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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 29, 2010

Andre Smith

Q. Can you talk just a little bit about the confidence of the offense has right now, and particularly the confidence that you guys have in Tyrod leading the offense?
ANDRE SMITH: Well, again, Tyrod, his name speaks for himself, and the confidence that we have in him first and foremost, he's the utmost leader that we need. He's able to keep his composure throughout all situations, and he's just been a great leader for us throughout the time he's been here.
With that being said, as a whole, our confidence is high, but at the same time there's a lot of things that we still aren't getting done and being as effective as we possibly need to be. So we definitely have some confidence, but at the same time we still have a lot of work to do.

Q. Do you feel like you guys need to do even better as you approach this game?
ANDRE SMITH: Absolutely. FSU is a good team. They have great players and a good coaching staff over there, and we know we have to be on top of our game. Can't make simple mistakes and can't have turnovers and things like that. For us we've been in the process of trying to become the best team we can possibly become, especially on the offensive side of the ball as well as the defensive side of the ball. You asked about offensively, we just have to definitely execute in everything that we do.

Q. Statistically speaking this has probably been your best year at Virginia Tech. What's been your most enjoyable moment during your career as a Hokie?
ANDRE SMITH: My most enjoyable time I'd probably have to say last year against Maryland just because that was the first time I had scored at home, and it was in front of my hometown and it's against a school that I definitely passed up to go here. So at that point I'd have to say that was probably the biggest highlight I've had so far.

Q. I wanted to ask you about after the first two games, I guess the season could have gone a lot of different ways at that point, and I understand some of the players, some of the veterans called a meeting, a team meeting, a player meeting. Can you tell me a little bit about that meeting, what was said, and how that might have changed things for you guys?
ANDRE SMITH: It was huge. Yeah, we all got together, especially the veterans on the team called a team meeting, and we just realized that we weren't getting things done. We weren't on the same page. We weren't playing as a team. We weren't acting as a team, and that could obviously be shown throughout our process in those two losses that we began with.
But it was huge, and I definitely believe it was the biggest turnaround that we had all season to get everybody in there and make sure that the seniors stepped up and the veterans talked and made sure that everybody realized what we needed to do here.
And again, we go to Virginia Tech, and we're proud of what we've accomplished, but at the same time we started off rough and we weren't playing Virginia Tech football.

Q. Andre, I was going to ask, you've been part of two ACC Championships at Virginia Tech. Would a third championship this year mean more simply because of the circumstances of the rough start?
ANDRE SMITH: Absolutely. Again, you know, we started off rough, and here at Virginia Tech we're not used to that. It would definitely feel like a lot bigger than the previous two. Just to be able to win out and be doing so well after a rough start would just be great. You know, that would be great confidence for us and definitely a turnaround of the season.
They've all been enjoyable, but I think this one would definitely be the most enjoyable for sure.

Q. Florida State apparently has a much-improved defense this year. Have you had a chance to maybe see any of them on film yet, and if so, what sticks out about them for you?
ANDRE SMITH: Well, I haven't had much chance to actually observe them on film at this point, but I've checked out a few of the games. And again, Florida State speaks for themselves. They always have great athletes on that team and they're always a good team and always a solid team and always bring their "A" game.
For us, like I said before, we're just going to have to do our best to execute as efficiently as we can. But again, Florida State speaks for themselves and they definitely have some playmakers on their side.

Q. The last time you guys played them was two years ago. That was kind of a weird game, you were down to your third-string quarterback by the end of that game. What else do you remember about that day?
ANDRE SMITH: It was definitely a crazy game. Definitely pretty much nothing but mayhem. Tyrod went down and then I guess a few plays later Sean went down like you said and we were down to our third-string quarterback. It was a crazy environment, that's for sure, and again, I think that we did a good job of staying calm and being humbled by the situation, just trying to get the job done.
Unfortunately we came up short. At the same time, to be in a situation like that and still feel like we could have done better with just a little bit more time left was a good feeling.

Q. Andre, you and Tyrod seem to have developed kind of this knack for finding one another, especially down near the goal line this season. Can you talk about how that's evolved and how you've become a weapon down there?
ANDRE SMITH: Well, throughout the passing years we haven't had -- at least the tight end group hasn't had quite as many receptions, and I felt like that was mostly in part of the fact that we were called upon to do a lot of different things as far as trying to block and help out with the younger guys in different situations.
This year -- I know that Tyrod has always had the utmost confidence in us as a group and as a unit and me specifically, and luckily this year it's happened that I've been able to get more separation and we've been able to just hook up on a lot more plays. We've always been on the same page but just unfortunately haven't been able to hook up as many times as we have this year. But definitely it's been great to definitely become a weapon in the red zone, just be able to put up points for my team, and hopefully we continue to keep this thing going. But again, it's been great.

Q. So do you think kind of the improvement in development of the offensive line has helped you out in that you don't have to stay in and pass block as much as you can kind of release and get out into patterns?
ANDRE SMITH: Definitely, definitely. It's been a process for all of us individually and in groups and things like that, whether it's the tight ends, receivers, running backs, whoever. But definitely I'd have to say that all contributed to not having to stay in and be that extra blocker for sure.

Q. Andre, you guys I guess on paper, the argument could be made that you guys have kind of dominated the league since you got in it. But I think a number of you guys have a perception that ideally people would -- the two Florida schools would be the marquee programs, and you guys are actually 1 and 2 against Florida State since you joined the league. How do you guys kind of see that? Do you guys kind of feel like you're still like the unwelcome team in this thing?
ANDRE SMITH: I would have to say so. Just from my understandings of the history of us being in the ACC and things like that, we've always done fairly well and for the most part always been one of the top teams. But at the same time you made a key point in saying that the two Florida schools are definitely more key in thinking that they run, I guess, the ACC and things like that.
For us that's just a personal challenge. I don't think we mind whatsoever being the underdogs and being the ones not liked in this category of the ACC teams.
But again, I think that it still kind of continues, and I think it's just going to -- I don't know what it's going to take for us to try to develop ourselves and distinguish ourselves as one of the dominant teams in the ACC.

Q. Does it bother you guys that you've kind of fared poorly against Florida State?
ANDRE SMITH: Definitely. Definitely we had some crazy things happen like the last time we had a match-up against Florida State, as we were talking about, I was present in that game and things like that. Some unfortunate things for us happened. So you know, in different situations, who knows what would have happened.
Again, it's just like a personal challenge for us. It is a little -- it just motivates us, again, to get better and hopefully we can come out with a win this time.

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