Without a game this week, Wednesday's player media avail focused on players who made impact plays in the Miami game but were not featured in the postgame media session at Hard Rock Stadium. The group consisted of cornerback Ahmari Harvey, defensive end Kyle Kennard and receiver Malik Rutherford.
On his pick, Harvey said that they have been working really hard on film study and that play was something they saw on tape and they got one of his teammates with it earlier in the game with the same concept so he played it right in the game. He said Van Dyke tried to force the ball and he just made a play on it.
Harvey said the big key for the defense moving forward is consistency and playing more like the team in the WF or Miami games on that side of the ball. They need to have a good mentality week in and week out.
I asked him about his increased role and being in the rotation finally. He said it feels good because he worked really hard for this in the offseason and gained a couple of pounds, matured on and off the field and worked on his academics a lot. He worked on a lot of stuff off the field as well and it is paying off on the field now.
Harvey said the bye week is at the perfect time now in the middle of the season. Everyone has nicks and bruises and they needed the break.
I asked about the tackling improvement and he said that they've made it a major emphasis for the whole defense and after the first couple of games they really needed to improve and be very detailed with it.
Harvey said with Kevin Sherrer now in charge of the defense the changes are not that big difference for the players. The buy-in is there from the players and he really likes Andrew Thacker and Thacker helped bring him to GT.
Kyle Kennard said he has enjoyed all the reactions to his fumble recovery and getting in the refs face to try to convenience him. He said he was so focused on that he didn't notice that the ref was actually signaling it was GT's ball until they announced it. He said seeing some memes of his face in that moment has been very funny as well.
Kennard said the defense hasn't changed much as well, he said not to discredit either coach, but it is more of a change of seating. They are doing the same stuff and they have the same goals as a whole unit as a defense. It has not been a hard adjustment at all.
Kennard said they've been trying different combinations on the DL week to week and some of that is game planning against the type of offense they are playing that week and their OL and the different strengths and weaknesses of that line vs GT's DL. They've been trying to find the best fits each week.
Kennard said the D has been working hard on not being complacent and not thinking a win means anything more than a win. They didn't get any hardware from beating Miami so they need to focus on beating BC this week just like they beat Miami last week with consistent D.
Kennard said there have been more than one or two guys being vocal now on defense.
Kennard said he will spend his bye weekend with his son and working on his podcast.
Malik Rutherford said on his catch on the final drive he thought the DB was going to pick it off and then he missed the ball and he was focused on just catching it and he ended up bobbling it a little and then tried to get out of bounds, but he couldn't.
Rutherford said he has a lot of pride after a tough night against a very good Miami defense to make one of the two final big plays on the game winning drive. They were aggressive on D and as fast a D as they will see all year. He said going in he expected a gritty type game and he was just focused on making a play when had his number called.
Rutherford said it was great finally beating Miami after losing to them his first two times playing them.
Rutherford said there was a little trash talk between him and his friend Brashard Smith before the game, but afterward the Miami players were in such a state of shock over how the game ended they were very quiet.
Rutherford said that Haynes King did a great job of keeping them settled down on the final drive and he looked everyone in their eyes in the huddle and he looked in his eyes and knew he was going to make a clutch throw to win the game.
Rutherford said he made the touchdown signal when he saw Christian Leary's move on the Miami DBs and King getting ready to throw the ball even before he threw it knowing it was a touchdown.
Rutherford said the win really comes back to something Coach Key preaches to them every week. Play the full 60 minutes and they talked about it all week leading up to the game. The defense really grinded it out in that game and got the ball back and they could've easily given up in that moment on that final run by Miami. "We played hard for 60 minutes and things like that will eventually happen and I feel like it paid off."
On his pick, Harvey said that they have been working really hard on film study and that play was something they saw on tape and they got one of his teammates with it earlier in the game with the same concept so he played it right in the game. He said Van Dyke tried to force the ball and he just made a play on it.
Harvey said the big key for the defense moving forward is consistency and playing more like the team in the WF or Miami games on that side of the ball. They need to have a good mentality week in and week out.
I asked him about his increased role and being in the rotation finally. He said it feels good because he worked really hard for this in the offseason and gained a couple of pounds, matured on and off the field and worked on his academics a lot. He worked on a lot of stuff off the field as well and it is paying off on the field now.
Harvey said the bye week is at the perfect time now in the middle of the season. Everyone has nicks and bruises and they needed the break.
I asked about the tackling improvement and he said that they've made it a major emphasis for the whole defense and after the first couple of games they really needed to improve and be very detailed with it.
Harvey said with Kevin Sherrer now in charge of the defense the changes are not that big difference for the players. The buy-in is there from the players and he really likes Andrew Thacker and Thacker helped bring him to GT.
Kyle Kennard said he has enjoyed all the reactions to his fumble recovery and getting in the refs face to try to convenience him. He said he was so focused on that he didn't notice that the ref was actually signaling it was GT's ball until they announced it. He said seeing some memes of his face in that moment has been very funny as well.
Kennard said the defense hasn't changed much as well, he said not to discredit either coach, but it is more of a change of seating. They are doing the same stuff and they have the same goals as a whole unit as a defense. It has not been a hard adjustment at all.
Kennard said they've been trying different combinations on the DL week to week and some of that is game planning against the type of offense they are playing that week and their OL and the different strengths and weaknesses of that line vs GT's DL. They've been trying to find the best fits each week.
Kennard said the D has been working hard on not being complacent and not thinking a win means anything more than a win. They didn't get any hardware from beating Miami so they need to focus on beating BC this week just like they beat Miami last week with consistent D.
Kennard said there have been more than one or two guys being vocal now on defense.
Kennard said he will spend his bye weekend with his son and working on his podcast.
Malik Rutherford said on his catch on the final drive he thought the DB was going to pick it off and then he missed the ball and he was focused on just catching it and he ended up bobbling it a little and then tried to get out of bounds, but he couldn't.
Rutherford said he has a lot of pride after a tough night against a very good Miami defense to make one of the two final big plays on the game winning drive. They were aggressive on D and as fast a D as they will see all year. He said going in he expected a gritty type game and he was just focused on making a play when had his number called.
Rutherford said it was great finally beating Miami after losing to them his first two times playing them.
Rutherford said there was a little trash talk between him and his friend Brashard Smith before the game, but afterward the Miami players were in such a state of shock over how the game ended they were very quiet.
Rutherford said that Haynes King did a great job of keeping them settled down on the final drive and he looked everyone in their eyes in the huddle and he looked in his eyes and knew he was going to make a clutch throw to win the game.
Rutherford said he made the touchdown signal when he saw Christian Leary's move on the Miami DBs and King getting ready to throw the ball even before he threw it knowing it was a touchdown.
Rutherford said the win really comes back to something Coach Key preaches to them every week. Play the full 60 minutes and they talked about it all week leading up to the game. The defense really grinded it out in that game and got the ball back and they could've easily given up in that moment on that final run by Miami. "We played hard for 60 minutes and things like that will eventually happen and I feel like it paid off."
