Penn State Football
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference: Offense
vs. Pittsburgh – September 14, 2019
Sean Clifford | QB | So.
Q: You got a win in what might be the last Pitt/Penn State game for a long time, can you express what that means at this point?
A: It was a great win. It was just a great team win. I'm really proud of all of our guys, proud of how everybody came out. There was 108,000, that's really special. People don't really realize what we've got going here – as a community, as a team. We have a lot going for us. I couldn't be more proud of our team right now. You know, 3-0, a win is a win and I'm just excited to be a part of it.
Q: Sean can you talk about the downfield pass plays, you had some big shots, how do you think you did?
A: I need to get better. I missed my shots today and that's on me, it's not on anybody else. I need to have an enhanced focus during the week on shots [downfield]. You know you get used to hitting big plays – I wouldn't say that during the week I lost focus on that, but I think that I got a little comfortable, and I just need to focus up. I think that the explosive passes, I'm putting that on myself, nobody else. I need to get better.
Q: Going forward, what do you think a closer game, a battle to the very end, would do for you guys?
A: That's the type of team we are, you just saw that today. We're going to battle when we're going to battle. There's not much more to it. That's how we train each and every day during the summer. That's how we train in fall camp. That's just how this team is and again, I'm just really proud of our guys.
KJ Hamler | WR | So.
Q: Did that surprise you that three games in you're missing those kinds of plays [shots missed]?
A: A little bit. We go over a lot of those during practice, me and Cliff throw extra after practice, we missed them today so it's just stuff we've got to hit.
Q: Could you comment on the offense these three weeks?
A: I think we're very explosive but we've still got a lot to prove. Like I said, we missed a couple of [deep] shots today. That really could've put us in the lead early, so we just have to execute and capitalize on those.
Q: Sean took the blame for not hitting those shots. Tell me, is that more of a two-person thing?
A: I think it's more of a two-person thing. It's just more communication, how he's going to throw it, where I should break. We talked about it after the play, he told me where he should've thrown it and I think I could've cleared it more and broke at a deeper depth. We're going to get in the film room, watch it, go over it, and practice and practice until we get it right.
Q: Is this a good time for a bye week? Why?
A: Yes, just to fix all of the nicks and stuff, you know? Like I said, we've still got a lot to prove. A lot of players on this team got a lot to prove as well. We just have to get in the film room, take this bye week to recover, be smart about it, and do extra work just to get us on top.
Pat Freiermuth | TE | So./So.
Q: What did you think about Sean [Clifford] today, given some of the hits he took, to stay in there?
A: He's a winner. Our whole offense and really our whole team knew he was a winner. He's not going to go down easy, you can keep hitting him but he's going to keep getting back up.
Q: The short passing game wasn't as sharp as I'm sure you guys would like it to be, what's just missing?
A: We just need to keep working on our timing. We were great our first two games with, just coming in from the summer. I think this bye week is going to be big for us to go and get back to our fundamentals.
Q: What did you discuss specifically at halftime offensively to attack wide and go deep?
A: We just continued to try and take shots on them. They were playing their base coverage and we felt like we could take some shots on their safeties, and I think we did that. We wanted to follow our game plan and we did it to the best of our ability.
Q: What's allowed you guys to be successful from the red zone?
A: Our attention to detail. In practice our coaches really emphasize attention to detail in the red zone and how coming away with six points and not three is our goal. We're 100% on that and we're going to try and continue to do that. But I think it's just details.
Journey Brown | RB | Jr./So.
Q: When you break free like that (85-yard run in the first quarter) what is it like?
A: We learned this in one of my classes, it's like a flow concept. Everything just slows down. I don't hear the crowd, I just hear myself breathing and see everything around me. Then when I got tackled that was when I started hearing the crowd and knew it was an energetic play.
Q: How would you evaluate the offense after three weeks of play so far?
A: I feel like we've done really good so far. We're starting to set a standard and every time we set a standard we end up breaking that standard. We'll just keep climbing and keep getting better and better.
Q: What was going through your mind and how did you prepare yourself for your first start?
A: I always prepare like I'm the starter so I came out and did my same routine. Of course, I felt a little bit of excitement knowing my name was going to be on the big screen, but once the game started I locked in and it just felt like another day.
Q: Do you feel any extra level of excitement during the types of games like the game against Pitt?
A: No, we take every game, Idaho, Buffalo or Pitt, the same way. We come out and prepare for the same thing and just do what Penn State does.
Q: Did you watch the last play from the sidelines and what did you see?
A: 100%, yeah. Our defense wanted it more. They came out there and knew what they had to do. Our defense is still one of the best I've ever seen. No doubt in my mind that they were going to get that stop.