We talked to Kyle Kennard, Haynes King and Malik Rutherford today ahead of the UVA game
Both Kyle and Malik talked about there being a chip on their shoulder with this game because the loss to UVA was probably the game that cost them bowl berth last year and it was a funky one with the injury to Jeff Sims and the offense being so bad with Zach Gibson trying to come in for him. They lost 16-9 and that was the Cavs lone conference win last year.
"I'd be lying if I said some game you don't have an extra chip with you and this is one of those games. We are looking to come out and dominate," Kennard said.
"I'd be lying is I said no," Rutherford said when asked if they owed UVA one from last year. "We go into every game with the mindset to just win and we want to go up there and win."
Coach Key went into the dining hall on Tuesday and had them turn off the TVs in there that were playing the UNC game on replay. He was making a very loud point about not living in the past and focusing on the goal this week.
Kennard said the scene on the field after the game was surreal and he had his baby son with him and he had never been apart of something like that.
Kennard said that Coach Key has done a great job with load management this week for their bodies and getting the right mix of rest and prep for UVA.
Kennard said that UVA is a great team with a very perimeter-oriented offense and they want to get the ball out and let their guys make plays and runs after the catch and contact.
Kennard said they've really been preaching consistency on all sides of the ball this week.
Kennard said they are working a lot of guys at DE now and he feels like they are all good enough to play, they should continue getting better with more playing time.
Rutherford said it was great getting the screen game working and getting to show off his God-given abilities and making plays in space to get the team going.
Rutherford said he can see the confidence growing in Haynes King every week and he has been playing well and getting locked in.
Rutherford said the two-point conversion play is something they put in a few weeks ago and had been working. He actually didn't think it would work as well as it did and he thought he would have to do more to convert it than he did.
Rutherford said that Coach Key in the huddle today had a couple of guys on the team talk about consistency and putting out a consistent product on the field and how that is not easy to do but it is the thing they are working on and they don't want to keep going win/loss, they want to win every game left on the schedule.
Rutherford said they have to maintain the same mindset every day and just keep working and not take plays off and that has been a point that has been stressed a lot.
I asked Rutherford if he spoke with Nate McCollum and if he took any satisfaction in his performance vs Nate's head-to-head on Saturday and he said they talked before the game and he hopes Nate balls out there, but he got the better end of the stick on Saturday. It wasn't Nate's game.
King said it felt good to get all the national accolades but at the end of the day he has to focus on playing a tough Virginia team this week at Virginia.
King said the screen game against UNC really built the rhythm for the whole offense and it opened up the run lanes and wore out their defense running sideline-to-sideline instead of just north and south and that wore out their pass rushers too and that got the offense going.
King said that Saturday's game showed how good the offense can be when it is clicking and now they have to learn how to be consistently good like that and execute it. That has been the whole focus of practice this week.
King said in the wins they've taken turns making plays on all sides of the ball and in the losses they've taken turns making mistakes and it all comes down to consistency doing your job and that is what football is about at this level, do your job and execute and then make the play.
King said that UVA on tape is a great team and they do not have a lot of busts. They play fast and physical and in the last two weeks they beat UNC and took Miami to overtime by controlling the LOS.
King said that Brett Seither is a great guy and he works hard and he has a great feel for space and how to get open and his knowledge of the game and how to work filling in open areas is why he is so successful in the red zone. He also accelerates well in man coverage.
King said his biggest area of growth has been in leadership and being vocal with it. He said he still needs to be more vocal and he also needs to be more accurate with his throws and that starts with his feet and those are the two main things he is working on.
I asked him about the OL play and he said they just keep getting better every week and they area handling different looks each week and stunts, blitzes and twists and the communication is the biggest part of that. He said that Geep Wade is a heckuva OL coach and they have a good plan each week.
King was asked about getting too up after a big win and he said that in his experience fans will turn on your quick when you lose so you learn to appreciate the pats on the back, but the only thing that really matters is the opinion of the people in this building, the coaches, teammates and staff and you have to ride the wave and when you think it is bad just remember that the sun is gonna rise and the birds are going to chirp and you have to move on from adversity and how you respond to adversity is how good you are going to be as a man and as a player.
King said one thing he learned from his dad being a coach is to never underestimate an opponent and always be prepared and he has that mindset every week because that is how he was raised.
King said that was his third field rushing situation on Saturday and the other two were at TAMU and he said this one was pretty sweet.
