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CUTrevor
2017-12-29 14:00:56
DB Ronnie Harrison On the Alabama vs. Clemson rivalry: Well since we have played them the past two years, it has become a rivalry. It’s always a physical and tough game. On Hunter Renfrow: He’s a great player. He’s a very smart route runner and has great plays and also has the ability to make plays after the catch. On a chance to redeem themselves from the loss to Clemson last season: The loss last year is definitely on our minds and in our hearts. It has made us focused and prepared. On the similarities and differences between Deshaun Watson and Kelly Bryant: I really don’t see a drop off. They are both efficient on the ground and through the air. They both make the offense go. On the difference of having a Defensive Coordinator through this process: It means a lot. We already built a bond all year. We trust that he will put us in the right place throughout this playoff game. On the different feeling in this playoff, not knowing for sure Alabama would be in: Definitely, all year we felt that we deserved to be here. Ending the season the way we did and having our fate in the hands of the selection committee hurt. We just want to prove that we are supposed to be here. DL Da'Ron Payne On the preparation with Coach Jeremy Pruitt: He has been ready to go and focused on winning the game. We are all very excited for the opportunity he and his family have at the University of Tennessee. On stopping Kelly Bryant from making big runs: We will run the Alabama defense and the standards that come with that by reading our keys, staying disciplined, and remaining in our pass-rush lanes. On the difference this year from the previous two years: I feel like the game will have just as much physicality. It is going to be a hard-nosed game that will be fought well. I have stressed to our guys that it will be vital to win upfront in the trenches. On this year’s Clemson team compared to last year: It doesn’t matter. What matters is the way Alabama plays. It’s all about doing your job as an individual. On his individual performance this year: I’ve been much better at third down rips and pass rush. I’ve felt more comfortable in the run game as well. DB Levi Wallace On Clemson's offense being the same as previous meetings: Yeah. Looking at the film from previous years and seeing them on TV almost every Saturday looks the same except for a different quarterback in the backfield. They rotate guys in just like everyone else. On one difference from Clemson: Uh yeah their running game. Their running game has really developed this year. They have two great running backs and I think that that’s really helped them this year. On what makes Clemson successful against Alabama’s type of defense: He’s [Kelly Bryant] very quick. He [Bryant] has great handwork. They’ve got a guy who can make all the catches and run all the routs; one of the best receivers in the nation. On how much time has been spent on run plays at practice: *laughs* I can’t disclose that information. On a revenge factor in this game: Yeah it’s always in the back of your mind but we can’t focus on what happened last year. We just have to move forward. It’s a different Clemson team, different quarterback, different skilled positions. We have to keep moving forward how we want to. LB Rashaan Evans On his injury: I felt really limited with the injury I have. It took me some time to get back and feel how I wanted to feel. It was very stiff but getting the chance to play through some of these games gives it a chance to get better. The break time too has made it a lot better for me to be able to run like I want to now. On if he thought the injury was season-ending: For sure. For any player to go through the things that I went through, I thought maybe this was it. I was a little scared, but when I got back and looked at it wasn’t too bad. On what makes Clemson’s running backs unique: They’re all very versatile. They all can make big plays. Most of the time they like to get it to those guys on the perimeter to give them a chance to get on the outside and run. I think they’re going to use their whole rotation on us to try and break us down. Clemson does a pretty good job of utilizing those guys whatever their skill sets are. On motivation: Real motivation, fabricated motivation is all the same depending on how you take it. We really don’t listen to a lot of the media. Some of that stuff really clouds your mind. All we can really do right now is stay focused and look forward to this game. How we play will determine if that stuff is true anyway so that’s all we’re worried about. On injuries within the Alabama defense: We were pretty broken down. We had a lot of guys that were hurt. A lot of people thought we were too broken down and didn’t have a chance of making it here. But on the inside now that we’ve had this break I feel like it’s the best thing that could have ever happened to us. I’m really excited for this upcoming game, just the fact that we had a lot of guys that were hurt and now are coming back. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick On how much the final play has been on their minds leading up to this game: I mean, I haven’t been thinking about it, for real. I mean, we lost the game, but we just took lessons from the loss and we applied them. You can’t really think about the last play. You can’t think about what you could have done differently. You just have to worry about how you can prepare differently, what decisions can you make differently throughout the entire process leading up to the game but, thinking about the last play isn’t going to help anything at all. On Kelly Bryant: I mean, he’s a good quarterback. He’s a big guy. He runs the ball really well, almost like a wild cat every single snap, but he can also throw the ball. He makes smart decisions with the football. He has really good athletes on the outside that he can get the ball to. [He] gets the ball deep to Deon Cain. Gets the ball and fits it into tight windows with Hunter Renfrow. He does a real good job at what he does. On the attention to detail, focus and intensity in practice: It’s just like any other game. It’s just the next game. Obviously, it’s a high-level game but, you know, everybody’s been doing their job , focusing on what they have to do and that’s really been something we have been focusing on…just doing your assignment, focusing on execution. I think everybody’s been doing a good job at that. On Hunter Renfrow: He just does the job really well. He’s not going to out-physical you or outrun you. He gets the ball out in space, makes people miss, and he’s a real shifty guy, smaller guy, so it’s hard to tackle him in space. So you know, when he does that, then he also has great receivers around him, so you really just can’t focus on him. So when you have that challenge he proposes, it’s very hard in the secondary, linebackers, to stop a player like him. On having someone special coming to the game to cheer him on: My family, that’s about it. It’s really cool because they’ve been with me through everything, you know. And having come and watch me play on this stage of the caliber is really cool. They always come to the games to watch me play. |
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CUTrevor
2017-12-29 14:05:30
I'll have quotes and video for Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt posted later today, guys. |
