Garrett Greene Duke's Mayo Bowl Preview
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00:00 Cornerback Garrett Gurney. Questions for Garrett.
00:02 So, Garrett, the last seven games offensively,
00:05 you guys hit a whole different gear.
00:08 Difference there.
00:10 I mean, you're healthy, finally,
00:12 but I'm sure it was more than just that.
00:14 What got you guys going offensively?
00:16 Yeah, I think kind of the last seven games,
00:18 you know, our line really, really started playing
00:21 at a very elite level.
00:23 And when they were playing really, really well,
00:26 our run games were really good,
00:27 and then the downfield passes and all of our quick game stuff
00:32 kind of falls into place after that.
00:33 So I think it all starts with just how well
00:35 our offensive line was playing.
00:38 You better those last seven twos?
00:39 I mean, just the experience?
00:41 Yeah, I think it's definitely easier.
00:44 I mean, you get more comfortable within the system
00:47 as you -- the more you get into it.
00:50 So, really, the last seven games,
00:51 I think, as an offense,
00:53 we all kind of felt in sync and in rhythm.
00:55 I think the results showed that.
00:59 How do you keep that going now that it's been,
01:02 you know, three, four weeks in between games?
01:04 Yeah, I think that, you know, off time is good.
01:07 You know, we definitely needed it.
01:10 You know, the first practice back,
01:12 you know, our wide receivers
01:13 had a little different gear to them
01:15 because they have fresh legs,
01:16 and, you know, they weren't really running a whole lot.
01:19 But, you know, kind of as we near and get --
01:21 we're 10 days out from the game, you know,
01:23 now it kind of gets more critical
01:25 on the attention to detail and kind of getting back
01:27 into doing what we were successful at.
01:30 How different is it making the bowl this year
01:36 than last year where your season
01:38 has been extended basically a whole month,
01:40 where, you know, you're still in the room,
01:41 still practicing, still with the team?
01:43 Yeah, I think it kind of helps everybody
01:46 because, you know, the more you do something,
01:47 obviously, the better you're going to get.
01:49 But it really helps the younger guys.
01:51 You know, they basically have another month
01:54 of, you know, real football stuff
01:56 where if we didn't make a bowl game,
01:58 you know, the next time they really play football
02:00 is next March or whenever we start spring ball.
02:03 So it really helps them.
02:04 I know they've been playing Monday night a lot.
02:05 And it helps the older guys just kind of staying sharp
02:07 and, you know, kind of continuing
02:10 to master the fundamentals.
02:13 You talked about putting more on you.
02:16 When did that happen?
02:17 What point of the season did you --
02:19 both of you feel like that was where you were going?
02:24 I think it kind of gradually happened.
02:26 I mean, I think that as me and him got more comfortable
02:29 with, you know, me being his quarterback
02:31 and, you know, him calling plays for us,
02:33 I think as that relationship developed,
02:36 you know, slowly he started putting more and more on me
02:38 to where, like, the last probably month,
02:40 month and a half of the season,
02:42 there was a lot on my plate.
02:43 But, you know, it starts with preparation.
02:46 And, you know, he was really good about communicating
02:48 the game plan and communicating all the keys
02:51 that I needed to know.
02:54 Go through the development of young receivers.
02:56 I mean, even Hudson, you know, redshirt.
02:58 Yeah.
03:00 Still, did you see growth from them from day one through now?
03:03 Yeah, I think kind of Hudson,
03:06 even last year in Monday night football,
03:09 you know, he would make these wild, like, one-handed catches.
03:12 And so you always knew that the talent was there.
03:15 But to be successful at this level, you know,
03:17 it's all about consistency.
03:18 And you have to be the same player day in and day out.
03:20 And it's hard as hell for a young guy,
03:23 you know, 18-year-old kid, you know, to be able to do that.
03:25 But I think since with the winter,
03:27 really he's taken a huge step.
03:30 Duquesne was a really huge game for him
03:31 because, you know, one of our older guys was down
03:34 and kind of he stepped up and he embraced the role
03:36 and he was up for the challenge.
03:38 And then kind of as the season went on,
03:39 he would always step up.
03:41 Even he had a third -- or he had a big catch in the Baylor game.
03:45 That was a hell of a play.
03:46 So he's just continuing to grow and continuing to get better.
03:48 And then Traylon Ray, I think he's going to be
03:51 one of the best wide receivers in the country.
03:53 You know, he's so young, he's so raw,
03:54 but his ball skills are that good.
03:56 And then, you know, Rodney Gallagher, you know,
03:58 he's got some stuff to work on, but he's getting stronger.
04:02 And, you know, he's going to be a hell of a player here.
04:04 I want to just go a little bit before you're talking about
04:05 now, though, is, but your offense
04:08 really clicks as this year goes by.
04:10 You guys find the chemistry.
04:12 You're the starter for the first time as a full-time guy
04:13 this year.
04:15 How important is it that next year you're going to be back,
04:19 and not only that, but Traylon Ray, Rodney, Jaheim,
04:21 they're all locked up to be back as well.
04:23 It's really almost the first time under Brown
04:25 you're going to have really the same core back again
04:28 with a whole offseason and not have a competition.
04:31 These are the people.
04:33 How important is that for that maturation
04:35 and what we can see next year?
04:36 Yeah, it's super important.
04:37 You know, just for me to get a full offseason with those guys.
04:42 We'll throw hundreds of times within, you know,
04:46 kind of January all the way to fall camp or the first game.
