The Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2021 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches. The finalists were selected from a group of 15 semi-finalists and 59 nominees by a selection committee made of former hall of fame coaches, members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and broadcasters.
The 5 finalists are:
Baylor University – Jeff Grimes, Offensive Coordinator / TEs
Oklahoma State – Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator
University of Georgia – Dan Lanning, The Fain & Billy Slaughter Defensive Coordinator / OLBs
University of Michigan – Josh Gattis, Offensive Coordinator / WRs
Wake Forest – Warren Ruggiero, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
The final five will travel to Little Rock, where the winner will be announced at the Broyles Award Ceremony on Tuesday, December 7, at the Marriott Hotel.
Visit the Broyles Award website for a full list of previous finalists and winners.
Proceeds from the 2021 Broyles Award support the mission of the Broyles Foundation; to provide a game plan for Alzheimer’s caregivers through education, support and resources, all at no cost. The Broyles Foundation can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Post Game Quotes
Stetson Bennett, Senior, Quarterback
On the team’s focus one week before the SEC Championship…
“We’re just focused on doing the duty that lies near us. We knew what this game meant for us and for the history of this program. If we slipped up, anything could happen, so we were just focused.”
On the meaning of the victory…
“It means a lot. It’s the first 12-0 season since 1982. It’s a big accomplishment. Now, all the fun starts.”
On the return of George Pickens to the field…
“I just wanted to get the ball to him, get the ball in his hands on that play—like you said, shake the rust off. It’s good. He’s a great player. We’ve got to get some of the chemistry back that comes from being out that long. But he was extremely happy to be back on the field and we’re all happy to have him.”
Nakobe Dean, Junior, Linebacker
On the defense’s performance…
“We talk about getting better every week and ascending, continuing to ascend every week. This is just taking a step in the right direction of what we’re trying to do.”
On the return of Pickens…
“It meant a lot just seeing the work he put in in the offseason, the rehab, how positive he’s been. A lot of guys can look up to the type of attitude he had and the way he attacked this rehab to get back. So, it meant a lot to see him get back out there and play again.”
On the defense posting a shutout…
“I love seeing that goose egg on the other side. If they can’t score, they can’t win. It’s always great for the defense to be able to go shut out a team, definitely a team as good as Georgia Tech.”
On the team’s focus one week before the SEC Championship…
“We’re just focused on doing the duty that lies near us. We knew what this game meant for us and for the history of this program. If we slipped up, anything could happen, so we were just focused.”
On the meaning of the victory…
“It means a lot. It’s the first 12-0 season since 1982. It’s a big accomplishment. Now, all the fun starts.”
On the return of George Pickens to the field…
“I just wanted to get the ball to him, get the ball in his hands on that play—like you said, shake the rust off. It’s good. He’s a great player. We’ve got to get some of the chemistry back that comes from being out that long. But he was extremely happy to be back on the field and we’re all happy to have him.”
Nakobe Dean, Junior, Linebacker
On the defense’s performance…
“We talk about getting better every week and ascending, continuing to ascend every week. This is just taking a step in the right direction of what we’re trying to do.”
On the return of Pickens…
“It meant a lot just seeing the work he put in in the offseason, the rehab, how positive he’s been. A lot of guys can look up to the type of attitude he had and the way he attacked this rehab to get back. So, it meant a lot to see him get back out there and play again.”
On the defense posting a shutout…
“I love seeing that goose egg on the other side. If they can’t score, they can’t win. It’s always great for the defense to be able to go shut out a team, definitely a team as good as Georgia Tech.”
Post Game Notes
Perfect 12-0 Regular Season: With today’s 45-0 victory, top-ranked Georgia improves to 12-0 for the first time since 1980 when the Dawgs finished with that mark as consensus national champions. This is Georgia’s first undefeated regular season since 1982 (11-0) and just the fourth time in school history completing a perfect regular season with double-digit victories (1946, 1980, 1982). Georgia extends the nation’s longest active winning streak in the FBS to 16 games. This streak ranks as the second longest in school history. The Dawg record is 17 games set during a three-year stretch from 1945-47. Georgia’s current winning streak includes nine on the road which is a school record. Also today, Georgia did not have a penalty for the first time since the 2019 win here versus Tech.
Defense Posts Another Strong Effort: Top-ranked Georgia, the national leader in Scoring Defense (7.5 ppg), posted its third shutout this year to retain the Governor’s Cup Trophy. It was the first in the Tech series since 1964 (7-0 in Athens) and the first in Atlanta since 1957 (7-0). Tech became the seventh team this year to be shutout in the first half by the Dawgs. Then for the sixth time this year, Georgia carried a shutout to the fourth quarter.
