Manny Diaz | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Q. Regardless of the results you guys have, how do you make sure you remain confident all season, so regardless of the results, when you blitz, how do you make sure everyone stays confident?
A: Yeah, the blitz doesn't really matter in terms of our confidence. I think what matters is; look, you have a whole and you have parts, and what you do every week as a coach is you pull apart the whole, you get the parts individually better, and when every player gets better through the course of the season, the unit gets better.
We played well in September, but we were better in October, and we were much, much better in November. I think the reason why is because when you watch the film -- you don't get really caught up as much in the results. You just get caught up in the performance. I think the more we've been able to critique our performances, the things that we like, the things we don't like, and to our players' credit, they've continued to work to be the best version of themselves.
I think they would say that we still probably have our best performance out there. I don't think we've played as good as we can play on defense by a long shot.
Q. When you prep for Utah and you watch their tape, is there any comparisons to any team you've played this year in the Big Ten?
A: There is to many teams we've played in the Big Ten because I think stylistically they want to huddle, they want to run the football. Their throwing game comes off of running the football. They want to protect their defense. That's the thing you see.
You see a program, I think Coach Whittingham and what he's been able to establish and the stability they've been able to have at Utah, and to understand that they have an elite defense and they're comfortable playing low-scoring games, they're comfortable not putting their defense in bad situations, they don't allow negative plays on offense, they don't get sacked on offense, they do a good job protecting the ball on offense, all things that would put your defense in a bad position.
So yeah, there's certainly a mixture of teams that we've played in our league. You could argue they may have more of a Big Ten style than what you see traditionally out west and you could also argue that might be why they're so successful, because it feels to me from the outside that the tougher team normally wins this league. You could say that about most leagues, but it feels like in the Pac-12 -- when USC had it rolling there for a while, when Stanford had it rolling there for a while and certainly Utah the last two years have been the toughest team in this league and it's no surprise that it has gotten them to back-to-back Rose Bowls.
Q. Can you sum up what this year has meant to you? Has it matched your expectations?
A: Yeah, it's been a very rewarding experience for me. These players that I get to coach every day have been -- they've been a lot of fun, and I've really enjoyed -- like I said, I've really enjoyed being a part of their journey to success. It's been super rewarding to watch them grow and see the fun that they've had as this defense has gotten better and better.
Ji'Ayir Brown | S | Sr+
Q. Are you letting yourself feel any emotions this week knowing your time at Penn State is coming to an end?
A: The beginning of the week, I let the emotions flow a little bit. As I get closer to the game, it's time to cut that off and dial in on Utah. There's a lot of uncertainty ahead. I'm just trying to keep my feet here. Keep my mind and my feet right here. Focusing on Utah is my biggest priority right now.
Q. What is Utah's strength as an offense?
A: Their scheme is their strength. They're a powerhouse team. They want to run the ball. They want to be the most physical team on the field. I feel like they do that very well. From watching film and the teams they've played, they've been able to out-physical their opponent. Once they get their running game going, they can open up the playbook. They have some great tight ends that make big plays. They have some speedy receivers on the outside. Schematically, they do a great job of dialing it up.
Q. What is the strength of Penn State's defense?
A: Physicality. The way we run to the ball. The effort. The passion we play with out there. Just all the things you can't coach. The want to play, the want to run to the ball, the want to execute. I feel like we have a group of guys that don't want to let each other down. We're going to do anything by any means to play for each other and make sure we're successful in our area.
Adisa Isaac | DE | R-Jr
Q. How have you seen the defense grow throughout the year and within the scheme?
A: I've seen it grow a lot. Just the chemistry we've built throughout each game. You could see every game it was building to the form where we're at now. It was more of a chemistry thing. There's a lot of new guys on the team, a lot of new guys on the defense. Just getting that feel back and as the year went on, we started gelling together and that gave us a lot of success.
Q. You've seen a lot of guys play this year. How have you seen that depth develop to keep the starters fresh and showcase the young talent?
A: It's a credit to the starters. Trying to put on a good example for the guys behind us, so we can all work as one unit. I feel like it's just us working together as one unit that makes it special.
