Postgame Press Conference: Ahmari Harvey, Kyle Efford, David Shanahan, Aidan Birr (August 24, 2024)

we're going to start with our defensive uh student athletes and our Specialists I'm going to start everybody's left to right we've got Amari Harvey we have David Shanahan we have Aiden Burr and we have Kyle eer so go ahead and open it up for questions for student athletes start right back here with chat yeah Aid just walk us through that podcast uh you know after I missed the first one it was 51 or 52 uh I come back to the sideline and AP one of our coaches was like uh you know I'm glad you missed this this one you got it out of the way you're going to have to hit a game winner this is like in the third quarter so you know I'm just getting through the game and then uh you know when we were driving down the field it was looking like we're going to have to hit the game winner and I was just like you know running on there I was just like I'm only on God trust the process and uh you know without the offense and defense playing a great game and then David with the hole Henry with the snap and then the lineman none of that would have happened so just thankful for them k a I'm just curious what went through your mind after the fumble on on the second down imagine that you were that was a little bit of a heart stopping moment for you yeah I was just like oh it's going to be another long one but uh you know I was ready for it you know my big thing is like you know you never want to miss two in a row you never want to miss two in a row so you know I was going to make that that next one no matter where it was and uh like I said without David's hold and Henry snap and the lineman they make my job a lot easier so back here uh David you left carry in 2021 as a monster as an under 17 monster Champion you come back in Dublin and you win the aing all college football classic I mean how's how's how's how are you feeling yeah real honestly it's not even taking in yet um just incredible way to win I mean uh this guy obviously took unbelievable bottle um I full confidence in him honestly as he said I don't think I've ever seen him miss two kicks in a row um but yeah was we definitely uh definitely went down to the to the very last B unreal feeling unreal okay Patrick back here Kyle the defense after the first possession by FSU how did you rally the troops how did you guys regroup and perform at such a high level M the rest of the game yeah mean so we we talk about putting an extra emphasis on our response so like how how we respond to adversity and we knew that with that with that first drive we were going to had to respond if we respond negatively or positively so you know we we just got we got on the sideline just talk about it just look say hey not to step up it's going to be on us you going have we going have to play football so we just really just that response what got us through it Mar with the way the game was flowing then were taking a lot of shots down field you guys had good coverage you got a little more aggressive in terms of get getting in the back field getting tackles and being more physical did you enjoy having a little bit of a different world today we snuff out screens and getting some tfls and things instead of so much downfield shots I mean yeah it it was kind of new for me uh being in the box like that and tackling but I mean me and my coaches are prepared for it all offseason I feel like that was an emphasis I needed to work on coming from last season and that's why I really worked on um I still got a lot of more stuff to work on in my past coach and stuff but I'm glad uh we trained that way train good during the offseason in moments like these more questions for stent athletes right here CH Kyle what is different about this defense I would say the biggest difference of our defense has nothing to do with football it's it's all just the connection we know we know what we're playing for now and we can play for each other so like regarding football I mean yeah we have a new coach and he came in put in a great scheme but like he he really brought us together as well so I feel like that's really our biggest difference is how how together we are did that come from coach sanushi or coach ke or you know he he fostered that environment for us to come together so I you can't say he did comfortable David how did it feel to to finally you've talked about this for so long I mean several years now since the game first got announced how did it feel to finally actually get to play it and and then have a meaningful role in the game when he played with the hold and everything yeah I know um as you said I felt like really long buildup um long last two days honestly got off the flight and you know plenty of interviews using plenty of photo shoots and all but um yeah it was um I was first play I got was we're just holding for an extra point which is kind of nice it's kind of an easy way to sink into the game and and then I think for my first pun I say was a little bit amped off I tried to crush it and in the second pun they brought the house so I was happy to get it off um but yeah overall I think I think we prepared really well for it um mentally as a team and as a Specialist Group really um I thought we had a really good attitude we were all kind of we soaked it in and warm up then it was game time we're really focused so really really happy with it okay Amari uh can you feel a little bit about what the defense the secondary's plan was and what you were going to be willing to give to to DJ and also maybe what kind of change you were able to get a a little harder for him in the second half well coming in coming into this game we knew they was going to try to make the corners tackle cuz the corners usually are the weak tackers on each team so like we really just emphasize that all week with tackling drills and just watching it on film how they going to try to isolate you with the quarterback or with the running back and I just feel like we just played it out good like just coming overall and that's kind of how that fourth down stop played up it seemed like they were trying to pick on you a little bit yes I seen it on fil anything else Patrick oh quick question uh when you out for the coin toss you take his a point of Pride when you win the toss and decide the kick or does matter mean honestly it don't matter to me but I like to start the game off on defense I mean that's I feel that's how it should be you know crush the offense morale try to get a stop that first time but you know it played out how it played out and it is what it is yeah um Mar since you're talking about tackling was there any kind of thing you worked on in terms of tackling for him cuz that tackling man on fourth down ride it home on a rugby pitch but back in high school I used to play safety like I I moved the corner when I got the Georgia Tech so like tackling was kind of like I don't know it's kind of like in me I had 300 tackles in high school so like I mean I just worked on that just emphasized it a little more yeah allow me to make that PL time for a couple more for these we'll go Kell in then there Kyle can you talk a little bit about just the changeing mindset you guys have had these games where you go out in the first drive and team Arch on the field score and then you guys don't boys B your back and is that sort of the sign of this is a different defense this is what we are and it just maybe it was just the first first drve Jitters and you guys shook it off yeah kind of it's going back to like just us being together like now now like in the past we would have came back back to the S of that drive you know been talking been complaining and trying to figure out what's wrong but now we took a step back watched the film okay he's cor we need to make talk about it nice calm cool and Collective all right we got to go out there and spawn now okay last one sorry um David I just wanted to ask this is the first time all of your family has gotten to see you play in in the one goal and plus however many tickets you your dad was out buying as well I mean how important is that and have you gotten to talk to them yeah yeah it was great um even just having them here all weekend or since Thursday really I mean um I got to see my parents before the game which is something I don't fre get to do so that was nice to kind of Count me down a bit and but yeah I got to meet him after the game um mom wanted to take 100 photos typical but uh no it was great it was so cool to seeing them after the game okay thank you guys