Opponents have scored just 83 total points on the Dawgs this year. Georgia collected eight TFLs and had three sacks. The leading tackler was junior Nakobe Dean with six while Quay Walker and Lewis Cine had five. Tech finished with 171 yards of total offense.
Pouring On The Points: Georgia tallied 45 points today on 463 yards of total offense on 51 plays. In the first half, Georgia built a 24-0 lead. For the year, the Dawgs have outscored their opponents 488-83.
Bennett Leads Bulldogs: Senior QB Stetson Bennett finished the day 14-for-20 for 255 yards and 4 TDs and improved to 12-2 as a starter including 9-0 this year. His first nine completions went to nine different Dawgs including TDs to Jermaine Burton and Ladd McConkey. He completed a 25-yard scoring strike to Burton to cap an 80-yard drive, the one to McConkey covered 11 yards to complete an 87-yard drive. He fired a 77-yarder to freshman Brock Bowers for a 24-0 lead. Bennett marched the team 75 yards in nine plays culminating with a nine-yard TD to Bowers that made it 31-0. With 12:40 left in the game, and up 38-0, junior JT Daniels took over at QB.
Bowers Headlines An Array Of Targets: In the first half, nine different Dawgs caught a pass as they were 10 completions for 226 yards. Sophomore Jermaine Burton notched his fourth TD of the year on a 25-yard completion from Bennett. Redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey caught an 11-yard TD to make it 17-0 for his fourth TD catch of the year. He hit Brock Bowers for a 77-yard TD. Overall, Bowers led the team with three catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs. His 10 TD catches this year ranks second in Dawg history, trailing only the 11 by Terrence Edwards in 2002. Bowers already owns the Dawg record for receiving yards in a season by a TE with 652 on 37 receptions. Junior WR George Pickens saw his first action of the year as he’s been sidelined with a knee injury.
Busy Day For Podlesny: Junior Jack Podlesny went 6-for-6 on PATs and 1-for-1 on field goals, making a 38-yarder. For the year, he is now 61-for-62 on PATs and 17-for-21 in FG.
Game Captains/Coin Toss/Starters: The captains were seniors Jamaree Salyer (OL), Justin Shaffer (OL) and Lewis Cine (DB). Georgia won the toss and deferred until the second half. The only first-time starter was junior RB Kenny McIntosh.
Series History/Up Next: Georgia now leads the Tech series 69-39-5 including winning the last 11 in Atlanta. Up next, Georgia (12-0) faces No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta next Saturday at 4 pm (CBS).
Defense Posts Another Strong Effort: Top-ranked Georgia, the national leader in Scoring Defense (7.5 ppg), posted its third shutout this year to retain the Governor’s Cup Trophy. It was the first in the Tech series since 1964 (7-0 in Athens) and the first in Atlanta since 1957 (7-0). Tech became the seventh team this year to be shutout in the first half by the Dawgs. Then for the sixth time this year, Georgia carried a shutout to the fourth quarter.
Opponents have scored just 83 total points on the Dawgs this year. Georgia collected eight TFLs and had three sacks. The leading tackler was junior Nakobe Dean with six while Quay Walker and Lewis Cine had five. Tech finished with 171 yards of total offense.
Pouring On The Points: Georgia tallied 45 points today on 463 yards of total offense on 51 plays. In the first half, Georgia built a 24-0 lead. For the year, the Dawgs have outscored their opponents 488-83.
Bennett Leads Bulldogs: Senior QB Stetson Bennett finished the day 14-for-20 for 255 yards and 4 TDs and improved to 12-2 as a starter including 9-0 this year. His first nine completions went to nine different Dawgs including TDs to Jermaine Burton and Ladd McConkey. He completed a 25-yard scoring strike to Burton to cap an 80-yard drive, the one to McConkey covered 11 yards to complete an 87-yard drive. He fired a 77-yarder to freshman Brock Bowers for a 24-0 lead. Bennett marched the team 75 yards in nine plays culminating with a nine-yard TD to Bowers that made it 31-0. With 12:40 left in the game, and up 38-0, junior JT Daniels took over at QB.
Bowers Headlines An Array Of Targets: In the first half, nine different Dawgs caught a pass as they were 10 completions for 226 yards. Sophomore Jermaine Burton notched his fourth TD of the year on a 25-yard completion from Bennett. Redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey caught an 11-yard TD to make it 17-0 for his fourth TD catch of the year. He hit Brock Bowers for a 77-yard TD. Overall, Bowers led the team with three catches for 100 yards and 2 TDs. His 10 TD catches this year ranks second in Dawg history, trailing only the 11 by Terrence Edwards in 2002. Bowers already owns the Dawg record for receiving yards in a season by a TE with 652 on 37 receptions. Junior WR George Pickens saw his first action of the year as he’s been sidelined with a knee injury.
