ODU Postgame Pry-sser

I think the postgame pressers tend to have a little less coach speak, and Pry talks a bit more openly about scheme or specific plays/personnel. Anything with quotes around it is a direct quote, everything else is paraphrased.

The coach speak:

• Aaron Rouse (VT Football alum and state senator) talked to the team at breakfast today, presumably giving some sort of motivational speach
• The fast start was very important, otherwise it would've been more of a dog fight. Bitter circled back to this later, and Pry mentioned that this was a point of emphasis all week.
• We played better, but "no where near" what we need to do.
• "we're making good adjustments at half time"

On specific players:

• "We had to commit to [the run game]. Sometimes you need a little patience, and just keep handing it off to 33. I wanted to see what he could do. He was banged up a little bit. And the true dog came out. He wanted the ball, despite the injury, and he came through for us"
• APR had 4 sacks, tying Bruce Smith's single game record. Bruce was in attendance, as were a lot of APR's family/friends.
• Chaplin injured early, but will be fine, Xray is fine. Pry was impressed with Johnny Garrett's ability to hop in and play the whole game (my words, not his). Complemented 'Johnny' a few times.
• Lane was injured most of camp (I don't remember this being a thing, but maybe I missed it?) - Pry says he's finally "greased up" and "feeling like himself"
• Keli is a bit banged up but Kaleb is practicing well and earning playtime

On the defense:

• On the two big runs we gave up - the first was a miscommunication: "one of the guys thought he heard something that put both of them on dive, putting them both on the QB. That can't happen." On the other one we "missed the fit." Pry said "that's going to happen sometimes, but it has to be 10 or 20 yards, not 30, 40, [or] 50."
• The goal was to force ODU to drive the length of the field over and over again, because he didn't think they could.
• On ODU's third string QB - they watched his high school film and knew he would be a threat given his speed. He talked a bit about how this influenced their defensive strategy.
• When asked what changed in the third quarter, Pry talked about minimizing explosives and making them drive the field. They controlled the QB in the ally, and the DBs did a nice job.