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00:00 >> Okay, well, really proud of our football team.
00:03 I think we had a couple weeks where everything went right.
00:07 We played about as good as we could.
00:08 Of course, that's what you always try to do.
00:10 But this team genuinely came ready to play.
00:13 And they had some big wins at North Carolina, took Miami in overtime.
00:17 They know how to play football.
00:18 And got off to a little bit of a shaky start, but still had the lead.
00:23 And then, of course, the interception for a touchdown kind of shifted that momentum
00:26 in their favor.
00:28 They had one fumble, they picked up one for a touchdown, got in their favor.
00:31 But proud of our guys to hang in there when things were not going our way.
00:34 And play to the end and find a way to make enough big plays to win the game and
00:39 get some stops at the end.
00:42 That's really how football works.
00:44 So you go back and you try to learn from it.
00:47 But when you play good teams, you gotta just find a way to make one more play than
00:52 they do and score one more point than they do.
00:54 So fortunately, we were able to come out with a win.
00:56 And all of our victories, I'm probably prouder of our team for
01:01 hanging in this one than any of them.
01:03 Because they could have easily lost confidence and
01:06 started to doubt themselves a little bit.
01:08 But they didn't, they played to the end.
01:09 So really proud of them.
01:11 Without question, the one injured player for Virginia, I hope he's okay.
01:16 That was unfortunate, but I do hope he's okay.
01:20 >> Jeff, was there anything in particular in that fourth quarter when back and
01:23 forth you guys were able to put it away in the lead?
01:25 Was there anything that was done differently, an adjustment or
01:29 anything that you saw out there?
01:30 >> Well, you know what, the last drive that we got,
01:37 we kinda just called some simple little play action plays.
01:40 So Jack did a good job of throwing to the open guy,
01:42 finding the check down a few times.
01:43 And then we did take one shot deep and Amari did a great job getting open.
01:49 As I look back, I don't need to find ways to get Amari and
01:51 our slot receivers looked at the ball more.
01:52 But we had him run the ball well and not throwing it a whole lot, but
01:55 I think we did a better job there.
01:57 And then our defense got a good stop, got us the ball back and
02:01 we ran a play to the weak side.
02:03 Our line did a great job blocking Isaac.
02:04 Had a couple of series there, so we stayed with him.
02:10 He took it, hit it downhill, saw the crease and you couldn't catch him.
02:13 So just a great play, great blocking by our offensive line.
02:18 We needed it.
02:19 So you just kinda hang in there, you just play to the end.
02:22 And it wasn't perfect, but like I said,
02:26 I really am proud that we hung in there and we found a way to win this game.
02:29 >> Coach, this game was a little bit like the Pittsburgh pass,
02:34 where some of the similar things happen.
02:36 You have to pick six, you have the defense kinda get a little shaky, but
02:40 then you guys turned it around.
02:41 Do you feel like some of the lessons learned from that game helped both
02:45 the coaching staff as well as the players to kinda right the ship and
02:48 get things back on track?
02:50 >> I think so.
02:50 I think anytime you turn the ball over it hurts.
02:53 Anytime you turn it over and they score with it, it really hurts.
02:56 And of course that happened in Pittsburgh.
02:58 But yeah, we continued to get turnovers and miss field goals like we did today.
03:03 So you know what, we just kinda circled the wagons a little bit and
03:08 got it going in the right direction and just found a way to make a few plays at
03:11 the end.
03:12 So I was
03:18 disappointed that we had that little rut there.
03:21 But you know what, I think as we continue forward,
03:24 we're gonna play a good football team.
03:26 We're gonna have some ruts here and there.
03:27 We gotta be able to bounce back.
03:28 We gotta be able to switch momentum as quick as we can,
03:32 not allow the game to get out of hand.
03:34 We kept this thing close.
03:35 We got a great stop when we stopped for a field goal.
03:41 And gave us a chance to keep the game in scoring range for us to come back.
03:47 And I think it just gave us some hopes.
03:48 I just think all of our guys played hard to the end.
03:50 We needed every last bit of it.
03:52 And I give Virginia a lot of credit.
03:54 They did a really good job.
03:54 They came ready to play.
03:55 And they had a good second half, but we were able to finish it in the end.
04:00 >> Jeff, you guys had games earlier in the year against Indiana,
04:03 where you really had to fight to either hang on or come back.
04:07 What do you think it is about this team that they've been able to kinda come
04:09 together and not lose confidence, like you mentioned in some of these moments?
04:14 >> Well, I think we got a good coaching staff that we try to preach
04:18 the hard work, preparation, all those things.
04:21 But talking through that everything's not always gonna go perfect.
04:26 Everything's not gonna be exactly the way you decided.
04:28 Some days someone's gonna make more plays.
04:32 Some days the other guy's gonna make more plays.
04:33 We just gotta hang in there.
04:34 We just gotta play together.
04:35 And these guys have stuck together.
04:36 We've had some close games that we easily could have lost.
04:41 And be sitting here not near in the great position that we are.
04:43 But we found a way to win.
04:45 So hats off to our coaches and
04:49 our players because they have done enough to win the game.
04:52 And you go back and you circle the wagons.
04:57 You try to figure out how can we get better and correct things.
04:59 And we've done that every week.
05:01 And we're not bashful about identifying the mistakes we make and
05:05 how can we get better.
05:06 So we'll do it again.
05:08 And I think our team should enjoy this and get a little middle break.
05:11 Because like I said, we finished the season with two really tough opponents
05:16 that we're gonna have to be more efficient and play better in order to win.