Busy Day For Podlesny: Junior Jack Podlesny went 6-for-6 on PATs and 1-for-1 on field goals, making a 38-yarder. For the year, he is now 61-for-62 on PATs and 17-for-21 in FG.
Game Captains/Coin Toss/Starters: The captains were seniors Jamaree Salyer (OL), Justin Shaffer (OL) and Lewis Cine (DB). Georgia won the toss and deferred until the second half. The only first-time starter was junior RB Kenny McIntosh.
Series History/Up Next: Georgia now leads the Tech series 69-39-5 including winning the last 11 in Atlanta. Up next, Georgia (12-0) faces No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta next Saturday at 4 pm (CBS).
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Tuesday Press Conference
Coach Kirby Smart
On the overall assessment of offense this season…
“I’ve really been proud of what those guys have done in terms of the injuries we’ve had. We just had had a countless number of guys in and out, in and out, and revolving to our receivers. You know, tight ends are the most consistent position but even Darnell Washington, was a lot faster before the injury. He had to really work himself back into shape. So overall, I’m pleased with those guys. We’ve been explosive, we’ve avoided some third downs because of our efficiency and our explosiveness. I think that’s a big part of it. There’s a lot of things we can work on too. There are some games we haven’t been consistently running it. We turn the ball over more than we should and those are all things we can’t afford to do in the future.”
On Broderick Jones…
“I’m very pleased. I think Broderick is an extremely hard worker. I’ve said repeatedly he buys into the team concept as good as any player I’ve been around. He’s so happy when you do well, regardless of his role. He’s embraced his role. He’s become more coachable. We used to tell him something, he got offended by it. Now he embraces it and says I’ll work on that. I’ll continue to grow and get better. We want him to be more physical in the run game. Wanting him to work on getting stronger at the point of attack and getting movement. But we need him to be more consistent in his assignments but that comes with experience.”
On Derion Kendrick, Kelee Ringo, and the defensive backs….
“Both have good size. Both have good ball skills that’s helped up in terms of holding the point tackling so much of football now is playing on the perimeter. And that’s where I think we’ve been able to hold up nicely in terms of point of attack blocks and hands on people because they’re both 200-pound kids and they both have good length. They both have given up some plays and they both been protected by a pretty good front at times in terms of maybe when they got beat. The quarterback got rushed, and that’s helped them some but they did everything we’ve asked and they take all their walkthrough reps very seriously. We’ve really been impressed with DK’s maturity in terms of leadership in that DB room. He’s played in a lot of big games. He provides a lot of confidence for the other guys.”
On defensive coordinator Dan Lanning…
“He’s doing a tremendous job. I think he’s very detailed, very organized. He’s a very good motivator. He has a lot of energy. He invest in the players. He thinks outside the box teaches in a way that keeps it interesting. And I think that's really important in today's day and age of all the guys on social media and things. They enjoy his intensity. And he’s done a tremendous job. He’s done a great job since he had the job. I mean, he’s not really grown into the role, he’s embraced the role and he’s had a lot of help and we’ve had other experiences, experience guys in the secondary. It had a lot of consistency and continuity, which I think helps him be successful and good players improve well. We all recruit well, and we all take ownership in that. So that part’s been really good for him. He’s embraced it. As far as coaching opportunities, I help anybody, at anytime. I don't get into the advice because I think that's an independent decision. If they asked me my opinion, I'll certainly will tell you what I think because I think that there's some really good jobs out there and the number one thing is can you get good players and can you win your conference, and those opportunities will present themselves if you just be where your feet are. I tell him to worry about that and rest to take care of itself.”
On the secondary and zone defense…
“I feel it has much to do with our past defense being maybe improved is the front guys that are playing in a second year. We probably weren’t as good all the way around last year. Devonte Wyatt was not the player last year that he is this year. He shed 15 or 20 pounds. Jalen Carter was not the player last year that he is this year, he was a true freshman. We had some guys on the edge that can rush but we have guys on the edge now that can rush. So I think the biggest change itself was to be successful in the rush, in combination of some things we changed. We’ll win on a lot more on first and second down to create third and longs than we did last year and we’ve given up less explosives, which helps to I don’t know what you can attribute it to exactly. I don’t think we were as deepest as we were last year in the secondary, I can assure you that.”
