Georgia State Head Coach Trent Miles
“Congratulations to Air Force. It was a battle and they found a way to get it done. Excellent program and excellent young men and coaches. I'm very disappointed that we lost. Our expectation is to win every game that we play. We did not get that done today. I know the defense is not really happy about giving up as many points as they did. It's hard to give up 48 points and win a football game, but our kids kept battling over and over again. They continued to fight and a lot of young guys grew up today. We didn't get it done and all the credit goes to Air Force.”
How did penalties affect the game today?
“I thought out kids played really well to be honest with you. Tough scheme to go up against and prepare for in a very short amount of time. No excuses in our program, we expected to win. We had a couple of untimely calls on third down go against our defense. I'd like to go back and watch the film and see what I thought of them. I thought offensively, they played extremely well. 50 percent on third downs, threw the ball well. Had an unlucky deal on that interception. I thought they did a good job of taking care of the ball, it was just an unlucky deal. You're going to have that sometimes when you throw the ball. The guy just tipped it and the other guy got it. Nothing you can do about that. That wasn't a poor decision, it was just an unlucky play. That happens as part of football. You have to recover from those things. When it came down to it, they were able to execute their offense against our defense. That's the way it is. You go out and score 38 points at home and throw for over 400 yards. That was one of the top five or six teams in the nation on defense against the rush and we were able to put up 135 yards against them. I thought our kids played well in spots and we just ran out of time.”
How proud are you of Kyler Neal?
“I'm very proud of him, I'm very proud of all of them. They battled. I've got warriors in there. They're disappointed that they lost. We're a good football team. We got beat by a better football team today. I'm very proud of Kyler [Neal]. We've always known Kyler can do those things, he just got his opportunity. When one goes down, another one steps in. I have all the faith in Duvall [Smith] and Jonathan Jean-Bart. We have a very good football team that just happens to be very, very young. Young guys have to go through their learning experiences. We know how to win, we've won and we will win games. You're talking about a team in that locker room with only six seniors that play. All those guys playing out there are young guys. It's the first time they've seen this kind of offense.”
On the big Air Force fan contingency…
“I loved it. The more fans the merrier. I don't care who they come to root for. We just like the energy in the building. I'm glad they brought people. I'm very proud of the Georgia State people; they were loud too. The ones that were there, we're very thankful for them coming out also.”
On the fourth and one play call on the first drive…
“It was supposed to be exactly what we called and they ran exactly what we called. … The guys upstairs felt we had the first down, but obviously people that spot the ball are the ones that count and they didn't we didn't get it. It was a well-executed play with the exception of one of the Air Force guys really did a good job.”
Did falling behind 14-0 in the 1Q change your strategy?
“You can't change your strategy in the first quarter. You have to settle in and play. … We didn't do a good job of stopping it, but our offense picked it up and started going and got some points on the board and made it a good football game.”
On playing with discipline…
“Give the credit to Air Force. Don't take away anything from them. Don't make it seem like we just went out there and played horrible. Our kids played pretty good football in phases. On the offensive side, they put out 38 points and 549 yard of total offense on 67 plays with 50% on third downs. That's pretty good football. Defensively, we gave up 48 points which is not.”
KYLER NEAL
Did you realize how many yards you had the start of the 4th quarter?
A: To be honest, I was concentrating on winning the game.
What was going through your head during the 4th quarter?
A We have to score. No matter how many points the other team puts up. Air Force scored 48 points, we have to score 49 points. As many points as it takes to win the game.
What happened on the pass play in the 4th quarter, walk me through what you saw?
A: I saw the safety bite on a curl right, so I knew I was wide open. Luckily, Nick saw me and got the ball to me. I got a key block (from Lynquez Blair) and spun around off a defender. I ran out of gas at the end but at least was able to get our team in good position.
How much are you looking forward to next week?
A: I'm looking forward to it a lot. Washington is a big school. That's what you play for, you have to step your game up.
NICK ARBUCKLE
How do you feel after tying the record for most passing yards in a game?
A: The only numbers that matter are the numbers on the scoreboard. It's great we got the offense moving. This was the best defense we faced, by far, all season. To move the ball on them shows a lot of promise. Records are usually broken when there is a combined effort. I can't throw the ball to myself, or block for myself.
You played the first three games at home, and now you're going on the road to Washington. Talk a little about your preparation.
A: This will be my first road game with Georgia State University, so it will be interesting to see how the whole travel process goes. In the end, it's still a football game. We are going to get dressed in a locker room. We will be walking onto a 100 yard field and be ready to play. Just kind of hoping it doesn't rain but the chances on that are slim, being it's Seattle.
How do you make a decision when throwing in those tight coverages as this is the way I want to go?
A: I like the matchups. We try to get some of our better athletes on their linebackers and I try to put the ball where the player isn't. These are plays we try to in practice and we try to duplicate those in the game.
Air Force Head Coach Troy Calhoun
What does this game do to your perception for your defense? You look like you made some strides last week. Are you back to where you were last year?
We have got some growth that has to occur in all phases; I think special teams too. I think we didn't play as well on special teams, especially in the first half. We had a kick-off out of bounds. We didn't punt well. Those are things that we need to get fixed.
Last week, you dominated early but then didn't have the points to show for it. This week, you didn't leave anything on the field. How important was that “late” to really capitalize on the chances that you got earlier?
We were pretty solid up front which we needed to be, that was the key part of the game. That fourth quarter being able to run some clock, being able to make some first downs, was something that we really needed.
Could this have been a totally different game if any of those first drives didn't convert?
Could be, yes.
Sevrin Remmo left the game?
You know, we will see. Something was wrong with his foot. So, we will find out what the severity of it is.
Who was it that replaced him?
We moved Matt Rochell in to left tackle and moved Allen Caunitz over from left tackle to right tackle.
You have 13 players from Georgia. How is Georgia a key recruiting area for you? And how does it feel to come back and get a W?
It is beyond massive. Just one of those states that you are grateful for. The contribution and what they did for our servicemen was nice. This is a very patriotic state. It is a remarkable place. I think the thing that is the most impressive is that for the last 20 years, the commitment this place has for public education. We go to public schools around here that have great counselors, great principals. Any growth that occurs whether it is in Gwinnett or where it may be, they have done a super job. This a model city and model state for the kind of progress that can be made… For us, we can find guys that can fit at the Air Force. The guys that are willing to go serve in active duty for five years. Guys that go through basic training, but academically there, too… There is a heart and a fortitude in this area that is really impressive.
One player you have from Gwinnett County who is not playing, that is an example of commitment.
Yes sir. We have young player from Grayson High School who was a heck of a player at Grayson. He is as tough as you will ever find. He's got the soul and the heart that you want in a future Air Force officer. He's not there yet, but character wise, he is on it.
