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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: CLEMSON v VIRGINIA TECHDecember 3, 2011Frank BeamerLogan ThomasCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Clemson – 38 COACH BEAMER: I think you've got to congratulate Clemson. They came in here and played great, didn't turn the ball over, played great. I think for us, it was just‑‑ it was one of those things that things just didn't happen right. It seemed like when we'd get something going, we'd get a penalty. It just didn't happen right. You know, I'm disappointed for our players, but I don't want one thing to take away from all the great things this team has accomplished throughout the season because they've hung in there and we've accomplished some super things. We feel like we're going to go to a good Bowl. They've earned a right to go to a good Bowl, and I feel like learn from it and play better in the Bowl game, and I feel like we will. It's just, I don't blame our preparation. I don't blame‑‑ I think we were ready to play. It was just one of those things that just didn't happen right. If you've been in athletics and you've been in games, sometimes it gets rolling like that, and it got rolling, and we didn't do a good job of stopping it. Q. Logan, it seemed like they were winning those battles on the line of scrimmage tonight. What can you say about their physical play? LOGAN THOMAS: It's something we were ready for. They did it in the first game. I think we did a lot better up front in this game to be honest, and I'm proud of our guys for battling. COACH BEAMER: You know, I think offensively the way the game got, we could never get David going. We just weren't‑‑ what we were good at doing. And I think that's got to enter into it a little bit, too. Q. They scored in the third quarter three touchdowns in four minutes and 24 seconds. What seemed to happen in that span? COACH BEAMER: As I say, they just kind of got rolling. They had the field position. We thought we had a 1st down, we got an offensive pass interference, I thought they had a horse collar tackle on Logan. That was a good call‑‑ not blaming the officials, don't get me wrong on that. All of us has been through it. The momentum got over there. They had field position, and they got us. You know, defensively ‑‑ I give their offense credit. I just don't think we played well defensively. Part of it is personnel, Hosley went out early, but we've been playing like that, we've been playing without some guys quite a bit, or in several ballgames, so I'm not going to say personnel is an issue, either. But it's just‑‑ we didn't do a good job of stopping them. They did a great job of mixing it up, and they didn't turn the ball over. That had been a problem for them here lately. Well, they didn't do it tonight, and you've got to give them credit. Q. You mentioned that offensive pass interference, and they scored, I think, on the very next play. Was that something where you felt like you guys were ready for that one or that they just hit you quickly? COACH BEAMER: The play after the pass interference? Well, any time they score like that, I think you go back and look, you didn't play your defense properly. Q. You mentioned about David. Can you talk a little bit more about that? Only 11 carries on the night. What was it that was keeping you guys from really establishing him? COACH BEAMER: Well, we tried to get him going there in the first half and they did a good job of stopping us, and then you get into 2nd and long situations. Just the flow of the game just‑‑ we came in at halftime, we wanted to get him more involved in the second half, then the score got down quickly. Just, you know, just never fit. They did a great job. They executed extremely well defensively, offensively, and they were the better team tonight. Q. Logan, I wonder, this team has come back I think four times during this seven‑game winning streak. Were you surprised how fast it unraveled there in the third quarter? LOGAN THOMAS: Clemson did a great job of scoring points and scoring them quick. Like they said earlier, to win one in four minutes is hard to come out of. They played a great game offensively and defensively and they deserved to win. Q. You kind of already addressed this, but Jayron Hosley, his injury, do you think that was one too many injuries for your defense to overcome there? COACH BEAMER: Well, they've got some excellent athletes, and when you're missing a couple of your excellent athletes, it kind of adds up. But you know, we had who we had, and give them credit. I thought they played great. You know, after a couple games, and I said going into it, there's a thin line between getting that momentum and being okay, and they got back on top tonight, and give them credit. Q. What was it about their defensive game plan or defensive personnel that held you guys in check the second time this year? And on the flipside, what was it about guys with their offensive guys like Boyd and Watkins that made it tough to defend tonight? LOGAN THOMAS: Well, the defense didn't do anything that we didn't expect. We moved the ball pretty well, I thought. We had a couple three‑and‑outs here and there, but I think we moved the ball‑‑ a couple drops here and there, a couple missed errant passes by me. But for the most part, I think we did pretty well. Like coach said earlier, we had to just throw the ball the whole time. We didn't really get a chance to get David going, so when we crossed midfield, we like to give David the ball a little bit, let him pound and keep the defense honest, but they could just sit on our passes. COACH BEAMER: I think their offense did a good job of mixing it up. It was up the middle, it's around the side, it's throwing it down the field. It gets you back on your heels and gets you. Again, I thought‑‑ they didn't turn the ball over, and when they do that and then they get into a rhythm offensively, and I thought they got into a rhythm offensively, we just didn't get them stopped. Q. For both of you, coach alluded to it at the start, now obviously you still go to a Bowl game. Talk about the mindset you have heading into these next few weeks of practice. COACH BEAMER: We look forward to it. You can't let‑‑ I'm really proud of this football team. I'm proud of what we've been able to do this year. I think we've had some setbacks. We were‑‑ I was proud to get into the championship game. I'm disappointed that we didn't perform better, but I certainly don't blame‑‑ I don't think it was a lack of effort or lack of preparation by our kids. I think we just got into the game and it kind of got going their way, and they played great. And so we had a good year. Any time you can win 11 and have a chance to win 12, and our seniors still have a chance to go out with the most wins ever at Virginia Tech, there's some wonderful‑‑ I mean, some things there in a Bowl game that we'd want to play extremely well in a Bowl game. We look forward to the Bowl game that we go to. LOGAN THOMAS: I'd imagine that the next‑‑ this next week of practice is going to be the best practices of our year. Same thing the Miami week, came out after a loss and had the best practices of the year, so I believe that'll be the same thing going into this week. COACH BEAMER: We're a good football team and trying to get a couple guys healthy right now I think is a key thing for us, too, so we've got some time to do that. Q. Logan, this might be an obvious question, but does this one hurt worse than the loss in October, and why? LOGAN THOMAS: Yes, it does, and I think it hurts worse because the seniors don't deserve a loss like that, so I think that's why it hurts the most. Q. I think nine penalties tonight. Were you kind of upset with your players kind of losing their cool or not playing smart there? COACH BEAMER: Well, that‑‑ penalties is not something that is our nature. You know, we ended up getting some there that, again, we have a good run back on the kickoff and then we got a penalty for blocking in the back. And that was us. I mean, that gets back to us. But it was just‑‑ it was a game that just didn't fit up right. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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