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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 10, 2019

Antonio Shelton

University Park, Pennsylvania

Q. Just looking back on Saturday, post-halftime, the way the team responded, especially on offense with Sean Clifford, did that prove something to you about this program, considering how many first-year contributors are on the field this year?
ANTONIO SHELTON: It wasn't anything that I was surprised about. You know, just going against the offense every day in camp, and working out with everybody in the summer, it wasn't something that was like completely unexpected or anything like that. I just think in that first half, we just didn't play up to the standard that we set for ourselves on both sides of the ball.

I think second half, we just came in, like we calmed down and went out there and did what we were supposed to do.

Q. James had mentioned the stress of you guys wanting to be better on third down as a defense. How much have you guys emphasized that in practice this week, and I guess continuing on with practice this week, how much is that going to factor into what you guys are preparing?
ANTONIO SHELTON: A big part of getting off the field on third down is how you play on first and second.

So when the offense is in a more manageable situation, like third and three, third and four, they usually stick to their bread and butter plays, which is plays that they run most often, which most of the time is running the ball.

Fell like we just have to play a little bit better on first and second down so the quarterbacks, when the offensive coordinators are a little bit more uncomfortable, you know, they might have to mold the ball a little longer. Gives the secondary more time to cover. Gives us more time to get there.

Q. After the game on Saturday, I asked about PJ Mustipher, and he called him a "coach's dream." What have you seen that maybe fits that description and additionally, how has he pushed you and what kind of leadership qualities has he shown as a sophomore?
ANTONIO SHELTON: You know, the jump that P has taken from last year to this year, is like really cool to see. Because first of all, it's very hard to play as a true freshman, as a defensive tackle at this school and in this conference.

So I think what P is he took his work ethic to a whole other level in the summer and the spring. I think that's what Coach means on that. His effort is consistent. He's going to play a hundred miles an hour from the snap to the whistle. He's very physical.

He's always willing to learn. He gels very well with everybody else. He's like a really big like jolly type of dude. He's like Santa Claus. You'll hear him before you see him. He'll just come in the room yelling, way to go, PJ

He's a great guy. I'll really glad I'm able to play with him. And far as him like pushing me, he push me to be, you know, the best player that I can be this camp just because the competition in the room, we always talk about it, is incredible. It's like at any point, anybody can get replaced and it's not -- the thing that I think with our defensive line is there's not really like a two-deep. It's like 1A, 1B. Anybody at any time could come in and make a play. So I think PJ adds a really big piece to that.

Q. When you guys go through the process of making substitutions, making adjustments, rather, on the sideline, can you take us through that process? What are you guys telling coach Spencer? What are you maybe telling that guy who is the 1B going in there, how does that kind of information flow work between series?
ANTONIO SHELTON: Well, we'll come out and most of the time guys will be like, all right, how are they playing, because what you've seen on film, especially earlier in the season, might not be exactly what's going on out there. So it's like, well, what type of guy is he, how is he setting, what's his hand placement like, things like that.

When it comes to telling Coach Spence, this is how they are blocking this play, maybe this might work because they are doing this, they are not doing what they showed on film, most of the time the coaches will have questions, like if a play got out, like what happened on the back side of this, or did somebody not do this, did we got -- it's just real basic communication.

Q. You watched a lot of film and talk to a lot of coaches and get prepared; how long does it take to realize what you're looking at on the field?
ANTONIO SHELTON: That's a pretty good question. You're really not going to get too many plays out of too many different people, like most offenses, pretty much follow -- not follow, but you're only going to get a certain amount of plays but it's just a matter of recognizing like what formation equals what.

Everybody has a tell. It's just trying to find it, like pre snap reads, things like that. If an O-lineman is lighter on his hands, it's probably a pass. Or if he's looking one way, you're probably getting a certain type of block.

Usually for me, start watching film on Mondays, just because Sunday we do game corrections from the previous Saturday. So on Monday, probably by about Thursday, I'll have a really good grasp of what's going on.

Q. How does the game -- how does it help you prepare for a team like pit where over the past couple years has been a big rushing attack team?
ANTONIO SHELTON: I mean, playing in the Big Ten East, you're used to people running the ball. You play teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and we played Wisconsin last year. Like that's all they do is run the ball. I think that it definitely helped us out in the sense that, you know, just kind of knowing what to expect a little bit more. The level of competition was raised a little bit.

So it's kind of like, okay, I guess now it's really time to like -- it's time to play football now, like real football now, you know what I mean.

Q. Maybe I'm taking this out of context, but you Tweeted after the game Saturday -- (audio break) --
ANTONIO SHELTON: -- and as if he's not an adult, a young man who has dedicated his life to this. It's like, you can't tell me how to play football, you know what I mean. Those are the type of things I was trying to say. Don't be disrespectful. Like you think we come out here in this stadium and we're like, hey, let's lose today.

Like we practiced all week, watched all this film and did all this studying on these people and put in all this work during summer and during camp -- let's just go out here and lose, we don't care about the trophy, you know what I mean. It's just kind of weird.

That same dude might have been out here in the south tunnel after the game looking for an autograph for his kid or a picture for him. It's kind of weird. It's like, please come out here, be respectful to us. We appreciate the support, but the disrespect and all that type of stuff is just not needed.

