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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON v FLORIDA STATEDecember 30, 2014P.J. WilliamsPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q.  Oregon is obviously one of these offenses everyone has tried to figure out but nobody has been able to get a handle. What do you guys see? PJ WILLIAMS: I just know they have got a very explosive offense. They move fast and they have got different speeds that they go at and that's very hard to stop. Plus, having Mariota on their team that can throw and run real good, so we just have to be a team‑‑ be able to run with all the speed that it have and be able to compete. Q. Is Mariota like anyone you've seen on film Oregon against? PJ WILLIAMS: I'm not sure. I think I would compare to quite a few people but he's a different quarterback because all those guys haven't won Heisman. Q. Two interceptions that he's thrown, what do you see that leads to that? Is it accuracy, decision making? PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely has to do with some accuracy and some good decision making. I watch film and I've seen a few people dropping some interceptions against him, too. But he definitely doing really good and he's a great passer. Q. Is that a challenge for the secondary, six interceptions in two years‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, we definitely are looking to make some plays. As long as we do what we can do‑‑ he definitely can squeeze some passes in some tight places and we're looking to come up with. Q. What are your thoughts on Oregon wide receivers, pretty deep, a lot of guys that can make plays. What are your thoughts? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, they are definitely really good receiver route. We watched them on film and they make a whole lot of plays for him. They keep it going. They stay running around the field when he's rolling out and extending plays for him, I think there's some really good receivers, some fast and smart receivers that definitely has made a lot of plays for him. Q. On their touchdowns, they are running free. Is that a scheme thing or a thing they just do? PJ WILLIAMS: It may be a scheme thing, I'm not really sure. I know they can beat their guys, especially like running deep with all the speed they have. So it's just I guess it's just something they have got going on that is hard to stop. Q. People that raved about Rashad Greene's route running, what do you see about his ability? PJ WILLIAMS: We go against each other all the time. He has some great routes, some crisp routes, and you can tell he's been doing it for a long time because he breaks them off at the right time. He knows when to fake it‑‑ he's quick up the line and knows how to get out of a jam because we do it all the time. So he gets a lot of work at it. He doesn't have much problem with that and he's just a competitor. He knows how to get open. Q. Oregon has a fast tempo, trying to get the ball quick, get plays off. How much of a challenge is there for you guys as a defense and have you seen another team try to go as fast? PJ WILLIAMS: It's definitely a big challenge when someone is going fast like that the whole game, and just do it like that and know their plays as much, and especially with them having some time off to be able to get more plays and stuff like that. But it's definitely a challenge, and we are looking to match it because we have been working on it all throughout our Bowl practice and we definitely are looking to be able to stop. Q. Preparing for tempo‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Just a whole lot of running, getting back to the ball, and just competing. Q. More tempo at times‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: I definitely think Clemson runs similar. But I think it might be a little bit more with Oregon because I think they have some different speeds that they can go at. Q. What's the challenge of having won 29 in a row? PJ WILLIAMS: It's not‑‑ I won't look at it as a challenge because I feel like with our program, it's like what we do and that's what we work towards. So as long as we do what we got to do, we know we're going to win. That's really‑‑ we feel like that's what we do is win. Q. Do you guys, so many people talk about the offense having Jameis. As a defense, what is it in the games that really picks you up? Is it knowing that Jameis can go out there and make that play? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, definitely, definitely. We all know any time that our offense can take off, even if they start slower or if we start slow. We know the other will pick up, so we all stay playing hard because even if we down 21, we know we can still win the game or we know we are capable of playing much better than that. Q. Is there a point you looked at the scored board and thought, we have to stop doing this? PJ WILLIAMS: All the time. All the time. We don't like putting ourselves in that position so whenever it happens, we're like, man, we can't do this. This probably won't work all down the line. Q. But is it also‑‑ as a team, do you guys just kind of own that identity now of that's who you guys are this season? PJ WILLIAMS: No, not at all. We just know we're a team that can comeback if we have to. So just us being able to make plays that we have to, we just look at ourselves as a team that's going to do anything to win. Q. What do you think of Oregon's receivers when you see them on film? PJ WILLIAMS: There's some really good receivers. They are quick, fast, run good routes, and definitely make a whole lot of plays for Mariota. Q. Last year Tyler was injured. What do you remember from him last year at this time? How tough was it for him going through all that? PJ WILLIAMS: It was a lot for him because he definitely wanted to play. He was one of the players that definitely had a big role on our team and could end up ending the season. But he was definitely good for us. He helped coach. He made sure we all knew what we had to do and he gave us a few tips during the game and stuff like that. So he was always in the game. He was excited and I know he's ready to play this year. Q. What has it meant for you guys to have him back this year? