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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 18, 2017

Paul Johnson

Greensboro, North Carolina

PAUL JOHNSON: Well, good morning. Certainly we're coming off a tough, physical game last Saturday, one that we were very disappointed in the outcome, and we got a chance to play what's a really impressive Wake Forest team. I've been really impressed watching them on tape. They have got good schemes, they are well-coached, and it's the first time that we have really watched them for a few years because they haven't been in our rotation. They are a really good football team.

Q. What is Benson's status for this week's game?
PAUL JOHNSON: We don't know right now. I think he's got a good chance to play but we'll know more by tomorrow but we're counting on it.

Q. How much did not having him in the fourth quarter impact what you were able to do on offense?
PAUL JOHNSON: It hurt a little bit. The weather hurt us more than that. We just didn't make plays like we needed to. There was two straight possessions where we slipped and fell on third down that hurt us, but you know, both teams were playing on the same field. It was wet. The field was not very good, and you have to learn to adapt. You have to bend your knees and play.

Q. Because of how the Tennessee and Miami games went, do you have to make sure your players don't get into the mindset that if it's a close game late they don't start thinking back to those games; that they are not going to be able to get a win in a close game?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, I don't know what their mindset is. Certainly, you have to talk about it and the best thing you can do is win the close games. In the past, we have won a few. You know, those things usually tend to balance out.

We didn't finish the game against Miami very well, and to their credit they made plays. I mean, the play their kid made on fourth down was pretty unbelievable, but he made it. So you have to give them credit.

Q. A little bit off-topic here, I'm doing a piece on the legacy players you have on your team. You have a lot of sons of former Yellow Jackets. What does that add to the program in the locker room and also the fan base?
PAUL JOHNSON: Probably more with the fan base than our locker room. I think most of our guys, we don't remember any of those guys playing here; they were too young.

But I think it gives them a sense of pride; that it's port of the family tradition to to go to school at Georgia Tech and play here. Certainly a lot of our fan base will remember when their dads played or uncles or family members.

Q. Probably a little bit of a recruiting advantage when you're recruiting somebody who is a legacy; is that the case?
PAUL JOHNSON: Sometimes. We've seen it work both ways. But overall, I think it should be a positive. Depends on the kind of experience that they had when they were here and what they are looking for for their kids. It certainly should hep and could help.

Q. Working on a story on Navy, and I wanted to know, when you left Hawai'i to go to Navy, why did you decide to reach out to Ivin Jasper, and what do you think of the job he's done coordinating the Navy offense for the past decade?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, Ivin played quarterback for me in Hawai'i and so did Kenny, they have all played quarterback for me through the years. Those guys that were getting into coaching, I usually brought them along as a graduate assistant and that's kind of what happened with Ivin.

But he's done a great job, no question about it. I think he had a tough job and he stepped up and he's been outstanding in what he's had to do there.

Q. How important is that to have a quarterback who has played in that offense before?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, I think it helps. But you know, I think Ivin would be a good coach no matter what offense that they are running. He's a smart guy. He can see things on the field and he relates well with kids, so I think he would be successful doing whatever he was doing.

Q. Sorry about the tough last last weekend at Miami. What do you have to do to get back on track?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, I think we've got to coach better and play better. That's the bottom line. We're not getting it done. We're not finishing the games. That's two games that we certainly had an opportunity to win.

You know, we're two points away from being 5-0. They don't let you do it over but there's so many things that we could have done better. We've got to dial in and focus and play because we're playing another really good team.

Wake Forest has got a lot of experience. Those kids have been together now for a couple years and they are playing well. They have got a good scheme. They are well-coached.

Q. Talk about Wake Forest's quarterback, Wolford. He might be playing or they might have the other guy. Just talk about both quarterbacks and what do you see on both of them?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, again, I think he's played a lot of football. He makes quick decisions. He's an elusive-type runner, and he knows their system, so he knows what they are trying to do.

The other kid's really loose. I was really impressed watching him play. He's hard to tackle. Got great quickness, good skills. So they have got two good quarterbacks.

Q. I know that you practiced against Wake's offense but they go about it so differently. Just wonder how difficult that is to prepare for because you may see both of them; one guy who is real experienced and can get things done and the other guy who makes plays with his legs.
PAUL JOHNSON: I don't know that you could say he just makes plays with his legs. He can throw the ball, too, and when you watch, they don't really change a lot of things when he plays. I think he's very capable of doing what they want to do.

You know, one has probably got a little more experience and the other one is very athletic. I don't think they have to totally change from what they do when they change quarterbacks. You know, one might be better at certain plays, but they are still going to run their system.

Q. When you watch them on film defensively, is there any personnel that particularly stand out for them?
PAUL JOHNSON: I think they played really good team defense. The guy who I think is a really good player is No. 14. I think he's a really good player. He's a defensive end -- I'm terrible with names. I guess I could look it up here.

But he's a really, really good player. He makes a lot of plays. I think the other defensive end is also a good player. Wendell Dunn is the guy I'm talking about, 14. I think 53, edge he for is a guy who has gotten a lot of accolades and he's a good player but 14 stands out to me and their two inside guys on the D-Line are solid. I think they play with good leverage and they play low, stay in their gaps and do good things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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