On the offense going into the last regular-season game…
“I just want to see improvement. Stetson, we’re getting targets each week, you know, decision making, quick decisions, not holding the ball. When you start extending the plays, the good things can happen and the bad things can happen so you’ve got to be wise about the way you go about it. You got to practice it that way. We got to have 11 guys on the same page. So many of our plays that fail when you go back and look at them, what caused that play to be unsuccessful. One got into his job. They do what they’re supposed to do. We tend to have a positive gain or no gain. It’s the lost yardages and sacks as turnovers that come back to haunt us the most so we’re trying to remove that. Continue being explosive and being dangerous. We want to be on the attack.”
On the College Football Playoff…
“No. I don’t have time. I’m trying to go do third down right now in the red area and do everything else. I don’t have any time for it. Between recruiting, worried about our players, and trying to get ready for a game. It’s the least of my worries.”
On the traits of defenses and defensive players…
“Traits haven’t changed much. Size and speed will never change and football is a tough sport. When you have small people, they struggle sometimes. Every one of you can mention the small guy that’s good, but you can’t mention a lot of them so size and speed is what it takes. I think more and more intelligence and desire to be great becomes critical because no matter how talented you are, if you don’t have the ability to listen and learn and have discipline, you won’t be a good football player. There’s so many I-discipline things, I think one of the most critical factors is can you run, do you have size, and is it important to you? Because you won’t make it here if it’s not important to you. I promise you we’ll demand so much excellence from you that you’ll either leave or you’ll just decide to play somewhere else before you stay here. It’s way too important to the coaches and the leaders on the team to hold that standard and that standard will eventually weed guys out so I just want to get the right guys here so I don’t have to go through that.”
On the offseason…
“The COVID offseason was just altogether different, we didn’t have a spring, we didn’t get that. So you know, a lot of those kids are responded to the fact that didn't do anything last year. I’m talking about the year before last so when you compare it to that, obviously it was tougher. But we did make some decisions as a staff after the Cincinnati game and said hey, we’re not doing our early morning workouts in the indoor, we’ll go to the stadium and we’re going to do it in the stadium at 5:30 or 6:00 and get out in the elements and see if we can make this team a little tougher. I think we did eight of those or something like that just to say, well it was cold and wet. We’re just trying to make it tougher and they would get the same things they were doing in the indoor but we just try to change it up because I didn’t feel like we were getting where we needed to go. I certainly don’t think that’s the only reason we’ve been successful. I just think some of those kids think of it as a little tougher.”
On the punt return unit…
“Yeah, that unit’s been a disappointment. We haven’t done what we needed to do We haven’t held up as well as we have in the past Last week’s not a great measure of that so I’d love to tell you where we’re going in the right direction but those guys were overmatched.”
On injuries with Christopher Smith, George Pickens, Kendall Milton, and Jamaree Slayer….
“Yeah, it’s all over the place. Chris is still with us. He was not able to go the other day. He wasn’t able to go today and we’re trying to rehab him and get him back hopefully for this game. I know he knows what to do but he has not been able to practice. Ya’ll saw Jamaree after yesterday. He was out there today. Then George has been practicing with us doing more, repping with the threes and the twos some. Still waiting to get him cleared but we didn’t have him with the scouts. We’re getting him working with the offense, trying to kind of integrate it back into getting calls and doing assignments. But he was still black jersey, no contact today. We were hoping to get Kendall back for this week, it’s still a process. I had two of those injuries, two MCLs in my high school and college career, and their confidence injuries. They're like, man, do I have my stability? Do I feel normal? You know, and he's going through those emotions of really pushing through what I like is his toughness and he does rehab two, or three times a day. He's gone. He's been a black shirt and been able to do some things rep wise he's much better than he was. But to say that he's ready to play right now. I don't know that he's there yet.”
On no longer playing against the triple-option...
"I didn't enjoy dealing with that. I did not enjoy that, whatsoever. That's not a decision I make. I don't get emotional about it. I just do what I have to do. It's very different. It's like going away from your calls for a week, so I'm glad we don't have to do that."
Lewis Cine, Junior, Defensive Back
On Derion Kendrick and Kelee Ringo...
"For one, they have been strapped on their men. You give them an assignment and tell them, 'Hey, we've got this guy for you to lock down, or we've got this guy for you to put on clamps,' and they do exactly that. They play assignment ball. They know what they're supposed to do. They know where their help is. They're just smart guys, and they do what they're supposed to, which makes it easier for me because I have faith in their skills and their game."
On tough workouts that help the team bond...
