Sept. 22, 2012
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GEORGIA TECH HEAD COACH Paul Johnson
Opening Statement
“When we came out in the second half and scored a couple touchdowns, it seemed like we really had them on the ropes. We did a great job in coming back, but to their credit so did they.
To their credit, they did a great job. They came back and made plays at the end and we didn’t. We had some missed tackles especially in the last drive.
We had some kids who really played hard all the way through. There were so many things to think back about. You just wish you had plays back like with the ball at fourth and one at the 50-yard-line. I’m disappointed in the outcome. I’m just surprised by the whole game. You look back and it just seems like it wasn’t meant to be for us.”
Tevin Washington R-SR QB #13
On the 4th down stop in overtime…
“The play that was called was a quarterback follow and I checked to the toss because they were all in the gaps like Coach talked about before we walked off the sideline. When I checked it they moved back out but I did not recheck it. I’m coached not to recheck it twice right there so I just tried to get it on my own.”
On the rally after being down 19-0 to Miami…
“We knew we were going to get opportunities with the football so we just tried to do our part and score every time we had the ball.”
Orwin Smith SR AB #17
On his safety…
“Coach Walk (Walkosky) gives the off returner Jamal Golden the decision if I should come out or not. We had some miscommunications. My plan was to come out. I saw him put his hand up to tell me to stop and my momentum kind of made mean lean out of the endzone.”
Brandon Watts R-JR LB #11
On the defensive performance…
“They just manhandled us and out executed us. I felt like we weren’t prepared. I can’t really say too much…. A positive is that we kept fighting the whole game. We got started bad and got down a lot but we kept fighting though.”
Tony Zenon R-SO AB #9
On his big plays…
“When it was my time to step up in the game when our guys went down I just wanted to take an advantage of any opportunity that I get. That’s pretty much what it was. Our guys did a pretty good job of blocking on the perimeter so it opened up for me. And on the pass plays, I was running the ball so much, and the play-action most of the time get them off guard. I thought it was a good throw and I just had to catch the ball.”
Jemea Thomas R-JR DB #14
Were you expecting Miami’s 52 pass attempts?…
“Not really. We were expecting more of a run from watching film. We were going for the run but they came out and changed it to a passing game.”
MIAMI HEAD COACH AL GOLDEN
On the range of emotions in the game…
“All game we tried to keep going. If you look at the momentum you are not going to be happy. We hung in there. We missed a field goal and emotions were down. We had a lot of faith that the defense would stop them and we’d get the ball back.”
On being down 36-19 and what he told the offense…
“I told them to put blinders on. Don’t worry about what is going on. The defense will settle it down. I told them don’t worry about what’s going on, just control your plays one at a time. I think going down and getting three although it might have seemed inconsequential at the time, was huge because we moved the ball and learned a lot about what things are working.”
On the final drive before overtime…
“Think about the guys that stepped up on that drive. Duke Johnson and Rashawn Scott, and a lot of guys stepped up. We protected it really well down the stretch and gave Steven Morris time to rip it. He wasn’t ripping it early in the game and he had a couple in the dirt on the slants. He came up short at time. We said just throw it out there and let him go get it.”
On Davon Johnson stepping up…
“He’s earning a right to be on the field and have that opportunity by what he’s doing in practice. So I know he isn’t a guy who has been in that situation before, but he deserves that opportunity. He’s come through for us. I’m real proud of him. I know he’s real emotional because that was the first time he was in that game on the line situation, and he’s worked his whole career for that. I know there are some other guys in that situation too and I’m proud of them.”
