We'll be getting Norvell and a few players here in a little bit.
So stay tuned!
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"So very proud of our football team. Nothing will come easy. .... We knew this was going to come down to one play. We didn't know which one play was going to be the difference ... but we wanted to compete ... ... really pleased with the leadership and the way those guys approached all aspects.
"For Ryan to finish that kick to put us one score ahead as time expried, it was a great day for our guys .... A lot of things we have to clean up, that's obvious ... but we did a better job of being more consistent. ... I really appreciate the work they're putting in. I thought we got better today."
"They finished. We've seen response. We've seen hard play and effort there even when adversity showed up, but we hadn't finished yet ... it took all phases to win it there at the end. ... I think it's going to be a great boost for us. ... We needed to get a win. It was a wonderful feeling to step in that locker room and seeing those smiles, seeing the joy of just the investment that went into this week but also all the weeks priors. Because these guys aren't going to stop working."
On Travis: "It's huge for him. It's been a tough start to the season for Jordan. A lot of factors that go into it. He's such a great young man. Wednesday was a big day. To see him not necessarily feeling great, but to see him go out there and push and really put him in a position to play .... On Thursday we made the decision we were going with Jordan. It was his game to go play and it was his game to go win. ... Some of those runs, it was incredible. It's fun to be able to celebrate with him after that game. ... It was really special."
"I'm happy for our players. I know the work that goes into it. I know how much this program means to them. ... The way that we've lost games, our kids feel that. To see them be able to finish this game the way that it was finished was huge. I'm so proud. ... They continue to work and continue to grow and develop, they put themselves in position to finish like they did. ... It was a big day for our team, we needed that feeling. We needed to have that success in a critical moment and a critical time."
"Trust what you do. That's all I said. And he said I got this. ... And he did have it. ... Ryan was ready for the moment. And I'm really proud of him and the entire group."
Says they played third down today like they played it last week. ... "I thought Coach Fuller had a really good plan for how we were going to attack those situations. ... the quarterback we knew he was a big kid that could run .... he forced some missed tackles. .... I thought our guys did a nice job in that situational moment."
"That's not the way it was drawn up, but I appreciate the effort by Andrew to finish the play. ... Anytime the ball is on the ground, you've got to be able to react. ... The goal-line stand by our defense. That was big. We haven't really had a whole lot of those here as of late. ... Our guys forced the push. I was really pleased to see that. ... It was good to see a ball bounce our way."
"That interception was not on him. Continue to trust your eyes and go about your business. ... We knew they were really heating them up at the end, we were getting man, zero coverage. ... he was able to make the plays necessary for us to win the game. ... I just wanted him to go play."
"Maurice was very limited in practice this week. ... We've got some guys that are playing extremely banged up. .... We were able to hit some big runs. That's a challenging defensive scheme that we went up against, with all the pressure and movements .... I think we're seeing great leadership and determination in the way they're playing."
That's a wrap for Norvell.
Jordan Travis is up next.
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Says the runs were not designed. The hole opend up and receivers made big blocks downfield. ... Those guys worked really hard today. ... I appreciate them, I love them, I'm just so happy right now.
"I have a great supporting cast. My family. They keep me going every single day, keep me positive. ... McKenzie pushed me every single day. ... I'm just so thankful we got the win."
"Focus on the next play. ... I couldn't do it without any of the guys on my team.
Said he was on the 50-yard line on a knee when Fitzgerald kicked it.
Also said Helton made a good block on his first run on the last drive.
"It's like a roller coaster. .... This week felt different. The guys came out this week with a different type of intensity and mindset. ... I could just feel we were going to win that game. It's a lot of ups and downs, man. ... I'm so thankful."
"I got my faith in my dawg." --- on Fitzgerald.
"A little bit of everything. ... It still doesn't feel real to me right now. I'm so excited. Happy for the guys. We can go home and sleep well, wake up with a smile on our face. ... I'm thankful."
