Penn State Football
Visiting Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference
vs. Pittsburgh – September 14, 2019
Kenny Pickett | QB | Jr./Jr.
Q: Kenny, when you guys decided to kick there, down at the one, were you involved in that discussion, were you around the coaches?
A: I mean, I'm a player so I don't make decisions. I do what the coaches tell me to do and if we score there or get the three points there, we go down and score we're ahead, or we go there and we get stopped, people say why didn't you kick it so it is what it is. That's why you guys report, I play, and the coaches coach.
Q: How tough is it that they take the ball out of your hands and you didn't score, you know, in four shots at the one-yard line?
A: Yeah, I mean, it's tough. We're playing a top defense. They did a good job all day. I thought their front seven was pretty good. We got out from the back and going into the game. That's what we thought we could do and we did it. It is what it is, it's tough.
Q: Kenny on that second quarter drive where you guys had 18 plays, 13 passes, three more runs, how much do you feel like that drive shows what this offence is capable of and what you're capable of with this offense going forward?
A: I think we showed, really, all game what we were capable of, but that was a really good drive. It was probably close to 10 minutes where we had the ball and kept our defense off the field and let them rest up. I think we need to make more explosive plays in the short passing game. We got guys in space, let's go do something with it and put it in the end zone because we have all these yards and we're not getting any points out of it so we have to find a way to get points up on the board.
Taysir Mack | WR | Sr./Jr.
Q: What can you take from this game that might help you throughout the rest of the season?
A: Attention to detail, every play matters, every step matters. I give it up for my guys and we have great coaches – our coaches always pay close attention to detail. The little things do matter. It's the little things that we had going on, drops on certain routes, that really affect the game.
Q: That 4th & 12 reception on the sideline that continues the drive, what's going through your head at that point?
A: I'm just doing my job.
Q: What about the catch down by the goal line that set up 1st & goal, did you just talk through that and what you saw in your head?
A: Kenny [Pickett] came up to me and said make a play. He really trusted me and I appreciate that – our bond has been created over time. I also appreciate the coaches trust me to go out there and do my job. I'm just trying to go out there and I feel like it's important for the team to believe in me. Then on the second 4th down, they were calling my name so I just went out there and performed.
Jaylen Twyman | DT | Jr./So.
Q: What do you take away from this game that might help you during the rest of the season?
A: We have to go back and watch the film. We have to give credit to them, that's a very good football team and they have a good offense that our defense went against today. We just have to take some of the good plays and some of the negative plays and mix them together and get better every day.
Q: On the sideline how much are you watching the offense and how do you think Kenny [Pickett] did today?
A: Kenny did a great job, we just have to keep getting better. I like how he takes leadership over our whole team whether he's having a down day or whatever, he's just picking us up and I really appreciate that guy for everything he does for us. When I come off the field, I'm trying to get coaching from Coach [Charlie] Partridge, Coach [Rob] Harley, Coach [Archie] Collins and Coach [Cory] Sanders. We talk about what we can do better and what plays hit us big and what adjustments can we make, and stuff like that.
Q: Pat [Narduzzi] talked about how all your goals are still ahead of you. Are you able to feel that or is this something that will take a while to digest?
A: It'll take a little while to digest but I still understand the big picture and the big picture is going to the ACC Championship. We just have to keep working.