[Fuller]

Mo Hurst

What have you seen from Saquan so far this year when you’ve looked at film?

“He just seems to get better every single year. We identified him as someone who was a really good player even as a freshman, someone who could eventually be a top-ten pick someday. I think he’s just someone who’s really dynamic. He’s running for the Heisman. You always have your challenges as a defense when you’re facing someone who’s in contention for a Heisman trophy.”

…

Everybody talked about all the guys the defense lost from last year. At the midpoint of the regular season, are you farther ahead as a defense than you thought you’d be?

“I think we’re getting better each week. I think we’re really starting to create our own identity and I think we’re starting to really gain an understanding of our defense and who we are as a defense. That’s really important. We kind of knew what we had last year. This year’s been a little bit more unknown but I think we’ve really started to develop into our own.”

What is that identity?

“I think just a team that tries to stop teams on third down, stop the run, try and be a factor during the game, try and really bring pressure and make quarterbacks feel uncomfortable. That’s sort of our identity and who we want to be as a defense.”

[After THE JUMP: Bush, Higdon, and O’Korn]

[Fuller]

Devin Bush

What makes [Barkley] so tough?

“He runs with great balance. He can make those cuts, he can hit those small holes. He can hit those gaps and gash us and be gone in a second, so we’ve got to close our run gaps and make sure we play assignment football.”

Run defense has been outstanding all season long. This could be a game that could be—I don’t want to say make or break, but could show you guys what you’re made out of. Do you look at it that way?

“I look at it as just another game that we have to win. We’re playing a good team in their environment. That’s nothing different to us. We’re just going to go out there and play our football.”

…

How much emphasis is placed on keeping Trace McSorley from breaking out as far as the run game is concerned?

“Just any quarterback, any quarterback we face. They watch film. They know the pressure we bring and they’re going to try to hit those little gaps, vertical seams, to get those first downs to keep us on the field, so we’ve got to control our rushes and keep the quarterback in the box.”

Does that kind of setting get you going at night, highly ranked opponent and all that?

“Yeah. It’s why you come to schools like this, to play against great players and great teams in those situations. Seven o’clock, home game, not gonna get no better than that.”

[Fuller]

Karan Higdon

How do you think John O’Korn managed the game and how have you seen improvements in that?

“I think he did very well. He’s still learning; we’re all still learning, we’re all still growing. It’s midway through the season. It’s only going to get better and better.”

…

Do you take it as a personal challenge at all if you hear ‘the defense is in place, they’re going to be good, but is there going to be enough offense to get these guys over the top’?

“You said do I take it personally?”

Yeah.

“Yeah, you have to. You’re a part of this team and when your number’s called, you’ve got to do your job so I’d be wrong if I don’t take it personal. I’ve got to go out there and play for my brothers.”

[Fuller]

John O’Korn

How would you assess your play, especially the last two weeks?

“Yeah, I need to pick it up. There’s no way around it. Definitely not up to my own goals and aspirations. I need to pick it up, simple as that.”

When you say you need to pick it up, what specifically?

“Hit the guys that are open, run when I need to, trust the offensive line. Really just there were a few plays on Saturday where we had guys open. Just need to hit ‘em.”

…

How difficult is play-calling and things like that when you’re in a hostile environment like you’ll be in this week?

“I think we try to operate from a stance of non-verbal communication as much as we can whether on home or on the road, so we have a lot of signals to work in environments like that so really going into the game there’s no excuses and I’ll tell you the same thing after the game regardless of how it goes. It’s going to be loud but we’re built for it.”

With managing the game, how much of it is making sure you deliver—forget the stats—when it’s there?

“Yeah, I mean, you’ve got to know the situation on every single play. We’re not going to take a shot on every single play. There might be a guy on a go route but our objective of that play is to hit a five-yard flat route. Just executing the play how it’s called, the purpose of the play, but when you get opportunities—the one on the first drive to Donovan sticks out on the go route, he’s wide open—I’ve got to hit them.”

…

Karan’s day makes the offensive line look pretty good but from your perspective, where were the improvements in the offensive line? What have you seen the past couple weeks?

“I think as an O-line, you look at our tight ends and our receivers, everyone was blocking downfield. And then Karan’s motor, he brought an intensity that we all had to match. As a football player, that’s who you want to be. You want to be somebody that makes everybody around you better and everybody around you play hard and that’s who Karan was on Saturday.”

What separates Karan from other guys?

“I think he has a burst that is very rare in college football and just a motor. That specific play was a broken play and he ends up making something out of nothing and getting a touchdown on the first play of overtime. He has that big-play ability. You saw it throughout the game and you saw there was so many times also where he was so close to breaking one and just got tripped up or tackled by the last guy, the last line of defense.

“He’s really progressed a lot throughout his career. He’s had so many moments. I think back to two years ago against Michigan State. I remember seeing him flying off of a handoff and about to break one and just slipped and fell. We talked about it after the game and he said that’s a play that really stuck with him and really motivated him, so just to see him be able to grow so much throughout the past few years has been really cool.”