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, it's a lot, man, because he's a really good player and he's a smart player. He know defense more than anybody and he helps‑‑ he makes players better around him. Q. Does it bother you at all that people call this game good versus evil? PJ WILLIAMS: Not at all. I think our team blocks stuff like that out so we are not really worried about it. Q. Louisville, 21‑0, that was the biggest deficit you faced and came back and won. Is there a point during the game‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely, definitely, when we're down like that, that's when we definitely know we have to play harder and we're like, man, we can't do this, we can't lose. So we definitely play harder and make sure we execute and make sure we do what we've got to do to come back. Q. In regards to those comebacks, do you feel like some teams let off the gas pedal against you guys? PJ WILLIAMS: Not at all. Maybe the fourth quarter when it's about two minutes left and we up ten and stuff like that. But not at all. We play hard and a lot of people don't expect us to come back from big deficits like that. But we know we can and it ends up happening every time. Q. What's it like when that momentum starts to turn? Do you sense the other team getting scared and the other team panicking? PJ WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so. I don't think they getting scared. It's just we go to rows (ph) and we go to execute like we supposed to and running our plays right, then it's hard to stop us. Q. You lost a lot of guys off last year's team and you're going to lose another round of guys this year. What makes you think that the core guys coming back next year, that newcomers can keep this thing going? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, definitely, this school been recruiting real good. Man, we got some of the best players in high school coming in, plus the players, the young players that we have, they definitely got to be ready to play and practice all the time on scout team and just running with the twos and the threes. We know they are definitely ready and got some big guys and fast guys. Q. How about the leadership part of it, is that the toughest part when you transition from year‑to‑year? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, that's always the toughest part, making sure you have leaders and everybody on the same page that's going to help make your team good and help players around you be good and do things that you're supposed to do on and off the field. Q. Is the biggest thing that Coach Fisher has done‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, definitely, that's something that really emphasized in the off‑season, spring practices and the summer making sure you find leaders and players that's going help make your team be the best. Q. Early in the year, a lot of big plays‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Most of it is just execution, not executing our players right or someone not using good technique or just something that we haven't seen and just someone just messing up or something like that. Q. How surprising, after last year and you guys shut everybody down‑‑ what did you do to get that corrected? And how surprising was that‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: It's just us coming in and making sure we executing our plays because a lot of times, we just come in and not doing our job or something like that and other players not as focused be coming in. It's not really a surprise for us. First couple games, we was like, we can't do this or whatever. But as the season went on, we know as long as we get the win, we'll be good, but we've got to definitely play hard. Q. As a follow‑up to that, what are you doing to keep that from happening against Oregon, because Oregon has been famous for getting receivers wide open all year long? PJ WILLIAMS: Just making sure we're conditioned and making sure we're executing our plays right and going over them over and over again, as fast as we can and stuff like that. So just doing our job, everybody practicing hard and studying plays. Q. The quarterback, how has he helped prepare you? PJ WILLIAMS: He's been doing a great job. He's a very fast player. He definitely can throw the ball. He's definitely been good for us in practice. Q. Yesterday he mentioned that he watched you guys go from thinking about it to not reacting. Respond to that‑‑ where do you all see yourself right now in the scheme of things? