Penn State Football
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference: Defense
vs. Buffalo – September 7, 2019
Garrett Taylor | S | Gr./Sr.
Q: How did the pick-six feel for your defense?
A: It felt really good. Our goal is always to get turnovers. Our goal is to get three a game. Obviously we came up short, but getting our hands on the ball is something we really focused on this offseason and to see that take over into the game felt good.
Q: Why was the second half so different from the first half on both sides of the ball for you guys?
A: Obviously we have a lot to correct about how we came out in the first half. I think we came out a little slow and quiet. We came into that locker room and guys were making sure everyone was keeping their heads up, our coaches made great adjustments and we came out in the second half and executed. I think that was a big difference. Guys were flying around and executing calls. The offense was scoring in the red zone and finishing drives. The defense was getting off the field on third down and getting turnovers.
Q: Do you think you took a little more away from this game than last game given the opponent and that you guys had to face a little bit of adversity?
A: I think that adversity was huge for us. I think it just showed our guts as a team. Obviously the first half was rough, but it showed a lot about how we are as a team. We were able to internalize that, get over mistakes we made in the first half and come out in the second half and correct that. It said a lot about us as a team.
Robert Windsor | DT | GR/SR
Q: How big is it in the moment when maybe you guys aren't playing your best football to have a player like John Reid to come turn things around?
A: That was huge. It was like a momentum…you could just feel the energy. I know I certainly could on the field. It was infectious and we rolled that energy the rest of the game.
Q: What was the mood at halftime? Obviously, a different scenario than what played out last Saturday and young leadership, what did you see from that group?
A: Well, guys are really stepping up, and are saying, "This is not us, we're better than this," and we made our adjustments and, as you saw, we adjusted well and things kind of took care of itself.
Q: What do you think this game does say about you guys? Obviously not the start you wanted but I imagine it's the ending you wanted.
A: I think it says we're a good team. We came back but there's still things we need to clean up. So, we're going to take the win, we're going to celebrate it, but at the same time we're going to learn from it.
Cam Brown | LB | Sr./Sr.
Q: Can you describe your first start of the season here?
A: Being back in Beaver Stadium felt amazing. You can't ask for a better atmosphere. A team like Buffalo came out and they were ready to play us and it was just a fun environment.
Q: What did John Reid's return do for you guys?
A: It got the momentum going. He got everybody and rolling and got the guys hyped. We were already pretty upbeat, but with something like that you can't ask for a better play.
Q: Which player took the lead in the locker room at halftime?
A: It was everybody. We have so many captains because there are so many guys that are leaders around here. There are so many guys you can look up to and respect.
John Reid | CB | 5th/Sr.
Q: Coming out of the gate in the second half, how important was it to make a play like that?
A: It was definitely important just to change the momentum of the game.
Q: Once you made the interception what was going through your mind?
A: I'm trying to score. I've been close a couple of times so I really just wanted to get into the endzone. Getting a defensive score is really exciting for the team.
Q: Cam [Brown] said you only got in because of the offensive linemen, is that true?
A: [Laughs] That's not true. I kept telling Cam I think I made a couple of guys fall on the play too. Maybe if I had his blocks.