e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e wouldn't you rather write about a win come on Andy uh first of all uh I just want to the atmosphere was outstanding I know I feel like I say that every time we have a home game it's because it is it's everything it's the Hokey walk it's the tailgating all day long the effort that our fans put in to the game experience here it's one of the best in the country and our players love playing in that environment feeling that environment our recruits eat it up so I thank all the fans all the hokes out there it was a great performance by them today I also want to congratulate and celebrate the 99 team it's fantastic having them back uh the tradition the foundation they came out to practice yesterday we had a chance to to kind of visit with them a little bit but uh you know they they laid the foundation and they certainly set the standard and the expectations why I come why I came to Virginia Tech why our players come what people expect they raised the bar and uh you know so we're very appreciative of them was awesome to celebrate him tonight I'll take some questions Brent that first drive of offensive Drive of the second half 12 plays 11 runs Kiren wasn't under duress you're able to eat up some yards score what was there an emphasis at halftime to get back to running the ball after you ran it well in the first half but just didn't stick with it yeah to be honest we had some moments in the first half and uh for various reasons we couldn't run it consistently enough but I thought the offensive staff again did a nice job at halftime and you know the players had great determination from the onset I thought it felt different um I thought there was uh some good energy good mentality we just didn't we couldn't we weren't good on third down in the first half but I thought the ability to run the ball and to make that statement to start the second we went three and out on defense right it's 107 they got a chance to do something the defense snuffs them and then we have that type of drive and finish it with a touchdown that set the tone for the half Andy you mentioned those first half struggles what do you chalk that up to for second straight week just yeah I I I thought we were sluggish just with with the execution you know the guys were moving around and doing things but we weren't finishing in the execution piece and one time it was a white out didn't it be the old line it' be you know we just couldn't get it going um you know like I said there were some moments they had a nice drive to start the game and kick the field goal and you know thank goodness the defense was playing really well and uh you know really kept that game where it was but uh you know I like Kiren said settled down and really kind of looked more like himself in the second half not that he played poorly in the first half but he just didn't to me he didn't look like uh like we need him to look and uh he came out of the second half I was proud of the way he responded and then uh Jay Lane punt return for a touchdown how big of a lift was that how nice is it to have him be the second string guy essentially and step in and just do that yeah it's awesome you know what a big play when we needed it right I mean we're struggling on offense in that half and and to get that return and and there's a face mask on top of it helps out the defense but uh you know he's dangerous as a returner and he's proven that you know last year and this year and and there were some guys that did a nice job getting in the way and avoiding penalties and then he broke a few few tackles and then out ran everybody but we needed that that was uh you know a nice impactful play from our special team's unit hey coach congrats on the win um with the fact that um and to the frustration of many hokes fans that this is now two games in a row that you guys have really struggled in the first half what are the conversations look like with the team and with Tyler Bowen about how important it is to get off to a hot start and not have three games in a row where we're struggling in the first half yeah you know fortunately we got the film to look at and evaluate it make the corrections um you know I think we did some good things we just uh you know I would say the biggest Thorn on our side was third down you know we got to take a look at that I think we were one of eight or one of nine and we got to be better now we got to convert a couple and that keeps the drive alive keeps them off the field flips the field for us so I think we're much closer this week than we were last um but uh you know I think there's a lot to build on in the second half of complete offense that we can lean into and and grow from Ricky monsor was picked on a lot against Vanderbilt he was challenged a lot tonight but had a lot better results what did you see from him that was a lot different than we saw last week yeah he had a great mindset as well uh he was determined to bounce back you know he's a resilient guy I think he embodied kind of the way the team was today just had their mindset and he was excited he played with great technique he played with great confidence you got to do that at that position I think he got a little he got a little razzled uh last last week when he when they hit one on him and you know and I think it's a testament to Coach Jones and Deon SAR and Dorian who's been in his ear all week the way he bounced back he played like he's the player that he is uh earlier this week you talked about when you guys are in tight games you need a bigger momentum swing did you think your team answered the bell and those moments come out in the second half when you needed that yeah I really did I thought the Deep ball to gnell I mean that was a big answer I think uh you know we had some you know they had the big run uh they ran a trap play and you know sprung it on us we didn't get it on the ground and but we came back and answered there which was big um I think uh that we talked about that all week as a team starting in the locker room and you know in Nashville that you got to respond you know that's part of it as a play caller and as a player I thought we did a nice job today that was difference in the game uh bashall had 22 carries second most in his Tech Career um what did you like about you know just the mentality he ran with today and what impressed you the most about you know the way you guys were able to attack downfield in the second half yeah I tell you what he uh he ran hard and he he outran some folks he broke some tackles um you know he really you know that I think he was we got him in his stride right there you know he was he we got his aame today and uh you know we took him off kickoff return it it it seemed to gassing more than maybe we'd like for it to and I said let's get him going at tail back you know let's get him running and I thought the old line you know really played pretty well um particularly in the second half but uh you know he he's a he's we've got to get him going and we know that and that was a mindset coming out of the half that uh you know we we got to feed this guy and be patient enough to do it coach Steven guys now last week at 72 yards 54 uh today with the 49 yard catch as you mentioned earlier how important is it to get him going in the offense and what have you seen out of him improving week by week and especially making that incredible catch yeah first of all uh this is a kid at tours ACL in in the bowl game and uh was actually talking about hanging it up and being done with ball and uh you know had a good long meeting and he wanted to be part of this and believed in it and and then he doubled down after his surgery remarkable recovery uh from a nutrition standpoint he was he was on top of that and supplements and just you know really anxious to get back and ready and to have him fully cleared going into Camp was great for us he's