"We might talk about the fact that we worked out at 5:00 in the morning. I don't think anyone brings up the fact that we had to run up the stadium stairs 15 times. 15 times for every number of games that we're going to be playing, which says a lot. We have a goal, and we're going to see it through."
On how the defense has changed since last year...
"The playbook shrunk, so now, the coach has allowed us to just play ball and do less thinking. Teams nowadays are doing a whole lot of shifts, a whole lot of motions. The way our plays are set now, it cancels all of that. It stays the same. We don't have to constantly keep running around for people. It causes fewer mental errors and prevents big plays. That helped in a major way. Other than that, everything has kind of been the same other than the playbook. Our mindset is different for this year than it was in past years. We are more connected. We decided to go deep in the roots of how we can be better from past years. It all came down to how close we were with one another and how well we knew each other. It started from that really."
Warren Ericson, Junior, Offensive Lineman
On Andrew Thomas's touchdown...
"I did see it. He got up. That was pretty impressive. That was one of the most athletic big man touchdowns I think I've seen. That was super cool. I haven't reached out to him, but, as soon as it happened, our O-line group message just completely blew up. We were so pumped to see that. In primetime, you got to love to see the big man touchdown."
On the team's stair workout at Sanford Stadium...
"One, I remember it, because it was number seven. I got down at the bottom of the steps, and my legs could not stop shaking. I couldn't stop. I said, 'I don't know how I'm going to do this. I don't how I'm going to get eight more in.' Then, I had James Cook, Jamaree Salyer and other guys in my steps just pushing me and saying, 'Hey man, let's go. We got this. We got your back.' We were spread out across the whole side of the stadium, and you saw everyone doing that. Everyone was pushing each other. At one point, Coach Sinclair said, 'Maybe this is too much.' He even tried, for the big guys, to cut it down to only going halfway instead of going to the full top, but everyone said, 'No, we got this together. We're all in it together, and we're going to push each other. We're going to push ourselves.' We went back up to the full top, and that's when I kind of knew that this was a special thing that, when times are tough, I have my brothers to lift me up and push through."
On offensive line depth...
"I think that the great thing about being an offensive lineman at Georgia is that we have so many talented guys. That just fuels the competitive drive every day in practice. I love Xavier Truss, and I love Broderick Jones, and I love all of the offensive linemen. I also know that if I'm not bringing my best every single day, they could replace me. I think we all have that same competitive drive. We love each other, and we're going to fight for each other, but we got to go out there and do our job to the best of our ability. It's been great to see Broderick come out and play. He's gotten a lot of really good-quality snaps. He's gotten better each time, and you can really see that. Of course, you hate to see Jamaree Salyer out, and he's a strong leader on our offensive line and the offense in general. He's one person that, even though he's not physically playing right now, when we get to the sideline, he's always there keeping us up. He's always there telling us something, maybe that we missed or telling us to pick things up. He's still the same Jamaree, the same strong leader and person that we can always lean on the offensive line."
Ladd McConkey, Redshirt Freshman, Wide Receiver
On Brock Bowers...
"He's phenomenal; to be that size, have those ball skills, and run as fast as he can is crazy. It really is crazy that he is able to do that. It's really like having someone who can block like a tight end but also having another receiver on the field at the same time. When he's out there, just watching some of the things he does, it really is special."
On Kelee Ringo and Derion Kendrick...
"Going against guys like that every single day, I've said it, but if you can't get better going against those guys, something is wrong. They're going to give you their all every single day, and we're going to give them our all. If one of us isn't going hard then you're going to be able to see and notice that. Going out there and getting those looks from those guys - knowing the caliber of player they are - if you can do some good things against them, you can do it against anybody. I'm getting confidence from going against those guys and getting reps against them every single day."
On offensive lineman during stadium runs...
"Obviously, we knew it was going to benefit us and be good for us in the end, but there were times where we thought, 'Is this worth it, and is this it?' In the end we knew it was all going to pay off. The crazy thing is we actually ran from our facility to the stadium before the stadium runs, so for lineman to be able to do that and run those 15 bleachers speaks on the kind of players they are, the heart they have, and their willingness to just keep on going no matter what. Even when they're tired, there are other leaders who they can lean on and say, 'I need some help.' They're going to be the first there to pick you up and carry you if you need to."
Kelee Ringo, Redshirt Freshman, Defensive Back
On tweaks to the defensive system...
"Our schemes have been really complicated as you guys can see. Being able to use different players in different spots, and how we can help each other throughout the defense and not be on islands the entire time throughout the game. It's definitely been able to help us execute our plays and be more successful."
On summer workouts...