Q. When Coach Franklin mentioned that you changed signals when John Petrishen left, how long does that take and have you ever had to do that before?
ANTONIO SHELTON: It's probably going to be a little bit of an adjustment, but that's just make sure everybody gets used to it. It shouldn't be -- not too crazy, as long as everybody's locked in on it.

Q. Do you have any kind of interest in the historical significance between Penn State and Pitt? Do you or your teammates even look at something like that? How does the coaching staff relay that to you?
ANTONIO SHELTON: I'm not from here, so I don't really know. I mean, it's cool. An in-state game like this is cool.

What we tried to just do approach everything the same way. It's one game at a time. Our goal is to be 1-0 at the end of the game on Saturday. Some people will make this game a bigger deal than what it is.

Not to say that we're taking Pitt lightly at all -- we treat every opponent the same. We treat Buffalo like we did I'd low. We're to go to treat Pitt like we did Buffalo. We treat everybody the same way. Our process doesn't deviate because once you do that, you start making mistakes and in this era of college football, you can't afford to make mistakes new want to win.

So yeah, me, I'm from Ohio, so I don't really know too much about the history, I guess you could say.

Q. What challenges does Pitt offense present to your defense?
ANTONIO SHELTON: Well, I think they are a very sound offensive line. They are very well-coached. They have a new offensive coordinator this year -- the offensive line, as well, but I feel like they have good leadership at their center who is the oldest guy on the line. They are going to run the ball and run the ball well, how they usually do.

They are going to try to dominate us between the tackles and that's just something that we're going to have to prepare for and hopefully shut down.

Q. What did you see out of Caedan Wallace preseason? I know probably not going up against him a lot -- but to come up against him with that size and sort of thing what does he bring to the table?
ANTONIO SHELTON: So funny story about Caedan. Anybody in here familiar with Pokemon at all? So y'all remember -- (indiscernible) -- like the big turtle with the cannons coming out his back? That's what Caedan is built like -- and I tell him that, he's just like all back, you know what I mean. So he's a young guy. He makes young guy mistakes but he's willing to learn from those mistakes and he's willing to take coaching and he works really hard. So I feel like Caedan's future is very bright, as long as he sticks to the formula.

Q. Can you come here every week?
ANTONIO SHELTON: (Laughter) y'all got to talk to KP about that. I don't mind. I don't mind.

Q. Just following up on what Josh had asked you, are you guys encouraged not to get into debates with the fans in the stands? I'm sure it's difficult to turn the other cheek, but what is the protocol in that? Because I can't remember that's a debate that you're going to win.
ANTONIO SHELTON: Yeah, just like you said, it's a debate we're probably just not going to win. It's not really like a huge deal. It's just every now and again, you catch somebody -- you're going to have somebody saying something that's disrespectful. But at the end of the day, we've got a game to play so it's like, well, if they said that, that's how they feel.

Now they are sitting down and it's second down now, so it's like, whatever. Playing any sport, it's just something that you have to deal with, like especially a place like Iowa -- all right, so if this is where the bench is, the banner is where their bleachers start.

So it's like, they can hear -- like you can hear these people. Or you can turn around and be like, "Yo, what's up." Like immediately have a personal conversation with these people. It's something that you just learn to deal with.

I don't know why it struck such a nerve with me on Saturday. It just did. I don't know why.

Q. The disco ball in the locker room, how did that start? Do you have any idea who started it and what's the response been?
ANTONIO SHELTON: We walked in there on Saturday, for the Idaho game and it was just there. I was like, oh. It's kind of like every year now, something is added to the locker room. Coach Franklin has TVs in there and Friday at the hotel he puts up two words that kind of like describe the program or just like words that he thinks it's important that we focus on.

So the words will be up there. That was new. And then last year, we got like 1-0 on the door, like coming out, which is cool, as well. I just walked in there and I'm like, oh, we got lights in here, like really trying to kick it after we win. It's like, cool, turn the music on. It messed me up because when we came in and the music was on, the light weren't on and I'm like what's going on -- and everybody saw the video and turn the music back on -- you know what I mean, it was cool.

Q. You had a firm grasp of who the quarterback is going to be for Pitt with Pickett, and last week you had a first-time starter, not much tape available and Idaho, you had two quarterbacks. How does it compare, facing a guy you have a lot of film on, and what do you see from Pickett that presents some problems or issues.
ANTONIO SHELTON: Having more film on anybody that you play -- it just helps because you know their tendencies, what they are going to do against pressure. Little tendencies, like when he does this. It's really simple football stuff, you know, that you can pick up on on film that you have on somebody; the easier it is to, you know, play full speed and just trust your keys.

Q. You mentioned not growing up and not being around the Penn State match-up from an historical standpoint, but being around the program the last couple years, how would you describe the atmosphere around Heinz Field and has it lived up to the expectation?
ANTONIO SHELTON: It's always a great atmosphere. People in the State of Pennsylvania care about football, which it's always cool to play in a pro stadium, like, oh, this is kind of tight.

I mean, nothing compares to Beaver Stadium because of the sheer size and magnitude, but it's always cool to play in a pro stadium, especially when it's like extremely loud like how it's been in previous years; the scenery in Pittsburgh is cool because you're right there on the water, things like that. It's a cool game to always play in.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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