Q. When the Penn State defense is at its best, how would you describe it?
A: Attacking, dominant, fearless. I feel like we're one of the top defenses.
Curtis Jacobs | LB | So
Q. What's it been like for you to watch what Abdul [Carter] has become?
A: I feel like he's really made himself. It's been consistent with him. From seeing him in the weight room to seeing him on the field running to seeing him in practice, he picks it up fast. I just told the guy once it got to playing the same football game he's played for years, it got easy for him. It's about being one of those key guys and having that constant development.
Q. What has coach [Manny] Diaz brought to your defense this year?
A: He brought an aggressiveness and a swagger into our defense. It wasn't missing but it needed to be addressed. I feel like that's really what took us to the next level as a defense. From the attitude that he brings to the practice field every day. The attitude he brings when we're watching film. We don't watch film to watch it one-on-one, we have the whole team watching it. So everything you put on tape and everything you put in practice on tape, your whole team sees and he made that known day one. Then him bringing in the ideal trust. It wasn't all the way there and I feel 100 percent across the board, I trust every guy on the defense and it's because of coach Manny.
Q. Where do you feel you've grown most as a player this season?
A: I would say from a leadership role. I feel like I had the mental aspect close to where I needed to be. I developed that a little bit this season as well. I feel the physical aspect, that can only develop with putting in the work every day in the weight room and on the field. Leadership is something you really have to dig in and do. I feel like I've developed that throughout the course of the season.
Kalen King | CB | So
Q. What have you seen from Utah so far on tape? How do you think the biggest challenge will be? What do they do well?
A: They're a very talented team. They're very physical. They have good players, good talented players on that team, so it's definitely going to be a good matchup with us, and I'm looking forward to playing them.
Q. When you play a physical team like Utah, how does that change what your responsibilities are as a cornerback?
A: I mean, it doesn't really change my responsibilities. It just, like, I feel like physicality is a part of my game as well. Now it's just, like, I can use that as well.
But I still go by the same principles every game. It doesn't really change, like, the game plan for me personally and how I play.
Q. Over the course of the season from the first game against Purdue until now, what do you think the biggest thing that you have improved on?
A: I would just say my intelligence of the game and my understanding as far as route combinations and formations and what's coming because at the beginning of the season and last year towards the beginning of the season this year I wasn't really mastering the art of film study and applying it to the game.
I just usually just go out there and just play naturally, but the more and more film study I put in, the more and more time I get to watch the other team and what they're doing, I feel like that helps me on game day.
PJ Mustipher | DT | Sr+
Q. Can you talk about the job that Manny has done and how the team has improved the second half of the year, just overall about him?
A: Yeah, just a great defensive coordinator. I think you see that in our numbers and the play on the field. But I kind of just try to over emphasize what he means to us as far as our mentality and our approach day-to-day because I think that's the biggest thing.
He lets us know that we can trust him. He trusts us. Just the language he uses in the defensive meeting room, it's almost like inspiring. I know he doesn't mean to come off that way and give them type of speeches, but it just happens.
When you get to listen to Coach Manny Diaz in the defensive meeting room and he's telling you everything he needs to get off his chest, it gets you fired up.
Q. Can you speak to how you guys were able to bounce back from that Michigan game and really dominate the run game going forward?
A: Yeah, you know, we all came in the next day as a defense and we watched the plays. We usually break out into individual meetings with your position coach, but Coach Diaz held us in as a defense and just showed us that it's not a talent thing, it's just having trust in the guys around you.
It wasn't a big thing we had to change, just understand that if we're all in our gap, we're going to be fine. From that day moving forward, that's what we did, and I think it really helped our run defense.
Q. What does it mean to be playing in a Rose Bowl Game?
A: It means everything, man. This game is legendary. I know everybody has been saying it this week, but it's not really going to hit me until I think we go to the stadium. I've been enjoying my time out here. We've been working hard. But when we step on that field in this game, it's going to be crazy. It's going to be like a dream come true. Everybody watches Rose Bowls, not just in the United States, but all across the world, everybody is watching this game. It means a whole lot. I don't take this opportunity for granted. I'm ready to go play.
