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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 6, 2013Al GoldenAL GOLDEN: We're excited about the opportunity to host Virginia Tech in a Coastal match‑up, just as you said, and it's exciting for both programs, and obviously we're both in the hunt and it's a meaningful game in November. Without any further delay I'd just like to move forward with any questions that anybody has. Q. I wanted to ask you, when you look at Virginia Tech, their defensive front, their down linemen, what do you see from that group? Why have they been so effective? AL GOLDEN: Well, I think they're powerful, they're athletic, they work in concert with each other, and they pursue, and they're aggressive. I don't think there's any question about it. They missed Maddy and Hopkins. Those two collectively together, working together, no injuries, are powerful and strong. Gayle, Collins, Dadi Nicolas, and then the linebackers with Tyler leading the way, having a great season. I think had 74 tackles, and then Edwards‑‑ again, there's other guys that come in, but they're deep, they roll guys in, and very good unit. Q. They won three straight ACC games without turning the ball over and then they've turned it over four times in each of their last two. Do you see anything in those eight turnovers other than making mistakes? Is there something people are exploiting there? AL GOLDEN: No, it's the same issue that we had. You have to try to do whatever you can as a coach to try to resolve it. Certainly emphasize it in practice, just protecting the ball, maybe help quarterbacks make different decisions and things of that nature or changing the way you practice. But it's certainly, like ours were, self‑inflicted, unforced errors in a lot of ways. We went through the same span, so it's really important that we protect the ball this week. Q. Duke Johnson, did you finally get a chance to talk to him? I know you sent him a text, and in terms of his health and getting him back for the spring and what the doctors are telling you guys after the surgery? AL GOLDEN: Yeah, I don't really have the long‑term prognosis other than everything went well and I'm going to see him today. He's going to be back on campus either tomorrow night or Friday morning. Just trying to get him back, get him integrated back in with his academics and treatment and getting him in the weight room. Again, any more these days they just get the guys going with treatment and rehab and things of that nature. So he's doing well. He's at home, and I'll have a chance to visit with him later. Q. At running back moving forward, is Dallas going to be the workhorse back for you, or is it going to be more running back by committee? AL GOLDEN: Again, they're going to earn their reps in practice, but we're going to evaluate those guys every day in practice, and depending on what we're asking them to do, we're going to see all three of those running backs and probably all three by the end of the first quarter. I don't think there's any question that we'll see more of them, but certainly Dallas right now has been‑‑ he has been No.2, now he's No.1, and has demonstrated that he can carry the load. Again, a lot of it is going to depend on the play calling, what groupings are in there, and just the flow of the game. Q. A follow‑up to Manny, is there any hope that Duke might be back for a bowl game? AL GOLDEN:  I don't believe so. You know, I'd hate to comment on that without knowing for sure from a medical standpoint, but I don't believe so at this time. Q. My question kind of relates to some of the other ones about running backs. Is there any chance that Corn Elder will be switched from defensive back to running back or is it too late in the season to do that? AL GOLDEN: We made that decision with Walter Tucker a month ago that Walter would be the next running back if we need him. So Walter has the ability to play fullback or running back at 225 pounds, and obviously he's been playing a lot for us on special teams. That decision has already been made, and Corn will stay at corner. Q. Obviously Dallas had a really productive game when you guys played North Carolina. How do you characterize him as a running back? What are his attributes? How is he similar to or different from Duke Johnson? AL GOLDEN: Let me describe him first. Number one, he's got a low center of gravity and strength. He's currently 197 pounds, 198 pounds, so he's got big legs and low center of gravity. He does utilize a spin move occasionally. He does have an excellent lateral cut and the ability to stop and start. So again, some of those characteristics are the same as Randy. I would just say he's a little bit more powerful in terms of being able to drop his pads because of his leg strength. Those are the things that he does really well, and like Randy we can put him out, throw him a screen or line him up in the slot because he does catch the ball really well, as well. Q. I hate to ask you about Florida State, but obviously a lot of national debate about the top team with four BCS teams unbeaten. Florida State had big games with Clemson and handled them easily. They had the big game with you last week. Can you just comment about how strong a team they are, and could you conceive that there are two better teams in the country? AL GOLDEN: Again, I know you guys' job is to debate all that, and that's probably what creates the interest all year long. I think it's going to shake out. But it's hard to imagine that they're not the best team or certainly one of the top two or three teams in the country. Those two wins were very impressive. Just seeing them up close, they're deep at every position. They have very few weaknesses. They executed at a high level, and they have a quarterback that's playing as good as anybody in the country, and because of that, they certainly are staking a claim, or at least an argument, to be that. But like I said, it will all shake out in the end. Q. Speaking of shaking out in the end, I know your goal has got to be to win a division title, which would earn you another match‑up with them. After seeing them close up, I know you don't have to give me details, give away anything, but are there things you see that maybe give you hope that a rematch could be a different story? AL GOLDEN: Again, I'm not even‑‑ we don't even live in that world. Our world right now is going against a defense that has 28 sacks and keeping opponents to 29 percent on 3rd down and 4.1 yards a play and 16.9 points per game. I mean, trust me, that's the world we live in. And again, I don't want to own any quotes about a rematch or anything like that. You guys can speculate on that. But in terms of where our mentality is and what we've got to do, we're going to have our hands super full on Saturday night with a Virginia Tech team that obviously has been the benchmark here in the Coastal Division that's going to give us everything we can handle, so that's where our minds are right now. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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