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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 28, 2016

Justin Fuente

Greensboro, North Carolina

JUSTIN FUENTE: I was happy to get the win last week versus East Carolina. We had a great crowd, great atmosphere, kids played really well, particularly in the first half. We have plenty of things to work on through our bye week. We'll spend most of this week focusing on ourselves and then a little bit later in the week and then obviously into next week focusing a little more on our next opponent.

Q. Jerod on Saturday obviously but also against Tennessee showed a knack for weaving among defenders as he runs. Did you notice that trait when you evaluated his junior college and high school tape?
JUSTIN FUENTE: Well, we feel like he was a good athlete and had some savvy when it came to running with the ball, some kind of natural running instincts. I mean, I certainly didn't anticipate the type of run that he had last Saturday. I mean, I'm not sure that we'll get many more of those duplicated through the rest of the season.

But we did feel like he had some skill, more than just being a big guy that could run a little bit. We feel like he did have a little bit of skill or natural instincts running the ball.

Q. And then have you been pleased with -- I know it's always a tough decision for a quarterback as to when to pull it down, when to wait on a receiver to perhaps finish a run or break open. Have you been pleased with his decision making there?
JUSTIN FUENTE: I have been. I think he's shown value of the football. He's done a good job of not forcing some throws when they weren't there. We still continue to develop in terms of our drop-back passing game. We're a little bit more of a play action passing team, but I have been pleased like I haven't been many times where I've felt like he's bailed on it too early. I think he's done a good job of trying to work through his progression, and then if nothing is there, trying to make something positive happen.

Q. Obviously you guys were effective with your pass rush last time out; what have you seen from that aspect of the game both in terms of defensive line rush and what Bud does with his blitz package?
JUSTIN FUENTE: Yeah, I've been pleased with our defensive line play as a whole. I just think we're getting some decent push on the inside. We're getting up the field a little bit on the edges. Obviously Ken Ekanem has been a good pass rusher here for the last several years, but those guys are playing pretty well right now. I'm excited about that and pleased with that. We've got to continue to develop the younger guys to give us some more depth.

And Bud is always going to find a way to pressure the quarterback, either through numbers or through scheme, and it's kind of been a trademark of his for some time. He's done a good job of that so far this year, too.

Q. One of those young guys is Trevon Hill. What have you seen from him and his development, and what do you like about his game?
JUSTIN FUENTE: He is a quicker athlete. My challenge to Trevon is to be a more consistent, be consistent, every-down player. I don't know that he's always done that in years past, and that's the thing that we're continuing to harp on him now is be a dependable, consistent guy that does what he's asked to do within the scheme as opposed to freelancing, but do what he's asked to do within the scheme on a consistent basis.

Q. Kind of along those same lines as pass rushing, you guys have talked about a lot of things you need to improve this week, but I'm wondering what are some of the things that you're happy with so far over these first four games? What are some of the steps that your team is making that you're really pleased to see?
JUSTIN FUENTE: Well, there's obviously been a dramatic difference between games 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 in terms of us taking care of the football. We've made some good strides there. That's going to be a constant battle, though, throughout the season, but I think we've certainly got their attention about the importance of that. I do like the way that we're playing in terms of preventing people from running the football and getting them behind the chains from our defense. We have made some big plays in the passing game. Offensively we've been fairly efficient there throwing the football.

And then special teams has improved. I think I'm hopeful, and we're going to need them as we move forward and get into the ACC play, we're going to need to improve there special teams wise, and I think we've made some good strides in the first four weeks.

Q. And nothing obviously against the opponents you've faced earlier this season, but considering you mentioned earlier just kind of the grind of going on a road a lot over the next five weeks or so and entering ACC play, is there kind of a sense around the team that you guys' biggest tests are yet to come, I guess?
JUSTIN FUENTE: Well, I think we certainly understand that, absolutely. I think we know that we've got a heck of a gauntlet here of eight straight weeks of football with a couple Thursday games mixed in there with some very competitive and challenging opponents, both home and on the road. Definitely we have a good feel of how the road ahead is going to be.

Q. Your quarterback has been praised for his demeanor and leadership. He's a guy who obviously has an ability to hurt defenses with both his arm and his legs. Offensively it's really something Hokie fans haven't seen in a while. What's one aspect of his game or makeup that we don't get to see every Saturday, something in practice or off the field that sets him apart from some of the other quarterbacks you've worked with in the past?
JUSTIN FUENTE: Well, Jerod has a great desire to play well. He also has a sense of knowing that he has room to improve. He is a very good listener. He will absolutely listen to what we're trying to teach and try and replicate that. But on a week-to-week basis, he spends as much time as anyone I've been around in the office digesting the game plan, going over the looks that he's going to see. He's very diligent in his preparation, and I think that's giving him a chance to play well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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