"I feel like everything we did throughout the summer definitely prepared us for the season. It made the games and practices much easier. Actually, the practices were not even much easier, but the workouts were definitely closer to what the practices were going to be like throughout the season. It made the games much simpler by thinking when you're tired and fatigued to help execute plays."
On preparations for future opponents...
"In all aspects of the game in every single day of practice - and also after the games - we speak on not necessarily the things we did well in the game but things we can work on. Definitely in the DB positions, specifically the deep ball, that's something that you will get throughout the entire season. I'm consistently working on that; I feel like we have been able to enhance our skills in that and other specific areas.
On the overall assessment of offense this season…
“I’ve really been proud of what those guys have done in terms of the injuries we’ve had. We just had had a countless number of guys in and out, in and out, and revolving to our receivers. You know, tight ends are the most consistent position but even Darnell Washington, was a lot faster before the injury. He had to really work himself back into shape. So overall, I’m pleased with those guys. We’ve been explosive, we’ve avoided some third downs because of our efficiency and our explosiveness. I think that’s a big part of it. There’s a lot of things we can work on too. There are some games we haven’t been consistently running it. We turn the ball over more than we should and those are all things we can’t afford to do in the future.”
On Broderick Jones…
“I’m very pleased. I think Broderick is an extremely hard worker. I’ve said repeatedly he buys into the team concept as good as any player I’ve been around. He’s so happy when you do well, regardless of his role. He’s embraced his role. He’s become more coachable. We used to tell him something, he got offended by it. Now he embraces it and says I’ll work on that. I’ll continue to grow and get better. We want him to be more physical in the run game. Wanting him to work on getting stronger at the point of attack and getting movement. But we need him to be more consistent in his assignments but that comes with experience.”
On Derion Kendrick, Kelee Ringo, and the defensive backs….
“Both have good size. Both have good ball skills that’s helped up in terms of holding the point tackling so much of football now is playing on the perimeter. And that’s where I think we’ve been able to hold up nicely in terms of point of attack blocks and hands on people because they’re both 200-pound kids and they both have good length. They both have given up some plays and they both been protected by a pretty good front at times in terms of maybe when they got beat. The quarterback got rushed, and that’s helped them some but they did everything we’ve asked and they take all their walkthrough reps very seriously. We’ve really been impressed with DK’s maturity in terms of leadership in that DB room. He’s played in a lot of big games. He provides a lot of confidence for the other guys.”
On defensive coordinator Dan Lanning…
“He’s doing a tremendous job. I think he’s very detailed, very organized. He’s a very good motivator. He has a lot of energy. He invest in the players. He thinks outside the box teaches in a way that keeps it interesting. And I think that's really important in today's day and age of all the guys on social media and things. They enjoy his intensity. And he’s done a tremendous job. He’s done a great job since he had the job. I mean, he’s not really grown into the role, he’s embraced the role and he’s had a lot of help and we’ve had other experiences, experience guys in the secondary. It had a lot of consistency and continuity, which I think helps him be successful and good players improve well. We all recruit well, and we all take ownership in that. So that part’s been really good for him. He’s embraced it. As far as coaching opportunities, I help anybody, at anytime. I don't get into the advice because I think that's an independent decision. If they asked me my opinion, I'll certainly will tell you what I think because I think that there's some really good jobs out there and the number one thing is can you get good players and can you win your conference, and those opportunities will present themselves if you just be where your feet are. I tell him to worry about that and rest to take care of itself.”
On the secondary and zone defense…
“I feel it has much to do with our past defense being maybe improved is the front guys that are playing in a second year. We probably weren’t as good all the way around last year. Devonte Wyatt was not the player last year that he is this year. He shed 15 or 20 pounds. Jalen Carter was not the player last year that he is this year, he was a true freshman. We had some guys on the edge that can rush but we have guys on the edge now that can rush. So I think the biggest change itself was to be successful in the rush, in combination of some things we changed. We’ll win on a lot more on first and second down to create third and longs than we did last year and we’ve given up less explosives, which helps to I don’t know what you can attribute it to exactly. I don’t think we were as deepest as we were last year in the secondary, I can assure you that.”
On the offense going into the last regular-season game…
“I just want to see improvement. Stetson, we’re getting targets each week, you know, decision making, quick decisions, not holding the ball. When you start extending the plays, the good things can happen and the bad things can happen so you’ve got to be wise about the way you go about it. You got to practice it that way. We got to have 11 guys on the same page. So many of our plays that fail when you go back and look at them, what caused that play to be unsuccessful. One got into his job. They do what they’re supposed to do. We tend to have a positive gain or no gain. It’s the lost yardages and sacks as turnovers that come back to haunt us the most so we’re trying to remove that. Continue being explosive and being dangerous. We want to be on the attack.”
