Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins' comments following the Yellow Jackets' 38-22 loss to North Carolina Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
On the game
“We’re starting to find a little bit of rhythm. Had some explosive plays, the guys kept battling and cut it down in the fourth quarter and made it a really good game.The environment out there was really good out there, really happy our fans were engaged. Obviously, the guys on our sideline did a really good job staying positive, staying engaged and supporting each other but just that drive at the end, where I think they probably had two or three third and long conversions, we’ve got to address that, we’ve got to fix it.”
On one takeaway
“The hallmark of our defense for the last six to eight years has been creating turnovers. Two straight weeks we’ve only gotten one, so we’ve got to make sure we emphasize creating turnovers getting the ball, doing those kind of things, playing the kind of defense we’re accustomed to, creating negative plays, creating turnovers.”
On walk-on center William Lay
“He was out there battling. They were in an odd front lining up somebody head up on him the entire time and I thought he was really efficient on all his snaps and just was out there battling.”
On offense in second half
“I thought it started clicking in the second half but we’ve just got to make sure we play good team football, complementary football as well.”
On North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell
“Our guys were fighting and scratching and clawing to get back there and then he was slippery a couple times and made some nice throws downfield. Good player. Really good player.”
On North Carolina’s offensive line
“They’re big and that’s the big reason with their large offensive line that we were trying to generate some movement. We were doing a lot of run stunts, a lot of run blitzes and were having some success first and second down. I thought coach (Andrew) Thacker and the defensive staff dialed up some really nice things but it all comes down to third down.”
On Tobias Oliver
“He’s a dynamic player and (we’re) still trying to find things that we can use his explosiveness (for) to show the things that he can do as a football player. Let’s not discount that he’s banged up. I don’t want to talk about that too much, but he’s out there battling and willing himself to contribute in every way that he possibly can for himself and for his teammates. just an unbelievable competitor and just trying to find different ways, creative ways, to get him the ball.”
On improving
“The future’s going to be what the future’s going to be, but right now, we’ve got an unbelievable, small group of seniors that we’re in there fighting and battling for to make sure their experience at Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech football program every single week gets better because nobody likes this feeling that we have right now, and we’re going to work every single day to make that happen.”
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