Penn State Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference
Bowling Green – September 7, 2024
Drew Allar | QB | Jr.
Q: Coach Franklin told us they be physical, what didn't you expect from them? What did you expect from them today?
A: I think we got everything that we expected. We knew coming in on both sides of the ball that Bowling Green is a really talented team. It doesn't matter what level they're, at in conference, but they’re a really good team. They're really talented. They got a couple good DBs. I know number 1 and going into the game, I had a lot of respect for him. Just watching them throughout the week on film, they had a good group of linebackers and their defensive line was pretty good too. They did a lot of good things, a lot of different run twists up front to try to confuse our O line. I thought our O line did a good job of picking most of those up for the most part, but overall, I think it was what we expected. We knew they were going to come out and play hard, play physical, play fast, and we expected nothing less, but they're a really talented group.
Q: When you're in a tight game like this, how valuable is it to have a guy like Tyler Warren over there?
A: He's just so consistent. It’s very valuable. Like you said, he's very consistent, probably one of the most consistent guys on our team on both sides of the ball. And obviously he's a really big target, so that's nice. He just finds ways to get open. He does a really good job of feeling zone vs. man, and those sorts of things. He’s super crafty and savvy in that aspect of his game and obviously he's a really good run blocker, so a very complete tight end and it's really nice to have that as an option to throw to.
Kaytron Allen | RB | Jr.
Q: Anybody say anything special to get the team going?
A: No, just poised. Just keep doing we doing. Just locking in, staying on detail, just one play at a time. Just doing that.
Q: You guys lost three guys on the offensive line to the NFL Draft, but back-to-back weeks, West Virginia and then today against Bowling Green, back-to-back 200-yard rushing games. What have you seen from the new guys on the offensive line and then the returning guys that have allowed you to have so much success?
A: Just everybody buying in to what we got going on as offense. Everybody sticking with each other, playing with each other. Everybody communicating, so things like that. You do things like that, the results show for itself.
Q: Both you and Nicholas Singleton have been featured both in the run game and the pass game. How important is it for you both to be heavily involved in both aspects of the offense?
A: Great. I think that's a good thing, getting us the ball, or just anybody on our offense, to our playmakers. It can be good for us as a team.
Abdul Carter | DE | Jr.
Q: When you think about the way that you guys came out in that first half, what was it about, maybe what Bowling Green was doing, or just starting a new game here at home. Do you feel like there was kind of a difference in the way that you guys emerged?
A: I just feel like we got to come out faster, whatever the point is. Again, it went lightly, and I just realized who came in first possession, I'd say just we were kind of relaxed and that's not our defense and not our standard. We have to come out with aggression and I feel like we're going to work on that.
Q: So the style of this defense here in two games with Tom Allen, what types of things do you guys want to be doing? And do you feel like you're reaching your potential?
A: We're definitely getting better. And it's kind of the same aggressiveness since last year, but you got to come out faster. That was unacceptable. It was unacceptable for us. But Coach does a great job just defining aggression, taking away from stacking the effort, and he defines that every day in the meeting so I feel like he does a good job just making us do that every day.
Nick Dawkins | OL | Redshirt Sr.
Q: Is Nick Singleton different this year at all than last year, do you see any changes in him?
A: No, I wouldn’t say anything different. I mean, maybe the scheme kind of opends up a different variety of his game, I think would be more fair to say. No, I wouldn’t say he’s different at all I would just say the scheme changed a little bit and kind of spread some more opportunities for him.
Q: Can you explain how the scheme has changed?
A: Yeah I mean, when you look at Penn State’s offense right now I think the defenses are very reactionary to the multiple facets of the game. We got options, we got all kinds of distractions and I think that allows for him to hit, as you saw in the touchdown, he hit the backside and that was the inside zone. So it kind of just opens up different avenues that he can utilize to use his superpowers and kind of just allows him to play into that.
Omari Evans | WR | Jr.
Q: How do you think you played today?
A: I think we played pretty good. We got to clean some things up. Overall, it wasn't the best game, but we got the job done. That's all that matters.
Q: You guys found yourself in a tight game at halftime. What was that locker room like?
A: Just staying composed and know that we’re playing a really good team. Just keep doing what we're doing and take advantage of our opportunities when we get them.
Q: How about the way Nick Singleton has come out the gates. Put away touchdown today, kind of stuff that we expected from him, maybe just didn’t really see for some time last year. What’s that doing for everybody on the field when he has those moments again.
A: It’s helping everybody, because they're bringing more people out of the box which helps the receivers. We're doing a better job of blocking for the running backs this year. I feel like that’s helped a lot.
