Players postgame press conference vs. Georgia Tech

Kyle congratulations on the win thank you uh so for people who say that you really can't scramble or run uh talk about your 16 yard scramble on Third and three and then you kind of spike the ball what was going through your mind and talk about that play uh yeah so uh I'm pretty sure that was man coverage they covered the the routes up pretty well um but when you go man coverage uh there's no one really accounted for the quarterback so the line did a good job of protection and then I just felt um an opening there to the left um and all the rout were breaking to the right side of the field so there's no one there um being able to to get that was a big point in the game um and then the uh the spike just uh probably got a reel in the emotions a little bit uh the rest probably could have thrown a flag there I'm lucky or we're lucky that they didn't um but regardless I feel like that was a big conversion uh especially in that point of the game for any of you coach Fran talked about some of the extra ammo heading into this week some things said about physicality and toughness I guess what was his message to you guys about that and what what did you kind of do to um respond to that uh so we had we had seen that message that he sent uh Fran kind of felt the way about it uh until he showed it to the whole team then we we we started feeling way about it you know the type of coaches that we have you know he he he think you know it's we ain't trying to be smart it's not about the exes and those and all that that that we just want to come in and be more physical but you know he just kept playing that clip over and over and over and over and over at practice uh throughout the week you know he just kept getting it through our head so sh we it looked like we was just a more physical team out there especially uh on that last Drive of the game making that big catch on third down and uh being able to get that first down with L Quinn on that run you know to secure the win fil obviously in the Red Zone you sort of played at that second level a little bit last week you did a lot more today um when did you start getting the idea that that was going to be part of what you guys did on defense and like how much experience do you have like as a linebacker or or working from there um coach a just came up with the he came up with it because we played pretty good in the red zone that defense last week so was his mindset like just be physical in that in that Ral area or just in the front so putting me there just lining me up different places it's just hard to scan for and it help other guys free up so it was a pretty good defense I really don't have that much experience playing it but I a lot of extra men this week you know helped out a lot I just curious what were the kind of the schematic differences you guys had if any with Marlo being out and and how you personally had to fill that role um we just we played a different schin we played more of a three down and you know I was playing more in the middle so helping God lineup uh just more violent downhill stuff it was uh cuz you know Marlo usually he do that so we try to try to get some of that energy back with him being out so I had the opportunity to do it and I like to thank coach for giving me the opportunity to step up and do that J in front then right behind Carson and then Mario in the third in the platform Kyle what's it like having so many offensive weapons like Arande and Shor and what have you sort of seen from everybody so far throughout these two games yeah it makes my job a lot easier um when you look across the field and there's mismatches everywhere uh um I feel like if if they're going to try to take away a guy like OG it's going to free up somebody else and vice versa um so just having that many weapons across the field being able to rotate them in and out uh and get fresh bodies in there um it makes my job a lot easier and then with L quent and will in the back field too I feel like they're two really good receiving backs as well um so there there's a bunch of weapons and you know I feel like for me uh like I said it just makes my life a lot a lot easier Fidel Fidel you uh you were getting coached up by Dwight fi ahead of the game that little like scrum In The End Zone just talk walk us through what was going on there he was just giving me some knowledge as a pass rusher you know he's one of the greatest to do it so uh it was great advice from like being coached by him and he was just giveing me a mindset of how to get the offensive tackles out their game and just how to make more plays in the scheme while you playing it and I I learned a lot from him just in a in a span of 10 minutes so it was a great great experience Mario and then Ashley K you touched on laquint briefly but how have you seen him take his game to the next level over these first two games I think he's is a complete third down back I don't think there's a scenario where it's like U maybe we should get laquinn out of the game uh if we we pass the ball he's great uh running routes and catching the ball I missed him a few times today um and then I think on top of that a great pass protector as well steps up and makes some big Big Blocks did that today uh and then runs the ball extremely hard uh great vision great speed uh and just a great feel for the game so I feel like in all all three levels he's a complete back uh Kyle we heard all throughout uh Camp coach FR was talking about little league Kyle and we feel like we kind of met him today was that in the plan going into this game uh it's more so just I think a mindset every single week um just playing free and having fun and I think it makes my job playing with with these guys it makes it feel like little league um you know going out and having fun and just enjoying football uh not getting caught up on one mistake and and letting that kind of ruin the drive just having short-term memory uh and letting it rip out there so uh I think that definitely came out today uh Fidel and Kyle you guys came here brand was talking about you know what this team could be you guys knocked off a top 25 ranked team what does that kind of mean to you and where this team can go in the future um I feel like to come in to this season uh there's a lot of uncertainty I feel like with first time head coach coming in bringing a lot of transfers I think more than half the team are are new guys um and so to have that turnover there's a lot of uncertainty on what it's going to be and then to have a the second game first conference game be against a ranked opponent who uh got some big wins early on the year uh you know there's a lot of teams that would back down from that situation but I feel like coach Fran didn't change anything throughout the week uh and just his main message to us was was about us and and what we've done to get to this point