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, definitely, he makes us react more because we know he's fast, if anything, if we react late, he's going to it downfield for like 30 yards. It's just us being able to react faster, like if he's rolling out, we've got to make sure we stay with our man and then the linemen got to make sure they run to the ball and every time he passes the ball, everybody running to the ball. Q. Is it more about reaction or more about just straight discipline? You talk about stay in your gap, stay focused, and not fall for it, he's running out, I've got to chase. Is it more about reacting or has the time off made it about, you've got to do what you're supposed to do? PJ WILLIAMS: It's definitely both. It goes both ways. Like with pass plays you definitely have to keep your gaps and whoever is covering got to stay on their man and them running read options and option plays, we definitely got to react fast and run to the ball. Q. Is it comparable to playing almost Georgia Tech where you have apples and oranges offense, but you have to stay in one spot. Is it really focusing on doing your assignment and not worrying about anything else that's going on? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, it's always like that with almost every team. But I wouldn't compare them to Georgia Tech. Q. At some point over the last couple years, Oregon has been labeled as a soft team. Do you see any indication on film? PJ WILLIAMS: I wouldn't say they are a soft team. They are a good team and they work hard and, shoot, they are the No. 2 team in the country. Q. When you play man‑to‑man defense in the secondary, if the quarterback break is contained, that creates big running lanes and a guy like Mariota can take it the whole way. How do you balance that challenge of, hey, I need to cover my guy but I also need to keep an eye on the quarterback at some point? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, it's definitely tough. We just got to trust in our men up front and our linebackers and our defense tacklers and defensive ends and just make sure we cover as long as we can and then if we do happen to see them running, just run to the ball as fast as we can and try to make a play. Q. What's the most comparable explosive quarterback you've seen in your career? PJ WILLIAMS: Jameis Winston, going against him all the time. Q. When you're going against him in practice, what does that teach you, dealing with a quarterback who has got that sort of explosive running ability? PJ WILLIAMS: Just knowing that they can run it every time, them being able to make plays, different kind of plays that any quarterback can make just running down, looking downfield and can throw it or run it at the same time, so it's a difficult task. But you've definitely got to work hard to be able to stop. Q. Alabama, they lose ten guys to the NFL every year, yet there's guys waiting in the wings to replace them. Is this program built the same way right now do you think? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, I definitely think it's built the same way. We got great guys every year. We got players there's going to step up and explode on the scene that everyone doesn't know about and then we're definitely recruiting real good. We got some great high school players that's going to come in next year and definitely play a big role. Q. Who are the guys that are ready to explode next year? PJ WILLIAMS: You going to have to see next year. You're going to learn during spring practice. Q. For the secondary, what are the keys to trying to stop Marcus Mariota? PJ WILLIAMS: Just for the secondary, we just got to make sure we're covering, we're covering the best we can; and if we're in zone, all eyes are on the quarterback and playing our zone right. But for the secondary, that is not much we can do but be able to cover, and for the front, we've got to make sure they are getting pressure on the quarterback and keeping their gaps and stuff like that. Q. Is there any way that you guys would look into using a nickel back to spy something like that on them? PJ WILLIAMS: Might have somebody spying. We won't know who exactly will be doing it but definitely going to make sure he's not going to be able to just run every play. Q. That would be a nickel to do that? PJ WILLIAMS: Could be anybody. Q. Why do you think so many people around the country don't like you guys? PJ WILLIAMS: I don't know because it's hard to like a team that's winning all the time. Because I always seen it and people always said, if the team that's winning, they want to find any little thing that can tear you down. The team that's winning, they want you to lose. It's always like that. Q. You think that's it? You think it's just the fact that you guys are successful, has nothing to do with negative image? PJ WILLIAMS: That's all I think, is because we're successful. Q. Does it help motivate you guys at all? Seems like a lot of people are pulling for Oregon just because they hate Florida State. PJ WILLIAMS: It definitely helps. It definitely helps a little bit but we try to do a good job of blocking it out and focusing ton what we need to do to be able to win games. Q. You might be the most hated great team of all time. PJ WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely probably think so. Q. One thing that might get overlooked in these last two seasons with the coordinators; why has that transition worked out so well to be able to do what you've been able to do what you guys have done and be able to get back in this position again? PJ WILLIAMS: We have some focused players and some really great individuals that's going to buy into whatever the coaches are telling us, and focus up and be able to be coachable and stuff like that and the first year having Coach Pruitt, he was a good coach and he came in and coached us good and we definitely made sure we was focused and listening on what he had to say and then Coach Kelly came in this year and definitely took over doing a good job. We definitely listened to him and made sure we