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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 30, 2009

Derrick Morgan

LINDSEY ROGERS: Next we are joined by Derrick Morgan, junior defensive end from Georgia Tech. Derrick, thank you for joining us.
DERRICK MORGAN: Hello.
LINDSEY ROGERS: Derrick is currently leading the conference with 12.5 sacks this season, and now we'll open the line for questions for Derrick.

Q. I just wanted to ask you just what you remember about that game in Atlanta. Seemed like you had a lot of success against Clemson's offensive line. Do you remember what you thought worked for you that night?
DERRICK MORGAN: Really just had a better opportunity to get some one-on-ones with the tackles, and I think it was a whole group effort as far as the whole defensive line stepping up and carrying our weight. I think that's what led to a great deal of my success that night.

Q. Did you notice a big difference the second half, especially after they moved Chris Hairston over against you? They seemed to make a real effort to stop you by moving him over there.
DERRICK MORGAN: I mean, I was playing hard the whole game, so I mean, I know I didn't get no sacks the second half, but just trying to stay focused on what I had to do. Really wasn't worried about who was lined up against me.

Q. Can you please tell me, what are the advantages and disadvantages in playing a team for a second time in a season?
DERRICK MORGAN: Well, disadvantages are they kind of know your tendencies. They've got tape of -- they've got previous tape of you from the first game, and they kind of have a better idea of what you're going to do on both sides of the ball as well as special teams.
But advantages is the same goes for us. We kind of know what they're doing, got their tendencies from the first game. So just kind of being more familiar with the opponent.

Q. You mentioned -- can you talk a little bit about facing C.J. Spiller. What stands out to you as a lineman? Obviously a lot of times you're going after the quarterback, but what do you see in him, because he can do so many things obviously, beat you so many ways? What's the key to stopping him in your opinion? What's it like to face him?
DERRICK MORGAN: It's kind of hard to stop a guy of his caliber, but you know, the biggest thing is just to try to contain him. From the game against South Carolina, he's so elusive as a player, it's hard to stop him. You've just got to try to contain him the best you can.

Q. On a different subject, how do you expect the team to bounce back from the loss on Saturday night? Obviously this is a game that can send you to a BCS Bowl, probably the Orange Bowl, if you win, but I'm sure that that loss Saturday is still on people's minds. How do you get over that?
DERRICK MORGAN: Yeah, like you said, it's a real tough loss. But our number one goal this season is to win the ACC Championship. Losing to Georgia was definitely not a fun thing to do, but I think guys are really focused on the goal at hand and just trying to get back out there today and make the necessary adjustments and come back and go out there and compete for a ring on Saturday.

Q. Can you kind of put in perspective what winning the ACC would mean for Georgia Tech.
DERRICK MORGAN: I mean, it would mean a great deal. First off, for our fans. They're kind of down right now as far as the loss to Georgia. But for us, in-house, we worked so hard this off-season and the previous two years to get to this point, and the opportunity is right in front of us. It would mean a great deal to everybody associated with this program, the whole Georgia Tech family. It would mean a great deal.

Q. I know it's just your third year there, but it's been since 1990 since Georgia Tech has won the ACC.
DERRICK MORGAN: Yeah, it's been a while, so it would cap off a special year here at Georgia Tech for us to go home with the ACC Championship. I know everybody is really -- the mindset is towards getting that ring, so everybody is real focused on bringing it home to Tech, and we're going to be working hard this whole week and just forgetting about the last game and moving onto the next one.

Q. Coach Johnson has talked a lot about the defensive line over there at Clemson. As a fellow defensive end, what is it about those guys that most impresses you? What are some of those intangibles that those guys have?
DERRICK MORGAN: Those are guys that just play with a lot of effort. They fly to the ball every snap, got a lot of talent with Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers just from watching them all season. Those are guys with a lot of talent and really relentless when it comes to chasing the ball down. They've got a pretty good group of defensive linemen over there.

Q. Are there any similarities to Georgia, for instance, or any other lines that you guys have played this year?
DERRICK MORGAN: Say that one more time?

Q. Are there any similarities between them and say Georgia or any of the other lines that you guys have played this year?
DERRICK MORGAN: I don't think so. I think every line we've faced is kind of unique in their own respect. But really it would probably be hard to try to draw comparisons to Georgia and Clemson's offensive lines.

Q. Are you surprised that y'all have gotten to the ACC Championship game in just two seasons under Coach Johnson? Has it happened quicker than you thought?
DERRICK MORGAN: I don't think so. We had counted on getting there last year. We weren't trying to go through any growing pains or nothing of that sort, so it was kind of overdue in our books. But we had that opportunity before. This is what we worked for the last couple seasons and the off-season. It's there before us, we've just got to go out and get it.
LINDSEY ROGERS: Derrick, thank you for joining us for today's call. Best of luck down in Tampa.
DERRICK MORGAN: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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