05:20 >> And again, I'm not losing confidence yet.
05:24 Obviously, I had that stretch where he drew the big six.
05:26 He was a three out and got sacked at the end of that try.
05:28 Do you talk to him after that?
05:30 Or do you kind of just let him work his way out of the run?
05:33 >> No, I talk to him and he understood.
05:35 He was a little flustered a little bit.
05:38 He did a little jump in there.
05:39 But I've been in those shoes.
05:41 You're gonna get a little jump when things aren't going your way.
05:43 You're getting hit, you're on the reception.
05:45 You're gonna lose a little bit of confidence.
05:46 Just kind of have to try to take a couple deep breaths and relax and say,
05:51 hey, give me another chance.
05:52 Let me go show him.
05:53 And I just think he's played enough football that he knew how to do that.
05:57 He rallied the troops.
05:58 He had an efficient drive where he threw the ball where he needed to.
06:02 He found a check down and then he throws it a wide open deep pass.
06:05 He lost it out there, puts it right for a big one.
06:07 And then of course, next drive was easy with a handoff to Isaac.
06:11 But he played to the end.
06:13 So I just think every little thing matters in these type of games.
06:17 And to come out of this one with a victory is a great ending for us.
06:22 >> Jeff, how do you approach on a night where it seemed like things are out of
06:27 sync early, how do you approach trying to get them back aligned?
06:31 How did you kind of manage that tonight?
06:34 >> Well, they did a good job trying to stop our running game,
06:37 our inside zone runs and some things.
06:39 They were doing a good job.
06:40 And they mixed up the coverage a little bit,
06:42 kind of confused our quarterback a couple times.
06:45 They weren't as precise as we'd like to be.
06:47 And we had a couple penalties that hurt us.
06:51 Jor, a wide open down the sideline, going in to score,
06:56 ran a little bit out of bounds, unfortunately, that hurt us.
06:58 And it's just kind of those things kind of stop drives.
07:02 And their quarterback played well.
07:04 They make plays, they have receivers that can play.
07:06 And they make plenty of plays as well and challenged us.
07:10 And quarterback draw, we couldn't tackle him.
07:12 He made big plays.
07:13 Just fortunately, we just kind of hung in there.
07:16 And like I said, I just think we have it battle tested.
07:19 We've had enough games that weren't easy.
07:21 So I think we are used to it.
07:23 And while the last two were great, great days for us,
07:27 that's just not realistic even though that's always the goal.
07:30 So just proud that they hung in there to the end.
07:33 >> Last two.
07:33 >> Jeff, it's kind of a cliche, I guess, but when you talk about their ability to
07:41 hang in there and kind of come together, how much do you feel like culture and
07:44 chemistry that has been building this season kind of plays into that?
07:47 >> Well, I think it matters.
07:49 We try to provide an environment here where starting with myself,
07:55 working with our coaches and our players, we gotta put the work in.
07:59 It's gotta be visible, and you gotta be willing to do your part.
08:03 And I think when things don't go your way, you make mistakes,
08:08 I have to take blame first.
08:09 And we move it to the coaches, and we try to just figure it out with the players,
08:12 how to get it done.
08:12 Cuz it's not easy to play football.
08:14 I mean, it's tough.
08:15 It's a tough physical football game.
08:16 It takes so much preparation and toughness and
08:21 grit to go out there.
08:22 We got plenty of guys that are playing injured.
08:26 Jamari Frasch has a hand that he just continues to play through.
08:29 We've got other guys that have injuries that continue to get back there.
08:32 So I give a lot of credit.
08:34 So I just think it's a good nucleus of guys.
08:37 They like coming over this building.
08:38 They like playing in this stadium.
08:40 They wanna win.
08:41 They know it's not always gonna be perfect, but I think as long as we just play to
08:45 the end, we don't lose confidence.
08:49 We try to continue to just fight and battle throughout the entire game.
08:54 Hopefully, when it's over, you get one more point than they do.
08:57 And I think for the most part this year, we've done a good job of that.
09:00 >> Last one.
09:02 >> Coach, you had that play where the defense forces a fumble, but
09:04 it turns into a touchdown for them.
09:06 And then you have the long injury timeout.
09:08 What are you saying to your guys after kind of a gut punch play,
09:10 where you make a good defensive play, but it ends up seven points for them?
09:13 >> Well, you had the interception for a touchdown.
09:16 And then of course, we backed them way up.
09:18 And they just throw a little swing pass.
09:20 You make a tackle, and the ball pops out, and they pick it up and score.
09:24 So just we're getting some breaks.
09:26 And I'm sure we got breaks as well the last couple weeks, but
09:28 they got a couple breaks.
09:30 They capitalized on it.
09:31 And I just think, we knew we just had to keep fighting and playing to the end.
09:37 We talk about it all the time.
09:38 When we go against our defense a lot, and they completely shut us down,
09:42 it's not fun, but you gotta go back out there and try it again.
09:44 A couple times, we may have some days where we make some plays, but
09:47 they gotta continue to keep battling to the end.
09:50 So I just think it takes everybody on the team.
09:54 They wanna win enough that they just stuck to it.
10:00 And I think our coaches coached to the end.
10:02 We just try to stay in the moment, stay in the moment and play to the end and
10:05 hope that we get a win when it's all over.
10:10 But I thought our fans were into the game.
10:12 I'm sure they were a little worried there for a while.
10:16 But they hung with us, and we continue to play hard.
10:19 So proud of our families for helping us out.
10:22 >> Thank you.
10:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]