executed the plays we're supposed to execute. So it's just us being able to be focused and the coaches doing a good job. Q. Before this match up happened‑‑ you've heard about Oregon and now you've been able to watch them have those things come true‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Let me see. I guess it would have to be just the way Mariota played. I haven't been able to watch him like a whole lot. But seeing him on film, he's definitely a great passer, as well as he can run. So he's a good player. Q. What is the biggest difference between playing for Coach Kelly‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: I don't think there's much of a difference. They are definitely both great teachers to the game and definitely helps make us better. But I have to say, Coach Kelly definitely is a little bit more lenient because we did it last year, so with our like technique and all that type of stuff, he let's us do a little bit more. Q. Are their coaching styles during practice different? PJ WILLIAMS: Not much. Not much of a difference that I can see. Q. Type of personality‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Yes, kind of. I can't really explain how they are different. Q. Is that a good thing to have‑‑ PJ WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely. Every time he's like‑‑ we love Coach Mario. He brings a lot of energy to the team, and it definitely helps, yes. Q. He helps Mario, Mario gets to have a dad around, does he play that role for you guys? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, yeah, he's always talking to us, always making sure we're using our technique and giving us little tips and stuff like that. So he's definitely a great guy to have around, and definitely brings a lot of energy. Q. As a defensive backfield, do you ever race? PJ WILLIAMS: Not really. We may race in the off‑season like a lot of people do different races, but not during the season. Q. Who is the fastest of you guys? PJ WILLIAMS: I don't know, man, it's a close race. We haven't really raced. We haven't raced besides in the summer and stuff like that, but this is a whole lot‑‑ it's pretty even. Q. Where does Darby rank? PJ WILLIAMS: He's definitely up there. He's definitely up there. Q. When you see Oregon's wide receivers on fit many, I don't know how much you have in the past month, but what stands out about them? PJ WILLIAMS: Just their speed. They have a lot of speed and they definitely run routes good and they definitely can catch. They make a lot of plays for them that's hard to make, and them being smart enough, they extend plays when Mariota is running around. Q. Do they look speed‑wise similar to anybody else that you've come across this season? PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely, I think you can compare it to a few team buts they definitely are good some receivers. Q. As a defensive player, how impressive is Donovan, what he's been able to do his first year? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, it's very impressive because it's not easy for a freshman running back to come in and do things that he's done. But I see‑‑ everybody's seen it. He's a great player and works hard and he has the vision to be able to make cuts and get upfield and the speed to be able to finish plays. Q. Is there a moment in practice where you saw something happened and you sort of shook your head or anything like that? PJ WILLIAMS: Oh, definitely, in the off‑season he had a great off‑season running the ball and stuff like that. And then this season, a few games, you seen him doing some crazy stuff and you're like, dang, he's going to be a good player. Q. Are you going to have family here? PJ WILLIAMS: Yes, I will. Q. Parents? PJ WILLIAMS: Yes, one of my parents. Q. How difficult has it been if you guys win, for families of a lot of guys, to get to both games? PJ WILLIAMS: It's definitely difficult because they saved up a lot of money to be able to come to this one. Next game, they are probably like safe up some opinion and drive. Q. California's not cheap. PJ WILLIAMS: It's not cheap at all. Q. And you get two years in a row, it's been a little bit of a hardship because very few of the players come from wealthy backgrounds? PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely. They weren't able to come last year but they made sure they was going to be able to come this year. Q. The money that the conferences and schools are making is a lot more than a BCS. Do you agree, Coach Saban and Coach Fisher both said there should be some kind of allowance that the NCAA makes to help families from a financial standpoint to travel to the games. I assume players would be all for that. PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely, that would be something great for them to be able to help our parents come to the game especially because all the money they make for these games and stuff like that, it definitely will help. They are definitely going to help. Q. Just like you guys play well enough to deserve your spot here, by the same token, do the parents deserve to be here? PJ WILLIAMS: Definitely, definitely. Q. Did your parents always come to Tallahassee? PJ WILLIAMS: It's only like a three‑hour drive. Q. And how many of the road games were they able to get to this year so far? PJ WILLIAMS: Just all the ones in Florida. Q. Dallas? PJ WILLIAMS: No. They didn't go to Dallas. Q. What about Charlotte? PJ WILLIAMS: Yeah, they drove up to Charlotte. FastScripts by ASAP Sports ... FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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