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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 11, 2013Paul ChrystCOACH CHRYST: We're certainly looking forward to getting back and playing Saturday. I thought we took advantage and had a productive bye week and was able to go with the normal week of preparation, getting ready for NewMexico. So we're excited to get back on the field though. It seems like a while since we've played. Q. Paul, on Monday, Matt Rotheram, one of your older offensive linemen kind of raved about the potential of the offensive line group. He seemed pretty excited about it. Do you share in a little bit of that excitement or optimism about the potential for that group and what they can become? COACH CHRYST: Yeah, I like that he feels good about it. I do think that we've got a chance to be good, but we've got to put that on tape. But, yeah, I feel, like you said, I think I like hearing most that Matt's excited about it, but we've got to go do it. But, yeah, I think we've got a chance to certainly be better than we were last year. Q. When your younger players or inexperienced linemen looked at the tape from the Florida State game, do you get a sense that they kind of absorbed what they did wrong and what they can improve on? COACH CHRYST: Yeah, I do.  I think certainly the younger guys, but I think everyone truly did take‑‑ had the right approach to looking at the tape. Everyone said this before, but I do believe it. I believe everyone's taken ownership of their role in it and the challenge for us and the opportunity is to go out and play better. Q. I know it's based on one game, but can you tell me about how you evaluate what Devin Street did in the opener against Florida State? COACH CHRYST: Yeah, certainly, like you said in the question, it is one game, but I thought Devin‑‑ I thought he did some really good things. We felt this all along that he's had a really good fall camp, and certainly for us if we're going to be successful, Devin's going to have to be a big part of that. But I thought that he did some good things and competed. I liked that as a starting point. I still think, and I think Devin would agree with me that he can still be better. There are some things that he can clean up. He's no different than anyone else. But I liked the way that he approached it and that he played and competed in the game. It's a good starting point and one that he can build on, but I thought it was a good starting point. Q. He had almost more than two‑thirds of your receiving yards. Can you talk about finding a second or third receiver to compliment him? COACH CHRYST: Absolutely. And I think we've got guys that are more than capable. Part of it was kind of where the ball was going and certainly not afraid to go to. We think Tyler Boyd played his first game, but we think that he's going to be‑‑ he is a good receiver and can be really special. I think we've the group of tight ends that we can get involved in the throwing game as well as a couple backs. But certainly, you know, you'd like to be a little bit more balanced. I liked our third receiver Kevin Witherspoon did some good things. He didn't get a catch, but he gave himself an opportunity for a throw should it come his way. So we certainly need and are going to lean on Devin, but we're going to need the rest of the group for sure. Q. What is the biggest area of improvement you're hoping as you go from game one to game two here? COACH CHRYST: Well, I think overall I think we've got to play more consistent. I thought we did some things against a very good team. Made it hard to give yourself a chance. So I think if you say just overall team, we've got to give ourselves a chance to have a chance better. I think certainly you look at either side of the ball. We've got to do a better job, you know, in situational football. Third down we didn't get off the field on defense and on offense we weren't nearly efficient enough, so we didn't keep drives alive. I think then can you go to each‑‑ I mean, there is a lot. Then you go to each individual. We've got a number of guys that have to tackle better on defense and make sure they're doing‑‑ football at some point is assignment football and everybody's got to do their job. There is enough stuff that we've been busy in practice. But at the same time, each guy just has to play within themselves. I think we've got enough talent that we can compete and win games. But we can't do it if we're getting in our own way. So we've all got to get better. Q. Paul, have you noticed your defense in its approach and its preparation this week maybe practicing with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder after giving up a bunch of points against Florida State? COACH CHRYST: I've liked the way they've practiced. I don't know if it's‑‑ I mean, certainly, and you know this group, there are some guys that have played enough games that you could say they're truly veterans. No one was pleased with the way it went. But also I think that's the way they'd approach it anyways. I haven't, you know ‑‑ they took it personal. Don't get me wrong. But at the same time, I've kind of liked their approach the whole time. Everyone saw where they can‑‑ you know, things they can each do individually that make us collectively better. I've liked the way they approached it this week. But I didn't feel like it was a relaxed and overconfident group and boy that happened and now we have to change who we are. Q. Where do you think that approach has come from? Is it something that's developed over the past several months? COACH CHRYST: You hope and I hope I'm seeing it right. But I think you look at probably is our best player on defense, Aaron Donald, and that is the way he approaches it. I think that's the way, certainly since I've been here, that's how he's approached it. I think that is the make‑up. I thought Shane Gordon, if you say okay, linebacker, and Shane Gordon and Anthony Gonzalez, two guys that have been around for a little bit and certainly Shane has more experience. But I've never felt like they ever came out of the practice field and didn't attack the day in the back end. You could say the same for Jason and Ray and our corners work. I don't know. I think I've seen it the right way. I don't know. You'd have to ask them where they've drawn on that, but I liked it. Q. Coach, you had a quarterback that hadn't been in a game situation for two years, Tom Savage. I just wonder after you've broken down the tape and everything, how you evaluated his performance and where he needs to go from here? COACH CHRYST: I thought Tom did some good things, and certainly some throws that he'd want back or decisions in the reads that he'd probably do differently. But at the same time I loved his demeanor, his approach on game day. When you look at the film, I loved a lot of the things he did. So there is plenty to build on. Yet, you could say the same thing. There was plenty for him to have a reason to come out to practice and needed the bye week and needed this week. So probably very similar to a lot ‑‑ you could make this statement with a lot of our guys, some good stuff in that first game that we can build on, and you want that to be who they are and plenty of areas where we can get better that's kind of how I felt after the game, and I think the tape reinforced that, and I think that Tommy would be in complete agreement there. He's probably no different than the rest of our team. Q. The other guy I wanted to ask about, your punter Matt. Is it Yoklic? COACH CHRYST: Yoklic, yeah. Q. 54.3 yards on three points. I mean, is that typical for him? COACH CHRYST: Well, that's a pretty good day for any punter, but escapable of that. I think‑‑ I thought he was a good force last year, and I think he can be a very good punter, and he is and can be. Obviously, you've got to do it. That is the great thing about sports is you've got to do it each and every time, but, yeah. I don't think that was some outer‑body experience. I think that he's capable of being very good. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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