On the College Football Playoff…
“No. I don’t have time. I’m trying to go do third down right now in the red area and do everything else. I don’t have any time for it. Between recruiting, worried about our players, and trying to get ready for a game. It’s the least of my worries.”
On the traits of defenses and defensive players…
“Traits haven’t changed much. Size and speed will never change and football is a tough sport. When you have small people, they struggle sometimes. Every one of you can mention the small guy that’s good, but you can’t mention a lot of them so size and speed is what it takes. I think more and more intelligence and desire to be great becomes critical because no matter how talented you are, if you don’t have the ability to listen and learn and have discipline, you won’t be a good football player. There’s so many I-discipline things, I think one of the most critical factors is can you run, do you have size, and is it important to you? Because you won’t make it here if it’s not important to you. I promise you we’ll demand so much excellence from you that you’ll either leave or you’ll just decide to play somewhere else before you stay here. It’s way too important to the coaches and the leaders on the team to hold that standard and that standard will eventually weed guys out so I just want to get the right guys here so I don’t have to go through that.”
On the offseason…
“The COVID offseason was just altogether different, we didn’t have a spring, we didn’t get that. So you know, a lot of those kids are responded to the fact that didn't do anything last year. I’m talking about the year before last so when you compare it to that, obviously it was tougher. But we did make some decisions as a staff after the Cincinnati game and said hey, we’re not doing our early morning workouts in the indoor, we’ll go to the stadium and we’re going to do it in the stadium at 5:30 or 6:00 and get out in the elements and see if we can make this team a little tougher. I think we did eight of those or something like that just to say, well it was cold and wet. We’re just trying to make it tougher and they would get the same things they were doing in the indoor but we just try to change it up because I didn’t feel like we were getting where we needed to go. I certainly don’t think that’s the only reason we’ve been successful. I just think some of those kids think of it as a little tougher.”
On the punt return unit…
“Yeah, that unit’s been a disappointment. We haven’t done what we needed to do We haven’t held up as well as we have in the past Last week’s not a great measure of that so I’d love to tell you where we’re going in the right direction but those guys were overmatched.”
On injuries with Christopher Smith, George Pickens, Kendall Milton, and Jamaree Slayer….
“Yeah, it’s all over the place. Chris is still with us. He was not able to go the other day. He wasn’t able to go today and we’re trying to rehab him and get him back hopefully for this game. I know he knows what to do but he has not been able to practice. Ya’ll saw Jamaree after yesterday. He was out there today. Then George has been practicing with us doing more, repping with the threes and the twos some. Still waiting to get him cleared but we didn’t have him with the scouts. We’re getting him working with the offense, trying to kind of integrate it back into getting calls and doing assignments. But he was still black jersey, no contact today. We were hoping to get Kendall back for this week, it’s still a process. I had two of those injuries, two MCLs in my high school and college career, and their confidence injuries. They're like, man, do I have my stability? Do I feel normal? You know, and he's going through those emotions of really pushing through what I like is his toughness and he does rehab two, or three times a day. He's gone. He's been a black shirt and been able to do some things rep wise he's much better than he was. But to say that he's ready to play right now. I don't know that he's there yet.”
On no longer playing against the triple-option...
"I didn't enjoy dealing with that. I did not enjoy that, whatsoever. That's not a decision I make. I don't get emotional about it. I just do what I have to do. It's very different. It's like going away from your calls for a week, so I'm glad we don't have to do that."
Lewis Cine, Junior, Defensive Back
On Derion Kendrick and Kelee Ringo...
"For one, they have been strapped on their men. You give them an assignment and tell them, 'Hey, we've got this guy for you to lock down, or we've got this guy for you to put on clamps,' and they do exactly that. They play assignment ball. They know what they're supposed to do. They know where their help is. They're just smart guys, and they do what they're supposed to, which makes it easier for me because I have faith in their skills and their game."
On tough workouts that help the team bond...
"We might talk about the fact that we worked out at 5:00 in the morning. I don't think anyone brings up the fact that we had to run up the stadium stairs 15 times. 15 times for every number of games that we're going to be playing, which says a lot. We have a goal, and we're going to see it through."
On how the defense has changed since last year...
"The playbook shrunk, so now, the coach has allowed us to just play ball and do less thinking. Teams nowadays are doing a whole lot of shifts, a whole lot of motions. The way our plays are set now, it cancels all of that. It stays the same. We don't have to constantly keep running around for people. It causes fewer mental errors and prevents big plays. That helped in a major way. Other than that, everything has kind of been the same other than the playbook. Our mindset is different for this year than it was in past years. We are more connected. We decided to go deep in the roots of how we can be better from past years. It all came down to how close we were with one another and how well we knew each other. It started from that really."
