and coordinating it with the OC and stuff like that.
Q. Michigan's stadium is nicknamed the Big House. Do you ever really get used to play in front of six-figure crowds? Do you get more comfortable?
DT: To an extent you do. You don't really get numb to it, I would say. You still look up and you still see 100,000-plus people. You're not going to sit and pretend like you don't see that.
But you do start to understand that your job is more important than all of these people. As you get older, you start to not really shut out, but start to focus, have more of a tunnel vision and don't let the outside things affect you. The big house is the big house. Everybody knows how many people are in there, how crazy the fans are, how ecstatic they are, but they also know about Penn State and Beaver Stadium. They're very similar. The crowd can affect the game, but once you have that tunnel vision, nothing can really affect you.
Q. When you guys flew back from Ann Arbor in 2016, Penn State was 16-14 under James Franklin, since then 25-6. What was the team's mind set coming off that 39-point loss? What do you think are the most significant changes about where this team is now in the past 30 games?
DT: That was two years ago. It's two completely different teams. I can't really speak on two years ago, but I can speak on now, and I think our mindset is to go in this game and try to come out with a win. We know it's going to be tough, we know it's going to be gritty and not going to be pretty. The big house is the big house. Michigan is a really good team, and we're a really good team, so it's going to be a really good game.
Q. You guys have had some really vocal leaders, some guys who were quiet. I'm not sure how much interaction you have with Shareef Miller, but he seems to be really direct when he's talking with us. Is he that same way around you guys? What does it mean when you have a guy that leads in a different style than some other people?
DT: Shareef is very straightforward. That's something me and him have in common. I feel like it opens up the room to different people. Maybe you need somebody who's straightforward who's going to tell you what you need to hear right then and there. Maybe you need another approach. I think it gives our team diversity. It gives different guys the ability to talk to different people, and I think it's just a good outlet for certain players, even coaches.
Q. On a different note, Juwan was wearing these goggles in warmups two weeks ago, I guess. Have you worn them at all? Has it helped you? What's kind of the thought process behind it?
DT: Believe it or not, the goggles fog up. Like they have a material that fogs up. They're good in the sense it teaches you to focus on the ball when the ball is in the air. For example, when the ball is in the sun and you can't really see it, it kind of mimics that interaction. It fogs up your vision and clears it up, so you have to refocus on the ball and have to relocate it. So as a receiver that's something very valuable. You're catching in traffic, you have a lot of guys crossing your face or where there's a competitive catch and you have something in your face or a defender's hands in your face. Like I said before, when the ball is in the sun, it kind of makes you feel more comfortable in that situation to not freak out and try to catch the ball.
Q. Have you guys worked using those before? Is that new this year?
DT: Believe it or not, Chris Godwin was the first one to have those, so we worked with them for a while. We'll catch jugs with them. Whether it's in our free time, to go catch with it, or Juwan will use them pregame.