04:51 So it's super important to where, you know,
04:53 like eventually we'll get to the point
04:54 where I can probably close my eyes
04:56 and I can know exactly where they're going to be,
04:58 when they're going to be there,
04:59 because that's all a pass game is,
05:00 is just being where you're supposed to be and on time.
05:04 Playing in an era where people follow the money
05:07 and the portal opens and it fills right up,
05:09 like you on the other hand said,
05:12 I'm a thousand percent coming back next year.
05:15 What is it about you and here that meshed,
05:18 that outside stuff you didn't want to bother
05:22 with the influence of it?
05:23 Yeah, I think the fabric of the state was,
05:26 you know, blue collar and, you know, workman's mentality.
05:29 And there's a lot of parallels between that
05:32 and then, you know, my last name, the Green Family.
05:34 You know, there's a whole lot of parallels.
05:36 And, you know, that's something that, you know,
05:38 I've really held on to
05:39 and I've really been proud of the state.
05:41 You know, I wouldn't want to be the quarterback
05:43 for anybody else.
05:44 This is my home and, you know, I love it here.
05:46 You've been really good at the end of halves, end of games.
05:51 Have you maybe lobbied Neil to maybe do a little more,
05:54 two more in offense in the future?
05:56 That's something that maybe you could consider doing?
05:58 I mean, maybe, but we'll have to wait through the offseason
06:02 when we really look at all the tape and, you know, study that.
06:05 But he calls the plays and I run them.
06:08 Why has it been, you know,
06:10 you're kind of a read and react guy.
06:13 Why is that? Where does that come from?
06:15 Where have you -- how's that developed in your game?
06:19 Yeah, you know, I think the best players, you know,
06:21 they're able to process information quickly
06:23 and make fast decisions.
06:25 So that's kind of been the point of emphasis this year is,
06:28 you know, in my preparation,
06:30 kind of taking out what they can't do out of a certain look.
06:34 Just so I see one thing
06:36 and I know what coverage is going to be or whatever.
06:38 And, you know, it's kind of made me just play free and easy
06:41 because that's when I play my best.
06:44 Played so well.
06:45 What's the next step, though, for you next year?
06:48 Where do you want to get better?
06:49 Yeah, I think just overall pass game,
06:52 especially intermediate stuff.
06:54 I mean, it all starts with fundamentals.
06:56 You know, it's really not --
06:58 nothing really bigger than that.
06:59 You know, my decision-making was okay this year.
07:02 There's some throws I'd like to have back, obviously.
07:05 But really just the overall, like,
07:08 intermediate pass game fundamentals
07:10 and then, you know, getting on better pages
07:12 and getting more close with my wide outs.
07:15 How big was that Manning camp for you?
07:17 I just get a feeling going out there
07:18 and doing what you did in front of those guys
07:21 and all those quarterbacks was really a big boost
07:23 for you coming into this year, wasn't it?
07:25 Yeah. You know, it's kind of a cool experience
07:28 because, you know, I went there when I was a young kid,
07:32 and, you know, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen
07:33 and Patrick Mahomes, they were all there.
07:36 And then, you know, it kind of helped my confidence
07:38 because, you know, I was called the worst quarterback.
07:42 You know, some people thought I was overrated
07:43 or should have moved to a wide receiver.
07:46 But, you know, it was a big confidence,
07:47 and, you know, this year I proved that I belong here.
07:51 You're going to face this next step after this next year
07:54 when you start going to decide what you're going to do.
07:57 I mean, there are going to be a lot of people
07:59 going to say the same thing.
08:00 You're right, you can't. You can't do this.
08:02 How are you going to handle that?
08:03 Yeah, you know, I think just going to show up to work
08:06 and do what I can to help the Mountaineers win.
08:09 Just spending a year with JT
08:15 because he was kind of renowned for that stuff, too.
08:17 I imagine a little bit rubbed off on you.
08:19 Yeah, no, really a lot of stuff.
08:21 And, you know, me and JT, we still keep in contact,
08:23 and a lot of the kind of strategies
08:26 and things that he did to help prepare for a game
08:29 is something I still do, still do even a year later.
08:32 But, really, I've said this before, but Daggie and JT,
08:36 you know, they're probably two of the most
08:38 well-prepared quarterbacks I've been around.
08:41 And, you know, kind of just taking bits and pieces
08:43 from both of them, and, you know,
08:44 really at the end of last year,
08:46 I figured out what worked for me and what didn't.
08:48 And then this year, it was kind of smooth sailing
08:50 from a preparation standpoint.
08:53 Did you and JT talk at all after he announced
08:56 that his career was over?
08:58 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:59 Do you care to share about that?
09:01 It's going to stay between us two, but, you know,
09:03 he's doing well, and he's going to be a healthy coach one day.
09:06 Some of the mechanical stuff, Neil's mentioned that --
09:11 I'm trying to think here -- like fading to the left
09:12 or something like that, not staying up right.
09:14 You know this more than I do. Like, what is that?
09:15 And I'm guessing it just comes over time
09:16 with repetition and refining things.
09:19 But are there mechanical flaws?
09:21 Yeah, I mean, no quarterback's perfect.
09:24 It's an imperfect position.
09:25 There's always stuff to work on.
09:28 And it's stuff -- you know, I have cut-ups made
09:30 for all my mis-throws to one direction,
09:33 different parts of the field.
09:35 So that's something that, you know, after the bowl game --
09:37 because it's tough to really change mechanics 10 days out.
09:40 So I'm really going to start harping on that
09:44 after the bowl game.
09:46 Craig, anything else?
09:54 All right. Thank you very much.