Both Kyle and Malik talked about there being a chip on their shoulder with this game because the loss to UVA was probably the game that cost them bowl berth last year and it was a funky one with the injury to Jeff Sims and the offense being so bad with Zach Gibson trying to come in for him. They lost 16-9 and that was the Cavs lone conference win last year.
"I'd be lying if I said some game you don't have an extra chip with you and this is one of those games. We are looking to come out and dominate," Kennard said.
"I'd be lying is I said no," Rutherford said when asked if they owed UVA one from last year. "We go into every game with the mindset to just win and we want to go up there and win."
Coach Key went into the dining hall on Tuesday and had them turn off the TVs in there that were playing the UNC game on replay. He was making a very loud point about not living in the past and focusing on the goal this week.
Kennard said the scene on the field after the game was surreal and he had his baby son with him and he had never been apart of something like that.
Kennard said that Coach Key has done a great job with load management this week for their bodies and getting the right mix of rest and prep for UVA.
Kennard said that UVA is a great team with a very perimeter-oriented offense and they want to get the ball out and let their guys make plays and runs after the catch and contact.
Kennard said they've really been preaching consistency on all sides of the ball this week.
Kennard said they are working a lot of guys at DE now and he feels like they are all good enough to play, they should continue getting better with more playing time.
Rutherford said it was great getting the screen game working and getting to show off his God-given abilities and making plays in space to get the team going.
Rutherford said he can see the confidence growing in Haynes King every week and he has been playing well and getting locked in.
Rutherford said the two-point conversion play is something they put in a few weeks ago and had been working. He actually didn't think it would work as well as it did and he thought he would have to do more to convert it than he did.
Rutherford said that Coach Key in the huddle today had a couple of guys on the team talk about consistency and putting out a consistent product on the field and how that is not easy to do but it is the thing they are working on and they don't want to keep going win/loss, they want to win every game left on the schedule.
Rutherford said they have to maintain the same mindset every day and just keep working and not take plays off and that has been a point that has been stressed a lot.
I asked Rutherford if he spoke with Nate McCollum and if he took any satisfaction in his performance vs Nate's head-to-head on Saturday and he said they talked before the game and he hopes Nate balls out there, but he got the better end of the stick on Saturday. It wasn't Nate's game.
King said it felt good to get all the national accolades but at the end of the day he has to focus on playing a tough Virginia team this week at Virginia.
King said the screen game against UNC really built the rhythm for the whole offense and it opened up the run lanes and wore out their defense running sideline-to-sideline instead of just north and south and that wore out their pass rushers too and that got the offense going.
King said that Saturday's game showed how good the offense can be when it is clicking and now they have to learn how to be consistently good like that and execute it. That has been the whole focus of practice this week.
King said in the wins they've taken turns making plays on all sides of the ball and in the losses they've taken turns making mistakes and it all comes down to consistency doing your job and that is what football is about at this level, do your job and execute and then make the play.
King said that UVA on tape is a great team and they do not have a lot of busts. They play fast and physical and in the last two weeks they beat UNC and took Miami to overtime by controlling the LOS.
King said that Brett Seither is a great guy and he works hard and he has a great feel for space and how to get open and his knowledge of the game and how to work filling in open areas is why he is so successful in the red zone. He also accelerates well in man coverage.
King said his biggest area of growth has been in leadership and being vocal with it. He said he still needs to be more vocal and he also needs to be more accurate with his throws and that starts with his feet and those are the two main things he is working on.
I asked him about the OL play and he said they just keep getting better every week and they area handling different looks each week and stunts, blitzes and twists and the communication is the biggest part of that. He said that Geep Wade is a heckuva OL coach and they have a good plan each week.
King was asked about getting too up after a big win and he said that in his experience fans will turn on your quick when you lose so you learn to appreciate the pats on the back, but the only thing that really matters is the opinion of the people in this building, the coaches, teammates and staff and you have to ride the wave and when you think it is bad just remember that the sun is gonna rise and the birds are going to chirp and you have to move on from adversity and how you respond to adversity is how good you are going to be as a man and as a player.
King said one thing he learned from his dad being a coach is to never underestimate an opponent and always be prepared and he has that mindset every week because that is how he was raised.
King said that was his third field rushing situation on Saturday and the other two were at TAMU and he said this one was pretty sweet.
