CLARK
OPENING STATEMENT
“The first game is the first game and gives way to the second game.”
Disappointing first game for them
They can disrupt defensively and keep you from explosive plays
Alcorn State played 3 QBs “All three can make things happen with their arms and their feet.”
TAYLOR, SYDNOR NOT ON DEPTH CHART AND WHO PLAYS IN THEIR PLACE
Sydnor week to week, probably not available this week
Taylor “is an internal matter” and not available to play this week
Linus Zunk and Zaylin Wood both were up for their player of the week and they played well
Berry, Russell are part of a good group of corners
Jaylin Lackey is preparing to play
Taco Wright positioning himself to play and he’ll be part of it
WHAT DOES THE VT WIN DO?
It’s all positive
Very easy to have a chip on your shoulder at Vanderbilt
He has a big one on his shoulder
Most of the tam is that way
There are a lot of people cheering for this program
The first thing is to feel the joy with that community because it’s special
The discipline it takes to shift from a performance that could have been cleaner but it was the result that want is important
They celebrate the good start
Recruiting, NIL, you hope people see the progress
That validates a lot of the work and investment they put in
They can’t stop at one game
ARE SPECIFIC EFFORTS BEING MADE TO GET MORE FANS IN THE STANDS THAT HE KNOWS?
He doesn’t, he doesn’t have a lot of time to strategize big picture
Candice and her team are handling that
He’d like to find a way that any student who wants to come has a spot
They were there the whole time and enjoyed what they saw
They’ll work hard internally to create a product that inspires people to show up
Their vision is a sellout of Vanderbilt fans and a sea of black and gold in the stands
They think the construction can help make a special product
Candice and her team are working hard to continue to push and reach out into the community
MANDATORY INJURY REPORTS IN THE SEC, HOW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT IT?
He supports it
Some of the gamesmanship can be silly
There’s just so much more in terms of gambling/inside info, etc., that divulging that protects you from that
They’re next-man-up, no one player is more important than the rest
SEDRICK ALEXANDER
I thought he had a very nice game
He’s a talented RB
Loved the way the group played physically
Alexander sawed a LB in half on one of the TD throws
They were physical
All those are body blows that accumulate over the game
Hurdled a defender
Just scratching the surface
Was important Saturday
DIEGO PAVIA, HOW DID HE BECOME A LEADER
“Very authentic. He has a quiet confidence about him. Also, he doesn’t mind speaking up for himself and we all like that about Diego.”
Sound process
“I think he’s very wise when you talk to him. He’s focused on the right things. He cares about the right people.
Opens up his house to teammates
Very relatable
He was around in the spring even though not practicing and the team got to know him
No different than what Stiner has done (with S&C)
Displayed leadership and toughness and the ability to communicate things to teammates when they grinded through workouts
I’ve seen responses to him on a team level that I’ve not seen in our leadership to this point in our time here. Those guys really respond to him. … He’s so super consistent, compassionate, cares for people… “ 10 minute mark of presser
EXPECTATIONS THIS WEEK
They have a lot to clean up
The build-up to Game 1, they’ve talked about it since winter
Ability to reset and refocus will be key to having a good hear
It’s focusing on them and their process
The ball was on the ground too often Saturday
They need to clean up their game
To win at a high level they have to evolve into the best team they can be
Hopefully this is their worst performance
ON THE PHYSICAL PLAY OF THE DEFENSE
They represented themselves well
First half is the image of what he wanted the program to be
They were complementary
Long possessions
“It was a beautiful thing”
2nd quarter, they did a nice job but have to clean some things up
To finish out at 17-3
Proud of how the defense generated sacks
Third quarter, they had their chances
They didn’t execute
Some of that was his fault, he needs to put guys in better calls
They found soft spaces in the defense
The plays that stood out to him were the explosives
But still they did force a FG and got a stop so it wasn’t all bad
But they pinned VT at the 3 and gave up a flat route right away
They busted a coverage on the TD
But the identity, part is firing a team to go the long, hard way
They want to be smart
Pleased with how physical they were inside-out
They did a nice job inside of forcing them to the perimeter
They were out of position in the secondary at times and took on big plays but they can clean that up
That’s a good offense and a good coaching staff at VT
They fought and won with what they played but they need to clean up things
NATIONAL ATTENTION
“I’ve got about 30 boxes of Cheeze-its in the lobby and I’ve got to figure out how I’m gonna eat them.” (They were the Cheeze-Its Team of the Week and so they sent them a bunch of product)
Those kids work hard to get success and he’s happy for that
Everything they want is out in front of them
Nobody signed up for one win
They’ve been deliberate about talking in that way
They were 1-2 plays away from having a disappointing start
They’ll appreciate and enjoy the attention right now but internally their focus is on continuing their climb
He wants a program so successful this becomes normal
They need to stay disciplined
KEEPING PAVIA FRESH
They have not played with just one QB during his time
There’s no leash on him, he plays how he plays
He’s geared up to go for more. They want to continue to play a style reflective of what they are building
In the meantime there were other guys who competed who need to be ready.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF FACING ALCORN STATE’S MOBILE QB
Designed runs like VT ran
They can create and move in the pocket
The challenge is how to account for that
Collapse the cage in the pass rush to
Contain is a secondary responsibility because you don’t want to leave receivers open
They can end the drive in one s
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