Penn State Football
Visiting Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference
vs. Purdue – October 5, 2019
Jack Plummer | QB | R-Fr.
Q: What were some things you thought you did well, what were some things you still want to get better at?
A: I thought I did well, I mean we had a couple of big plays called back. I'd like to get better. Some of those sacks can be avoided, just throw it out if you've got nothing, throw it away or throw it at someone's feet. I thought I stood in there pretty well. It was a tough one for us.
Q: Much quicker team than TCU, defensively?
A: It was about the same, they're both really really good teams, good defenses. They both twisted a lot and stunted a lot and they had some speed on the outside. They're pretty similar and we've got to get better.
Q: What can you do to help the offensive line that's struggling right now in protection and keeping guys off of you?
A: Get rid of the ball quicker. Like I said earlier, if nothing's there, get it out. Try to avoid those negative plays. We took a lot of negative plays. It starts with me. I can't be taking sacks that I don't need to take. Getting the ball out, throwing it away if it's not there, which I thought I did a good job the first two games I was in, throwing the ball away but I got away from that a little bit today. It's something I can improve on.
Q: It's difficult running the offense the way you guys want to run it when you're constantly under that kind of pressure.
A: Yeah, part of it is that we've got to get ahead of the change too. If we get ahead of the change, it'll make those negative plays, it'll make it easier for us. We thought we were going to do better than what we did today. We've got to get better as a team, everyone has to get better, myself included. We're onto the next week, really.
Simeon Smiley | CB | Jr.
Q: You seemed to be more aggressive in blitzes and stuff in the second and third quarter how much of that played a role?
A: No, I mean like coach always says, "It's not the call, it's how you play the call". So this week we emphasized on playing harder and putting a lot more effort, getting in the right spot and playing our position.
Q: What did you think of the Penn State passing game? KJ Hamler and Sean Clifford, the quarterback, was it the best passing game you've seen this year?
A: No, not to me. But they caught us slipping in man to man, where KJ got up inside. Other than that, we tried to keep them inside and not give them any more deep balls, and we were fine.
Q: In a season like this do you hold on to what happened to what happened tin the second quarter, the third quarter as something to build on at practice and into next week?
A: Yeah, definitely. We came to look at how we played from the second quarter onward and tried to build on that. We played harder. Everybody just doing their assignment, is what it is. It is nothing to do with coaches, nothing to do with talent. It is all based on everybody doing their job
Grant Hermanns | OL | Jr.
Q: Where do you go find some answers as far as the offensive line?
A: Practice. It starts with practice. We've got to come out swinging in practice and we got to move faster in practice. And we got to play a full practice and that is moving faster across the board. We did not come out swinging today but that is what we got to work on, and it starts on Tuesday.
Q: When you see you guys gave up 10 sacks today, what goes through your mind and how does that make you feel as a leader and a captain?
A: I would say guys are not preparing enough. We got to prepare more. Obviously were not snapping off fast enough. We are not getting to where we need to be. So it's individual preparation and trust me I will be on those guys this week too. Because it starts with me, getting those guys right and holding them accountable. So, I will take responsibility for it.
Q: You guys are 1-4, you've lost 3 in a row. Homecoming next week, Maryland. How big is that game?
A: It is a big game. It is a chance to shift the momentum and get this team back on track and it starts with the leaders down. So, it's my job, it's Plummer's job, it's Brycen's job, it's the defense's job. So we got to get this team going and get us back on track. Football is a game of momentum and it starts with Maryland next week.