Dvon J-Thomas | DT | R-Sr.+
Q: How does an experience like this, when you’re down but you come back, how does that help prepare you guys for more important games this season against better opponents?
A: I mean honestly, this was just a good sign for our defense, our offense, really just our team in general, the special teams included. This is just a good sign of who we are as a team, how we’re able to bounce back and how we respond to adversity. This was a challenge, it didn’t necessarily need to be, but I respect Bowling Green a lot. They’re a good team, they came out swinging. I appreciated this moment because it taught us how to come together and go harder than ever.
Q: What was your message to the team? (at halftime)
A: We’ve been here before, you know? We’ve been down at games before, we’ve made mistakes before, we’ve tried to do more than what was required before, we’ve been here before. That was the message and how we respond speaks more volumes than what happened. You know what I mean? So that was probably the biggest message that we had - we’ve been here before, let’s be exactly who we are, we know who we are, we know what we came here to do. And let’s execute.
Kobe King | LB | R-Jr.
Q: How would you assess the defense in the first half?
A: I would say it definitely wasn't the same energy as the second half and the corrections were made, adjustments were made, and alterations were made as well. We just had to pick up the energy. That was really it. The energy was low. I would say that for myself as well. It definitely changed in the second half and it showed.
Q: Why do you think it changed?
A: Because it wasn't the standard. Too many points were being scored. We kind of let them get a little too much. We have our own standard and chip our shoulder about the way we play defense, and we definitely had to pick it up in the second half.
Q: What is that standard?
A: We don't want anybody to score any points on us, especially the first drive of the game. We don't want anybody to score more than a certain amount of points and certain amount of rushing yards and passing yards. It's just an urge, a sense of urgency. That's what it is, a sense of urgency with our defense.
Jaylen Reed | S | Sr.
Q: Where would you assess the play of the secondary through the first two games?
A: I feel like we played good. There’s always something we need to get better at. There's always places to get better, always areas to get better. We have to watch film and correct it.
Q: When did it start to change for you in the third quarter? How did you change things?
A: I feel like we brought more energy. We went a little slow starting off the game. Once we got our energy going, got the teammates going, we got back on track.
Tony Rojas | LB| So.
Q: Do you feel good about how you guys responded? (after halftime)
A: Yeah I feel good. A win is a win. They were a good team, they came in, punched us in our mouth the first drive, so can’t take that lightly.
Q: What happened on the interception?
A: I was like a shadow player for #2 and there was only one receiver out there when he motioned to deny up front, or I told him a word where he got a different stunt, did that, and then I did my job to undercut that dig as it came in.
Q: What was the emotion you were going through once you got that interception?
A: I’m just trying to be a game changer and that play I feel like kind of changed the momentum, so I think I did a good job.
Nick Singleton | RB | Jr.
Q: Nick Dawkins was talking about how the scheme is different this year as it relates to you, can you share the intricacies of how that’s changed and maybe helped you pop stuff inside?
A: Yeah, Coach K again, like he’s been really good, his scheme’s good you can really tell a difference from last year to this year. Just everybody’s buying into it, everybody’s locked in. Everybody takes approach with it, it just all the good things you did, what you can fix and stuff.
Q: That play where you kind of broke out of that big crowd, what was going on there, was that design? Did you just fight off some tacklers?
A: Yeah, I was just trying to find a hole, but the line was doing it’s job blocking, the receivers were doing a good job blocking too. Just finding my way to go score and help my team win.
Q: How do you feel your past catching ability has changed this off season, we saw the 14-yard reception from Drew down the middle, so how do you feel like you’ve grown in that area?
A: I feel like I’ve grown a long way, especially obviously you’ve seen me catching the ball and scoring, just doing stuff in the offseason, working with the receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, just doing different routes to elevate my game, so big credit to them for sure.
Tyler Warren | TE | Sr.
Q: How deep do you feel you guys are moving forward as you get into the bye week?
A: I think we're in a good spot. We have guys that have gotten some game experience now, which is really good for Luke, especially. But just for Luke, being able to get in and get those first few games out of the way will be big for him, but he's doing a great job, and I'm really excited for him, and I know there's other guys like Joey and Jerry will be ready to go if their number is called. So I feel like we got good depth. Probably never had a bye week this early in the season.
Q: How confident do you feel like the offense is? It seemed like today, even when the defense struggled, you guys got the ball, you were able to be productive.
A: Yeah I think we have big confidence right now. We're trusting Coach K, I think that's kind of where it started. The relationship we have with him and all the offensive staff, just coming together and bringing us together as an offense. So I think we really trust each other. We trust the coaches. And just keep building on what we got going right now will be important.