	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 29, 2010

Tyrod Taylor

Q. You probably have begun to look at Florida State's defense on film, and they're much improved over last year. I just wonder what you've seen of them on film, what kind of problems in particular you think they might cause?
TYROD TAYLOR: Their front four is playing pretty good. I know the two outside guys, the two rushers are playing at a very high level, going to have to keep my eyes out for those guys. And as far as the secondary, just fast. Just got to do a good job in one-on-one situations.

Q. How many times have you faced them in your career?
TYROD TAYLOR: Twice. Well, actually once. The second time I played them I got hurt the first play of the game.

Q. How much better -- how much have you improved since the last time that you saw them?
TYROD TAYLOR: Last time I played against them was my freshman year, so of course I've played pretty well since then and have increased my game, and I think gotten better in all levels of my game.

Q. You said a couple weeks ago that you think everybody kind of expects Miami and Florida to play for the championship all the time?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes.

Q. What kind of pleasure do you guys take in continuing to get back to this game and to kind of dominate the ACC the way you have?
TYROD TAYLOR: It feels good to be a part of the program that has been in the ACC Championship and has been on top for a number of years. We take pride in it. Each year it's our goal to get to this game and eventually win the game. Like I said, it's a goal of ours every year, so we take pride in winning this game. So we're looking forward to this weekend and very excited to go out and practice.

Q. Do you kind of feel like you're almost unwelcome at this game just because people don't expect you to be there every year?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes. Like I said, I think everyone counts us out for this game. But we just use it as motivation. As a team and as a coaching staff, we use it as motivation to go out there and win games throughout the year.

Q. And how aware are you guys of the fact that you're 1 and 2 against Florida State in the ACC? Probably the only team in the conference you don't have a winning record against.
TYROD TAYLOR: I don't really look at past records of different games because we have different teams that play against different squads. But with that stat, of course we want to turn it around and get a win against them this year.

Q. I know you guys have sort of been on this quest to get back the respect, I guess, that you probably lost nationally when you started out 0 and 2 and lost to JMU. Is this match-up the best possible match-up for that in terms of a chance to make another statement, that the way you guys started was sort of an aberration and that you guys are a really good team, to play that name team like Florida State that was on top of this league for so many years? Is this kind of the ideal match-up for you guys?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes, I think so. Going into the season some people had picked us to play for this game, and of course with us losing the first two games a lot of people counted us out. We fought back hard every game and worked towards our goal, and I think this is the perfect situation for us to go out there and showcase the talent we have on this team.

Q. And also, what do you remember about that freshman year and what do you remember in particular about that 3rd and 31 play. Was that just pure primal fear instincts, running for your life?
TYROD TAYLOR: It was just going out there and making a play. Actually it was just trying to get us better field position to punt. I just finished some plays on the ground, got us a chance to get up field and make a couple cuts and made some guys miss, and it just turned into a good play. Just tried to keep the play alive.

Q. Can you talk about the morale that was in the locker room after that loss to James Madison and the turnaround that your team has had since that loss?
TYROD TAYLOR: After the game the seniors did a good job of motivating everybody, just trying to talk to them and let them know that we have to turn things around and said don't hold your head up by the last two games, and we still had goals to reach which, was the ACC Championship, and that we needed to start working with that -- with coming out and beating ECU, and we did that, and got to Boston College and had a big win and just tried to keep the energy flowing and just the positive vibe going in the locker room.

Q. And to kind of continue on with a question earlier, is there anything specific you're doing to prepare to find weaknesses in Florida State's secondary?
TYROD TAYLOR: Just winning in one-on-one situations. That's the way we -- we practice against a group of corners that are the top in the nation, I believe, and of course, my confidence level going out there and challenging those guys every day will prepare us this week for the one-on-one situations that we need to win in.

Q. The 2008 game down there, like you said, you got hurt early in that game. I'm trying to recall, my memory is not what it used to be, but I think it was an ankle?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes, sir.

Q. Is that the only game? I mean, you've been rock solid, nobody could take you out. Is that the only game you've been knocked out of in a long, long time?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes. Of course early on in the game, like I said, I got hurt on the first play so that was the only injury that knocked me out for the remainder of the game. I've gotten injured before in games but that was the only one that happened so early that I couldn't go back out there.

Q. And how disappointing and how crazy was it that Sean came in and he got hurt and y'all wound up with Cory Holt quarterbacking at the end?
TYROD TAYLOR: I was disappointed because I love to go out there and compete and I knew it was a good defense and I wanted to be a part of that game.

Q. Bobby Bowden, I know he recruited you, correct?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes, sir.

Q. Did you ever seriously consider Florida State at all?
TYROD TAYLOR: No, that wasn't in my top five.

Q. I was going to ask, given the -- you guys have won two ACC Championships since you've been there, but given the start this year, would winning a third one this year maybe mean more than the first two have?
TYROD TAYLOR: Yes, I think so because, like you said, the first one I split time in. Second one I played the whole game and won that game -- not me myself, but as a team we won that game. But for me as a starter at this point in my career, I think this one would mean the most to me.

Q. You mentioned the progress that you've made since the last time you played these guys, and every coach I've talked to has said you've gotten better this year. Is there a specific part of your game, though, that you feel like you've made the most progress in?
TYROD TAYLOR: Being able to go out there and win the game throwing the football. I think early on the passing game wasn't as good as we would like in my career. But we've set that up and built off that and gotten better in the passing game, and I think that right now we can go out there and win games, as I said. Of course, our running game that we have has opened up things for the passing game.

Q. What do you think has been the biggest obstacle for you to overcome in your career, has it been tweaking the passing game or something different?
TYROD TAYLOR: I would say it's the passing game, just something that we wanted to work towards getting better, being able to rely on the passing game, and we've done that now.

Q. You talked a little bit about the meeting that you had after the second loss, but I'm wondering if there was a turning point in a game this year. I don't know if it was ECU or Boston College or a game where you saw things turn for you guys and it got your confidence back.
TYROD TAYLOR: Of course, winning the first game to start the season, which was ECU to start our season, our winning streak was a big turning point. But being on the road and going down like we did at North Carolina State and bouncing back and fighting to win that game I think was a turning point for the offense as far as a confidence booster, also.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297