OPENING STATEMENT: Obviously excited to start ACC play and we start right off the bat with a Coastal Division foe and the defending Coastal Division champions. When you come off a loss, it’s always a little challenging to go back and get your energy and emotions where they need to be. I think we’ve done that starting Sunday because it is an ACC game. Obviously the focus is on doing things better than we did last week – that we didn’t do well enough, building on things that we did well and, as you know, getting ourselves ready for a Georgia Tech team that’s not easy to play against. They’re a team that plays really well on defense, they blend in with what they do on offense, they are outstanding at the kicking game and that’s what makes them so difficult to beat. This will be a huge test, a huge challenge and I’m anxious to see how we respond.
Q. On the offensive line:
COACH CUTCLIFFE: We can get a lot better and have to get a lot better [on the offensive line]. We’re not as veteran as maybe we’ve been at times, but we’ve got to play consistently there. We also need, and it’s very evident that we’re not playing with five guys really, with Cody [Robinson] being out, we’ve got to see our people in practice, our backups, give us some relief and get better. It’s a combination of those things. Not just those five, you’re working 10 or 11 all the time. I’m anxious to see what we can do to improve that entire group.
Q. On sustaining offensive drives vs. Georgia Tech
COACH CUTCLIFFE: If you play Georgia Tech, if you can run the ball, if your offense can stay on the field, there’s no question you have a better chance at being successful. Georgia Tech’s going to have something to say about that. We’d like to put together drives that keep their offense off the field. When you’re playing Georgia Tech, you can’t have penalties. You cannot have plays that put you behind schedule, so to speak, down and distance. That’s a big part of it. In football every week, I’ve always told offensive teams, you’re not only competing against their defense, you’re competing at this level against that offensive team. We’ve got to win first downs.
Q. On improving the offense:
COACH CUTCLIFFE: Right now, we just think there’s things we’ve got to continue to address offensively to grow. No better week than this one if we can get much better.
Q. On the offensive line:
COACH CUTCLIFFE: We can get a lot better and have to get a lot better [on the offensive line]. We’re not as veteran as maybe we’ve been at times, but we’ve got to play consistently there. We also need, and it’s very evident that we’re not playing with five guys really, with Cody [Robinson] being out, we’ve got to see our people in practice, our backups, give us some relief and get better. It’s a combination of those things. Not just those five, you’re working 10 or 11 all the time. I’m anxious to see what we can do to improve that entire group.
Q. On sustaining offensive drives vs. Georgia Tech
COACH CUTCLIFFE: If you play Georgia Tech, if you can run the ball, if your offense can stay on the field, there’s no question you have a better chance at being successful. Georgia Tech’s going to have something to say about that. We’d like to put together drives that keep their offense off the field. When you’re playing Georgia Tech, you can’t have penalties. You cannot have plays that put you behind schedule, so to speak, down and distance. That’s a big part of it. In football every week, I’ve always told offensive teams, you’re not only competing against their defense, you’re competing at this level against that offensive team. We’ve got to win first downs.
Q. On improving the offense:
COACH CUTCLIFFE: Right now, we just think there’s things we’ve got to continue to address offensively to grow. No better week than this one if we can get much better.
