ATLANTA- Georgia Tech's football team continued preparations for the Homecoming game with Duke on Wednesday with a 90-minute practice session on Grant Field in Bobby Dodd Stadium. After practice, defensive tackle D'Quan Douse, ACC running back of the week Hassan Hall, and receiver E.J. Jenkins spoke to the media after practice ended.
Jenkins who joined the team over the summer was impressed with how his teammates handled the transition from Geoff Collins to interim head coach Brent Key last week after Collins was dismissed on Monday.
"I was surprised how well everybody handled it," Jenkins said on Wednesday. "Just like the history with everybody and the relationships, but I haven't seen a drop of focus when I go to practice and everybody is still the same and everything. Everybody just handles their business the way they are supposed to."
The Jackets host Duke at 4pm on Saturday in Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Jenkins said that Duke likes to press and they work a lot on techniques to beat man-press coverage throughout the year and being physical and using your footwork to make that happen.
On his transition to WR from TE, Jenkins said he feels more confident and comfortable now and he is really just going out and just playing ball now.
Jenkins said he talks with Jeff Sims a lot about ball placement and plays they like in the red zone and they are working on improving down there and they have a strong bond as well inside and outside the locker room.
Jenkins said he feels like they are close to breaking some stuff in the passing game and becoming a more explosive offense overall.
Jenkins said the team has adjusted to coach Del Alexander and his approach and he is very business-like on the field, but they are starting to see more of his personality as well when they are chilling and trying to relax, he respects that Alexander is very business-like in practice and there is some chemistry building in the WR room now.
Jenkins said his diving catch last week was him just understanding what Sims was doing and setting up to give him somewhere to get the ball. He said he makes those types of plays all the time so he just had to turn his shoulder and get the ball. He said he has made that type of catch before in his career.
Hassan Hall said the Bush push play was a real energizer for the team and he wants his guys to keep doing that in games. He said he started off on his feet and then they lifted him up and carried him for the first down. He said he had kept fighting and then all of the sudden he felt like he was lifted up.
Hall said he didn't find out he was starting until Friday night, he said they have been basing the playing time off of practice performance each week.
Hall said practice this week has been great and they seem pretty locked in for Duke.
Hall said that Jason Semore has made a major impact as special teams coordinator and he really likes how into the small details Semore is. He said everything they see in games they already saw on film and were prepared for by Semore. He said they've changed up some of the special teams meetings and stuff they do as well.
Hall said on KR he has to judge the kick and what he is comfortable with and if he isn't then he will fair catch it.
D'Quan Douse said he has enjoyed starting regularly now instead of spot starting or being a rotation guy, he feels like his hard work has paid off for him.
Douse said the reason they are having success with the 4-man rush at times is just the work that Coach Turner and Coach Knight have put in with them and the focus on technique and keeping the QB within the pocket as well so they can get pressure and contain at the same time.
Douse downplayed some of the things that Ken wrote about yesterday with the changes in practice, he said the biggest difference is just the pacing is a little different and they've done a little more full-speed good-on-good and some of the periods are done at full-speed instead of 3/4 speed.
On Duke's QB who likes to scramble, Douse said contain is very important in this game and making sure everyone just does their part.
Douse said a lot of his progress this year has come from being more effective with his hands and that allows him to shed blocks quicker and also keeping his eyes in the right places as well.
Douse said the big thing this week is everyone just has to keep doing their jobs and worry about this game and nothing else.
Douse said he really likes the DL rotation right now and the amount of reps he gets and how they keep guys fresh. He feels like they have one of the better snap distributions in the league for DTs to keep guys fresh.
Douse explained his name he said it is pronounced douse like pouring a liquid on something but when he got to GT they gave him the nickname Doo-Say so some folks call him Douse and some call him Doo-Say.
Douse really enjoyed the photo of him drilling Kedon Slovis in the first quarter of the Pitt game, but he said he regrets not stripping the ball from Slovis. He enjoyed that the graphic and pic went a little viral. Below is the pic in question from GT.