and then when we put the ball down on Saturday at 12:00 everything that that we've done um has prepared us for this moment uh Trevor um what is oh yeah I was going to add on to that just saying uh everything in kle said was correct just having an opportunity to just play against a ranked opponent we looked at as our next opponent so we want to just play take it a week at of time and I think we did a good job doing that Trevor what does it what does it mean to you after missing last season coming back now in five touchdowns of the first game building that connection with Kyle what does it mean to kind of come back have that individual success and contribute to the offense as a whole yeah I'm just happy I'm able to uh contribute it to contribute to this team and um provide everything I got you know um I'm just thankful to have all the opportunities given me by the coaches and Kyle and just to be able to show what I can do you it means a lot over here on side R I want to ask you about what you said about about the the clip that coach was playing over and over like was it the 12 to four one that we want it was like the whole the whole thing like he a he ain't think we was going to you know outsmart him but you see my boy you see Nixon out there he was dicing them up he was dicing him up out there motioning dudes out you know uh seeing what doing all Bunch type of different motions seeing what coverages they were in so we could you know take advantage the best we can you know K had that little pitch out you know on the game we little outsmart them they like to play in the gaps and stuff and on defense got my big guy right here you know he was you know we we we was just ready for this the whole the whole week we was just listening to that clip over and over and over and over again what and when you thought it was done he kept bringing it up he kept playing it again so yeah we we was he was kind of playing with some was that in like in meetings or practice or where were you everywhere everywhere Christi uh OG and Trevor uh whoever wants to take this um we've heard so much from you guys during training camp about Jeff Nixon's Pro style offense why does that particular offense works so well here in Syracuse um it just gives like our weapons just different opportunities to mix mix and match like where they are on the field and um get get different matchups and uh see like where they're at different coverages just getting the weapons uh better looks and better better chances to get the ball right here in the third row rande you're like KY said a lot of newcomers you're not one of them you were here the last time you guys beat a ranked opponent in 2022 it was actually last game you had two touchdowns in as well what does it feel like to after going through the injury and the rehab process last year to come back and have such a strong start to the season uh it feel it feels great uh being able to come back you know do what I got to do what I do you know we we in and week out and just hoping that you know we can continue doing that you know no injuries nothing like that uh for anyone for anybody uh now that you have your first ranked win of the Season how is the mindset and preparation going to change do you think I think it's going to be the same to be honest uh that was really the the biggest thing for us this week was that regardless of who shows up on Saturday uh if we play to our best abilities and you know don't do anything dumb and and continue to grow that we're going to win and and I that's the mindset now I feel like we have the players uh to do so we have the coaches to do so we have the scheme um and all the hard work that we put in to get to this point I think has put us in a position to to be confident um so I think just continuing that mindset on that uh it's about us and it's not about who we play necessarily it's about um you know putting the best product of of Syracuse football in the field last two we'll start with Dan and finish right here with BR Kyle coming to this team from the Big 10 and all the experience that you had on the national stage I asked you going into the season about your weapons we've gotten to see your work with them over 350 yards in the first two games each for you four touchdowns in both of those games just what you can say about this offense and the guys that you have as weapons in the field yeah I think a lot of credit goes to coach Nixon and what he's done uh to come in and install a completely new offense with uh a million different plays and formations and Motions like it was a lot to learn but uh we did a really good job picking that up and then like you mentioned I think the weapons as well I think you line the receiving core and the running backs and the tight ends up against anybody in in the nation I like us and I feel like just the amount of work and and the practice that we put in uh it's starting to show and like the the first touchdown to treb we really hadn't thrown that look all week and he just kind of reacted to it he was playing soft coverage and and I knew that he was going to kind of bubble out a little bit and I just put it on him and let him make a play like things like that come from uh a lot of preparation and a lot of practice together last question uh one for Kyle from the offensive perspective one for fedell from the defensive perspective what kind of tests did you guys have to pass in a game like this that was kind of up and down all over the place uh yeah I think one uh they're well coached um for sure I mean I think that you watch their first two games especially on third down they throw some really uh creative looks at you um so being able to stay ahead of the change and on third down I thought we were pretty good today as well missed some uh but still for the most part uh felt like we moved the ball well on third third down um and then I think on top of that uh we haven't really been in a game like this yet where uh we had to play all the way to the end I know last week you know we started a little slow but we finished and we ended up you know having a comfortable lead at the end but to play in a tight game especially that last Drive uh only up three and um you know kind of the the way of the game riding on you know whether we converted that that third down to be a pressure situation like that was really good uh I would say a test for us was just going against another ACC opponent as a team for the first time all together and then they said they was going to try to out physical us uh and the D line wasn't having that that was the big thing for us this whole week nobody's more physical than us nobody's going to Domin dominate us on the line of scrimmage uh and we got an opportunity to come back and show it because what happened the first week we didn't like that so we was going to come out with our mindset and just come out with our heads on fire thanks guys