Warren Ericson, Junior, Offensive Lineman
On Andrew Thomas's touchdown...
"I did see it. He got up. That was pretty impressive. That was one of the most athletic big man touchdowns I think I've seen. That was super cool. I haven't reached out to him, but, as soon as it happened, our O-line group message just completely blew up. We were so pumped to see that. In primetime, you got to love to see the big man touchdown."
On the team's stair workout at Sanford Stadium...
"One, I remember it, because it was number seven. I got down at the bottom of the steps, and my legs could not stop shaking. I couldn't stop. I said, 'I don't know how I'm going to do this. I don't how I'm going to get eight more in.' Then, I had James Cook, Jamaree Salyer and other guys in my steps just pushing me and saying, 'Hey man, let's go. We got this. We got your back.' We were spread out across the whole side of the stadium, and you saw everyone doing that. Everyone was pushing each other. At one point, Coach Sinclair said, 'Maybe this is too much.' He even tried, for the big guys, to cut it down to only going halfway instead of going to the full top, but everyone said, 'No, we got this together. We're all in it together, and we're going to push each other. We're going to push ourselves.' We went back up to the full top, and that's when I kind of knew that this was a special thing that, when times are tough, I have my brothers to lift me up and push through."
On offensive line depth...
"I think that the great thing about being an offensive lineman at Georgia is that we have so many talented guys. That just fuels the competitive drive every day in practice. I love Xavier Truss, and I love Broderick Jones, and I love all of the offensive linemen. I also know that if I'm not bringing my best every single day, they could replace me. I think we all have that same competitive drive. We love each other, and we're going to fight for each other, but we got to go out there and do our job to the best of our ability. It's been great to see Broderick come out and play. He's gotten a lot of really good-quality snaps. He's gotten better each time, and you can really see that. Of course, you hate to see Jamaree Salyer out, and he's a strong leader on our offensive line and the offense in general. He's one person that, even though he's not physically playing right now, when we get to the sideline, he's always there keeping us up. He's always there telling us something, maybe that we missed or telling us to pick things up. He's still the same Jamaree, the same strong leader and person that we can always lean on the offensive line."
Ladd McConkey, Redshirt Freshman, Wide Receiver
On Brock Bowers...
"He's phenomenal; to be that size, have those ball skills, and run as fast as he can is crazy. It really is crazy that he is able to do that. It's really like having someone who can block like a tight end but also having another receiver on the field at the same time. When he's out there, just watching some of the things he does, it really is special."
On Kelee Ringo and Derion Kendrick...
"Going against guys like that every single day, I've said it, but if you can't get better going against those guys, something is wrong. They're going to give you their all every single day, and we're going to give them our all. If one of us isn't going hard then you're going to be able to see and notice that. Going out there and getting those looks from those guys - knowing the caliber of player they are - if you can do some good things against them, you can do it against anybody. I'm getting confidence from going against those guys and getting reps against them every single day."
On offensive lineman during stadium runs...
"Obviously, we knew it was going to benefit us and be good for us in the end, but there were times where we thought, 'Is this worth it, and is this it?' In the end we knew it was all going to pay off. The crazy thing is we actually ran from our facility to the stadium before the stadium runs, so for lineman to be able to do that and run those 15 bleachers speaks on the kind of players they are, the heart they have, and their willingness to just keep on going no matter what. Even when they're tired, there are other leaders who they can lean on and say, 'I need some help.' They're going to be the first there to pick you up and carry you if you need to."
Kelee Ringo, Redshirt Freshman, Defensive Back
On tweaks to the defensive system...
"Our schemes have been really complicated as you guys can see. Being able to use different players in different spots, and how we can help each other throughout the defense and not be on islands the entire time throughout the game. It's definitely been able to help us execute our plays and be more successful."
On summer workouts...
"I feel like everything we did throughout the summer definitely prepared us for the season. It made the games and practices much easier. Actually, the practices were not even much easier, but the workouts were definitely closer to what the practices were going to be like throughout the season. It made the games much simpler by thinking when you're tired and fatigued to help execute plays."
On preparations for future opponents...
"In all aspects of the game in every single day of practice - and also after the games - we speak on not necessarily the things we did well in the game but things we can work on. Definitely in the DB positions, specifically the deep ball, that's something that you will get throughout the entire season. I'm consistently working on that; I feel like we have been able to enhance our skills in that and other specific areas.
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