Of Note:
The team was rocking W/G/W in practice today.
Jenkins who joined the team over the summer was impressed with how his teammates handled the transition from Geoff Collins to interim head coach Brent Key last week after Collins was dismissed on Monday.
"I was surprised how well everybody handled it," Jenkins said on Wednesday. "Just like the history with everybody and the relationships, but I haven't seen a drop of focus when I go to practice and everybody is still the same and everything. Everybody just handles their business the way they are supposed to."
The Jackets host Duke at 4pm on Saturday in Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Jenkins said that Duke likes to press and they work a lot on techniques to beat man-press coverage throughout the year and being physical and using your footwork to make that happen.
On his transition to WR from TE, Jenkins said he feels more confident and comfortable now and he is really just going out and just playing ball now.
Jenkins said he talks with Jeff Sims a lot about ball placement and plays they like in the red zone and they are working on improving down there and they have a strong bond as well inside and outside the locker room.
Jenkins said he feels like they are close to breaking some stuff in the passing game and becoming a more explosive offense overall.
Jenkins said the team has adjusted to coach Del Alexander and his approach and he is very business-like on the field, but they are starting to see more of his personality as well when they are chilling and trying to relax, he respects that Alexander is very business-like in practice and there is some chemistry building in the WR room now.
Jenkins said his diving catch last week was him just understanding what Sims was doing and setting up to give him somewhere to get the ball. He said he makes those types of plays all the time so he just had to turn his shoulder and get the ball. He said he has made that type of catch before in his career.
Hassan Hall said the Bush push play was a real energizer for the team and he wants his guys to keep doing that in games. He said he started off on his feet and then they lifted him up and carried him for the first down. He said he had kept fighting and then all of the sudden he felt like he was lifted up.
Hall said he didn't find out he was starting until Friday night, he said they have been basing the playing time off of practice performance each week.
Hall said practice this week has been great and they seem pretty locked in for Duke.
Hall said that Jason Semore has made a major impact as special teams coordinator and he really likes how into the small details Semore is. He said everything they see in games they already saw on film and were prepared for by Semore. He said they've changed up some of the special teams meetings and stuff they do as well.
Hall said on KR he has to judge the kick and what he is comfortable with and if he isn't then he will fair catch it.
D'Quan Douse said he has enjoyed starting regularly now instead of spot starting or being a rotation guy, he feels like his hard work has paid off for him.
Douse said the reason they are having success with the 4-man rush at times is just the work that Coach Turner and Coach Knight have put in with them and the focus on technique and keeping the QB within the pocket as well so they can get pressure and contain at the same time.
Douse downplayed some of the things that Ken wrote about yesterday with the changes in practice, he said the biggest difference is just the pacing is a little different and they've done a little more full-speed good-on-good and some of the periods are done at full-speed instead of 3/4 speed.
On Duke's QB who likes to scramble, Douse said contain is very important in this game and making sure everyone just does their part.
Douse said a lot of his progress this year has come from being more effective with his hands and that allows him to shed blocks quicker and also keeping his eyes in the right places as well.
Douse said the big thing this week is everyone just has to keep doing their jobs and worry about this game and nothing else.
Douse said he really likes the DL rotation right now and the amount of reps he gets and how they keep guys fresh. He feels like they have one of the better snap distributions in the league for DTs to keep guys fresh.
Douse explained his name he said it is pronounced douse like pouring a liquid on something but when he got to GT they gave him the nickname Doo-Say so some folks call him Douse and some call him Doo-Say.
Douse really enjoyed the photo of him drilling Kedon Slovis in the first quarter of the Pitt game, but he said he regrets not stripping the ball from Slovis. He enjoyed that the graphic and pic went a little viral. Below is the pic in question from GT.
Of Note:
The team was rocking W/G/W in practice today.