"We work very hard in the offseason to get wins. We haven't been getting them, but tonight we focused on the next play."
"I can't be anymore healthy than I am right now. I've been going through a lot, man. I couldn't do it without the guys around me, pushing me, keeping me positive. .... Guys helped me, family pushed me every single day to keep going, keep going."
"It's big. Everything I do is for the team and for this university. Every day I can go out there, so I'm 50 percent I can go out there and perform. I'm out there. I'll do anything for this team. ... Sitting on the sidelines and watching my team play and not be able to be out there is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I'm just thankful I was able to be out there today."
Ryan Fitzgerald and
Kalen Deloach are now up.
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Fitz: "Actually after halftime I was already preparing in my mind because we were winning by 3. ... I went ahead and mentally prepared for that moment and treated it like any other kick. .. Trusted my technique. Really just having the confidence and visualizing it going right down the middle.
Deloach: "We came together. We wanted to play all four quarters, not just one half. ... We've been practicing like that ... we knew we had to play all four quarters."
Fitz: "I shouldn't have, but I looked on the scoreboard and realized there were two timeouts so I knew there was a possibility. ... It was kind of nice having him ice me, because it was another opportunity to see the ball go through the uprights."
Fitz: "I think it goes back to experience. Week 1 I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a matter of 15 minutes .... Obviously, I have a long way to go ... and i Just want to keep getting better."
Says it was his first game-winning kick of his career.
"It's just confidence in me, and knowing that I have the capabilities of doing really well. ... The technical part of it and mainly the mental part of it."
Deloach on the goal-line stand: "When it came to third down, they threw the screen and the DB made the tackle, but they got closer to the goal line ... we've got to bow up and don't let them get into our end zone and that was the mindset we carried on that fourth down."
Deloach: "We gave up a couple of big plays. That happens." Says he thought they played well against the run other than the big runs by the QB.
That's a wrap on Fitz and Deloach.
J
ermaine Johnson and
Keir Thomas are up next.
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Johnson: "I still don't think we really did that tonight, but we came up with the W. ... We got the job done tonight, but we're definitely not satisfied. Go watch film, fix those errors ... I know I had one big missed tackle.
Thomas: "I love this team. We know what we're capable of. I'm pissed we gave up 30 points again. But we got the win. I'm happy with that. Get back to the drawing board and get ready for UNC."
Thomas: "We're definitely improving. We've got to clean up some of the little things, and we'll be fine. I have faith in all the guys I go to war with on Saturdays."
Johnson: "We've been preaching about response. ... Be the thermostat, not the thermometer. ... In terms of maturity, it just went in our favor tonight. The team that makes the least amount of mistakes wins the game.
On goal-line stand, Thomas: "We preach response. ... It's us against the world right now. That's just our mentality with everything right now. It was a big stop. Delo made a great play on fourth down, stood the quarterback up. That was a heck of a play."
Johnson on Travis: "We knew what Jordan was capable of. ... We hear the noise, he hears the noise, but he continues ... he persevered, he fought. Yeah, he was banged up at the beginning of the week ..." but he came out and played and played well.
Thomas: "The way he played today was terrific. I'm proud of that kid."
Thomas: "I honestly feel like if we eliminated the big plays, they probably wouldn't have scored. ... we definitely have the capability of playing lights out on defense, we've just got to minimize the mistakes and get rid of the little things."
Thomas: "Their confidence is definitely growing." Says Deloach was emotional on the sidelines, was speaking up for one of the few times this season it seemed like. Said that was big.
Johnson: "We're going to attack the next week like we've been attacking every weekend. ... Main objective is to win the game. ... We're playing us every game, we're playing ourselves, if we learn not to beat ourselves and learn to defeat our opponents and not let us get in the way of that, the sky is the limit."
Thomas: "Don't get me wrong. The win is great. It's hard to win. But I feel like we definitely have more to show y'all."
That's a wrap for Thomas and Johnson. That's a wrap for the interviews.
Thanks for being here. Go celebrate!