a tough kid um you know the guy's he's one of the favorites and the way he works and he's kind of No Nonsense he gave his team his personal share last night to the team and it was it was as almost as good as a deep ball he caught I mean really just meaningful and heartfelt he's got a great story and uh you know what he and Benji are doing right now I think that's a special deal but that that ball you know first of all I mean that he La kyen launched that thing and uh and then Steve laid out for it and was strong enough and tough enough to you know to make the catch when he when he hit that ground sometimes you see those things pop out and uh he did a nice job hanging on to it coach you mentioned earlier this week you wanted to see the offensive line improve in the passing game after some free rushers got through last week in the first half when you guys were throwing the ball there were still some times where there were free guys coming off the edge what would you like to see improve in that regard is that a scheme thing or what do you think needs to be better in that I think it's a little bit of everything right now um there's there's a couple of things from a protection standpoint there's a couple of times we just got beat and there's a couple times we hung on to the ball or we just didn't get open um so it wasn't just any one thing I thought the guys played better up front today I really did I thought they stepped it up in the second half but we still have to be better and let me say Marshall had a couple of edge guys that we knew were going to be a problem uh good players 15 is a pass rush guy that could you know make things happen in this league um so we had our hands full right there but I thought once Kiren settled down and went through his reg and progressions we were much better got the ball out of his hand more timely um and when you can run the ball keeps guys off balance two more Andy yeah 12 pass breakups uh by the team today it seems like a lot of those one-on-one situations guys were were coming through in those how do you feel about the pass defense especially some of the younger guys like love it seem to get a lot of snaps today yeah that was excellent to see they challenged us I thought we were in good position good coverage you know I think we just had the one defensive holding down in the Red Zone I thought we played pretty clean we were able to get those pass breakups without drawing the flag which is challenging sometimes but uh you know I thought there was pretty good pressure they did seem to want to get rid of it in a hurry they weren't holding the ball very long but I thought the guys responded and and played well in coverage not just Dorian but like we said Monsour Dante love it I thought Jaylen Jones you know remember we had a three Ro a three-man rotation at safety tonight you know with strowman out Quinton reddish a true freshman had to step up and play a bunch of snaps uh Mo played a much better game than he did last week and I thought Jaylen Jones really is playing well right now speaking of that uh massive catch from gnell uh like immediately after you guys ran kind of bit of a hurry up and seemingly kind of ran like sort of a trick play where you had Kiren hurry up to the line and then run like a QB sneak right up the middle I've been I wonder how long has that been in the Playbook and how how long have you waited to kind of break that out yeah that's a good one but it's got to be the right time in the game you know the right situation um and when you got a big old guy like Kiren it's a good play you know all right thanks guys appreciate everybody covering us raise your hand we'll get your w D B your running numbers in the first half weren't bad I think you had 77 yards on 11 carries but just what did that first drive of the second half do to just keep putting it in your belly get Kiren involved just to really set the tone there in the second half yeah I think we came out of halftime uh we made some good adjustments to you know run the ball and you know make them stop us so I think that's what we did in the second half and it surely worked uh I got rolling KY got rolling and then and M also got rolling so it was definitely needed definitely great for us um when Jaylen has I mean obviously you know how how exposed his special teams can be in ch game changers when Jaylen has that return what's going through your head and and how much did that kind of Swing things in your mind uh I think at that moment I was just like hey he made a play as a ball player so uh it was definitely a momentum booster for us but I also talked to the o line and I was telling them like time to go now like that's our that's our break that's what we needed we just need to you know contribute after that you you had 22 carries tonight what did you like about um the way you guys were able to kind of establish the run and get downhill I think the o line played great uh they played on edges the the wide outs they blocked great so you know it was working for us and I I like their just drive that they had on every play question bishel it's quite the chain you got around on your neck there can you uh give us an explanation for that uh tugbo it's kind of a nickname I have for the past what three years so got a chain made for it Andy back uh coach pry was saying they took you off kickoff return kind of save you a little bit for running back do you feel like you had more juice at running back from that what do you think of that decision um I felt like I had juice today um I could have still went back on kickoff return uh but I felt great today so you know I'm back there when they need me so just another game uh when the tides kind of shifted after the first half what did you notice specifically a a change when you guys came out um I think we were definitely playing harder uh I felt that thought as an offense we play harder uh we came out you know uh downhill very downhill o line was more aggressive and I think that's what we needed coming out of half uh and Coach TBO put the ball in our bellies and let the RBS run so definitely worked out for us first of all congrats on the win what do you tribute all your success to tonight um like I said before definitely the o line the wide outs uh they're a big part of why I was able to run with the yardage I had um without them I couldn't do nothing um but I think they played amazing which helped me play great and that's how we got to win ball to start the second half you guys had three straight touchdown drives how much of a confidence booster is that for you guys when you're just coming down the field kind of smashing them in the mouth and getting the end zone uh it's definitely a huge uh confidence booster for us uh you know just coming out the first time we go down and score second time go down and score so the third time we were like come on let's keep it going I think at that point we we pretty much broke their will so we just had to make them you know tackle on edges uh defend the Deep ball and then stop the run uh but I don't I don't think they want to play no no much longer Co coach probably talked this week about how big momentum swings can be and and answering the Bell when when the time comes what would you like about how you guys responded when you needed to today uh I think uh I think we responded great um I do appreciate him putting the ball on our bellies and let us run to you know solidify the game and you know give us a great momentum booster so I think um just with the overall game plan coming out in the second half you know just putting in on us and let us ball definitely I like that appreciate all you kind of seemed like a a noons drive to start the second half there I think 11 of 12 plays were runs was that a focus at halftime to get back to that yeah you know um we we definitely wanted to set the tone coming out of of the half and really you know DCT