Penn State Football
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference: Offense
vs. Buffalo – September 7, 2019
Sean Clifford | QB | Jr./So.
Q: What would you say changed from the first half to the second half tonight?
A: We just made adjustments like teams do. We had the right looks, it wasn't bad, it was just about executing. We just pulled it together. We talked through some goals before we went into the second [half].
Q: Do you guys think you took on a winning attitude in the second half? How much of it was attitude?
A: A lot of it is attitude. It's always going to be about attitude. We have a good attitude about everything. When you're down 10-7 we knew we had to come back and start from scratch. We hadn't been pushed like that this season so we just had to take it one step at a time. I think our team did really well.
Q: What did [John] Reid's pick-six do for you guys?
A: It's a pick-six, that's huge. It was a big momentum changer for us on offense – we feed off that energy. The crowd gets back into it and we get really excited about that.
Q: Sean, do you put any stock in the importance of getting into a rhythm? How would you describe what a good rhythm or a good flow is for you?
A: Each drive you need to treat individually. Certain things will be different each time. I would say a rhythm is just completing balls and placing them where you want to be. I thought personally I could've done a lot better on my deep ball tonight, but that's something I can improve on. Overall I thought our team played well and I'm really proud of our guys.
Steven Gonzalez |OL | GR/SR
Q: What was the mood like at halftime?
A: We knew it was a bad first half and we were kinda struggling, slow start. We eventually said, "We've got to come out, we've got to finish every drive and finish every play." That was our mentality coming out of the second half and I think we accomplished that.
Q: What was the biggest adjustment, was it just the mindset or was there something that you guys were able to pinpoint?
A: We made a couple adjustments, did some new things that they were showing us, but it was more mindset than anything else. We had a good game plan we just had to do minor adjustments on plays.
Q: Does it surprise you how quickly you guys score?
A: No, I know we had a really good attitude coming out and everyone wanted to finish every play Everyone looked like they had business to do.
Blake Gillikin | P/K | Sr./Sr.
Q: Coach Franklin said he kind of wants to see you guys make adjustments when it's not halftime but on the fly. How does that happen and what needs to happen for you guys to be able to do that?
A: We preach communication all the time. I think that's the number one thing. Guys come up communicating to the coaches and vice versa. Obviously you make good halftime adjustments but finding those adjustments mid game is going to be really key for us this season.
Q: What's the feeling on the sideline when things aren't going your way but then [John] Reid comes up with that interception to get your momentum back?
A: I mean that's huge. We were talking at halftime [about how] we need to score on defense. That kind of shifts the momentum of a game – any turnover does. [There was] a lot of positivity in the locker room at halftime. Obviously you don't want to be down by 3 points at halftime but, [there was] a lot of veteran leadership stepping up in the locker room and saying some positive things to the younger guys and getting them prepared for the second half.
Q: Coach [Franklin] said that the sideline reacts when John Reid makes a play just because of how much you guys respect him. Why is that? What makes it that way?
A: He's just been a guy who's been here for five years now. [He] goes about his business and takes care of business really well. He's a veteran and obviously an established leader in defensive backfield. He's just an overall great guy so when he makes a play like that it really ignites the sideline and our team
Q: Is there an attitude change at all in the defense when a veteran player like John Reid steps up and makes a play? Does that make the younger guys want to play a little bit harder and make some stops as well?
A: Yes, obviously that's huge. Any veteran making a play is obviously big time for us. It's about getting those younger guys to step up and follow that lead and getting them to take some of the weight off of the veterans at this point in the season.
Pat Freiermuth | TE | So. / So.
Q: Could you talk about that little swing pass that you caught because it looked like that wasn't as easy a catch as maybe people first thought?
A: Yea it was like Brandon [Smith's] touchdown last week. Just one handed. It's a hard catch because you're looking at the quarterback and then you have to turn all the way over and you don't really know where the defense is. Credit to KJ [Hamler] and Jahan [Dotson]. There was a hell of a block from both of them. I got that touchdown literally because of them.
Q: Was there a conscious effort to get you the ball coming out to start the second half? Was it play calling, was it a tweak that you guys made in the locker room? It seemed like they were going to you?
A: I just take what Coach Rahne gives me. I trust him and what he needs to do. I told him and Coach Bowen at halftime, "Give me the ball. I want to make plays." [Rahne] listened to me and gave me the ball. I'm confident in whoever they get the ball to on the offense to make plays.
Q: Was the first half disappointing? How would you describe it?
A: I wouldn't say it was disappointing. I mean we got off to a pretty nice start with a touchdown pass to Jahan [Dotson]. But, the rest of the half definitely wasn't to our standard. As an offense we preach that scorers help drive and we weren't doing that. We were making a little bit of movement on the ball, but we weren't finishing drives consistently. So, we put emphasis on that at halftime and our defense did a great job getting great field position.
Q: As a captain now, how much of your role has changed [in situations] like halftime and how is it different than it would have been a year ago?
A: I was thinking about that actually on the sideline. I have to be that vocal guy now and just kind of get everyone going from defense, to offense, to special teams. I need to just be a positive person and just keep moving and tell everyone to keep going. I was reflecting on the sideline just thinking back to last year. Last year, I would just be sitting on the sideline looking at Trace [McSorley] and Trace would be doing it. It's definitely different now that I'm in that role.
Q: Can you talk a little bit more about the blocking of Jahan [Dotson] and KJ [Hamler]? They are not the biggest guys so to see them out there doing that, what does that mean to you?
A: They're definitely not big, but they're strong and physical and explosive. They don't take anything from anybody. They are not going to lose their one-on-ones. Coach [Gerad] Parker preaches that with the receivers. You catch balls and you block. That's what you do. You have to help your other teammates out and they did a great job of that on that play.
Jahan Dotson | WR | So./So.
Q: Jahan, can you take us through that first touchdown catch because it looked like you and KJ were in the same area?
A: We both ran corners on the play concept so Sean kind of put it in the middle of both of us. Whoever got there first, to be honest, had it. I just happened to get there.
Q: What did it feel like to get your first touchdown?
A: It was a big sigh of relief, I've been waiting all year. Last year I played a little bit and I couldn't get it in the endzone. This year I got it in the second game, so that was pretty cool.
Q: Can you take us through the second touchdown. Was that a double move, and can you tell us how that played out?
A: The coaches on the sideline said they were going to call the play pretty soon on the drive, so they called a little double move for me. I broke the cornerback off and he bit on the comeback pretty hard, and I was able to make the play.