ORLANDO, Fla. – West Virginia University associate head coach/defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and select members of the WVU football team met with the media on Tuesday, Dec. 25, at Boone High School, in Orlando, Florida.
 
Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
 
On what the defense is emphasizing heading into the bowl game
Well, the biggest focus right now is just being able to prepare the right way and let the kids enjoy themselves a little bit. It's time to start focusing in, locking in on this game, and we're going to have our hands full. They have a great offensive system running a lot of plays, and they're explosive, so we have to do a great job of tackling, getting after this quarterback and eliminating big plays.
 
On if he can experiment with different things this week
Yeah, more schematically than anything else. We're just going to try to do a few different things and just change it up a little bit. And we've had a lot of time to prepare for it, so we've had a lot of time as a staff, and a lot of time with the kids, of studying the film and thinking what would give us the best opportunity to win the game.
 
On if there's enough practice time to fully prepare for the bowl game
Yeah, no doubt. We've had – I don't even know at this point – probably seven, eight practices. We'll get a couple more in before game time, so I think that's plenty of time. You don't want to wear them out because you want this to be a fun opportunity for the kids and give them a learning experience. I think our staff has done a great job with teaching. Now, let's put it all on paper and see what happens.
 
On how to game plan like a regular game
The good thing is, we had a few practices. We used to do a lot of developmental stuff and give our older guys and guys that have played a lot of the snaps a few days off while we did some developmental practices. This year, it's been a lot different. We've been in game mode, really, since we started. We gotten to run through this thing two different times, we're on our second Wednesday practice now, so I think the kids have a good feel for what we're going to face. Now, we just need to go in and perform.
 
On his intensity in practice recently
I hate the way the last two games went, so I don't want these guys to go out like that, especially this senior class that's been through so much like (redshirt senior safety) Dravon (Askew-Henry). He's been around for a long time, and we owe it to him and these other seniors, (senior defensive end) Zeke (Ezekiel Rose), (redshirt senior safety) Toyous (Avery Jr.), and guys that have put the work in. We owe it to them to go out with a win, No. 1, but we need to be able to play better and do some things better on defense.
 
On how much he relies on older players
A lot, sometimes maybe too much. What you all forget, and what I forget as a coach, is they're still 21, 22 years old, and their minds aren't always on football like ours is as a staff. You put a lot on them, but also, you have to look and say, 'You know what? They have a girlfriend, they have family, they have buddies that they go play Fortnite or whatever it is they play.' So, their minds aren't always on football like we are as a staff. When they get done, they leave the building, and we go up and watch film, and we're miserable for about four, five hours doing it, and they go home and eat McDonalds and play video games.
 
On if there's more synergy with head coach Dana Holgorsen back calling offensive plays
Yeah, I think Dana is the best offensive coordinator in the country, so, No. 1, it gives us, I guess, a little more confidence as a defense. But also, No. 2, when it's the head coach calling games, we all have the same goal. I'm not saying that offensive coordinators don't, but your goal is to win the game, and he's going to do everything in his power to help the defense when we're struggling, and there are times when you have an offensive and defensive coordinator, there's not that same gel and you don't know. You're trying to do what's best for you on offense to score points and do what you do, but I think when the head coach gets control of it, then it's a bigger team aspect.
 
On a head coach handling the play-calling duties
(Head coach Dana Holgorsen) has a feel for it and knows, 'Hey, I have to help my defense right here.' So, I think that plays a big part in it, whether it's slowing down, whether it's running the ball, whether it's huddling, there's all kinds of things that goes into it, and he knows when it's go time and he gets them on their heels – he's going to do a great job with that. I think it's just the mix of all it.
 
On what it takes to be successful in a bowl game
I think the biggest thing is who wants to be here the most? If you have kids that come down here, and they just want to come down here and have fun, go out and do all that, then that's not a good mix. They, No. 1, want to play the game, be excited to play the game, and did we reach the goals as a football team that we wanted to reach? No. But this just gives us another opportunity to go out the right way with these seniors, so we have to do that. And Syracuse, they're going to be excited because this is their first bowl game. Nobody on that team has ever been to a bowl game, 10-win season, they have a lot of stuff riding on this as well, and they're going to be excited. So, we have to be able to match that intensity, but I think that's the key all the way around. They have to, No. 1, want to be here, want to play and have fun doing it.
 
On if it's a bad sign when coaches have to generate excitement
Yeah, no doubt. And you can tell with this bowl right now, even back in December back home, they were excited about getting back out there. Now, that was coming off a couple of losses, some heartbreakers, and I think we needed football at that point to get back out and start working and start doing some things. They approached it well, and we went out and had that first practice and there was a lot of juice, a lot of energy and it has continued to carry on.
 
On if a bowl game can be therapeutic after losses and the end of a season
Yeah, and that's the best thing about it is get back out and go. You hate to lose your last one, and this gives us a jumpstart for spring, so we're putting all of our efforts into winning this football game.
 
Senior Wide Receiver David Sills V
 
On if it feels like Christmas
Not really. Christmas Day is when you're sitting around the tree with your family and everything, so it really doesn't feel like Christmas Day, but it's a great time of year to be playing football. If you can play football at this time, then you've had a pretty successful season. We're excited about being out here practicing.
 
On if he anticipates Syracuse double-teaming him
It's tough to tell. I'm not sure what they're going to do. They're really seeing a lot of changes, so I'm not sure what they're going to do. But we'll be prepared for all of it no matter what it is. If they are bracketing me or whatever it may be, then there's going to be other holes in the defense. Whatever it is, we'll be prepared for whatever they decide to do to us.
 
On working with redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Allison
That's something that just can't happen overnight, but every time (redshirt senior quarterback) Will (Grier) was out there, Jack was out there, too, throwing with us. So, it's something we've been building for the last couple of weeks, trying to get it as good as it can get before the game. Like I said, it's not something you can just build overnight, but I think we have a pretty good connection. Obviously, it's not what Will and I had, but we've been working towards getting it as good as it can be.
 
Redshirt Junior Offensive Lineman Colton McKivitz
 
On how a new quarterback affects the offensive line
It does change some of it, just his playing style compared to (redshirt senior quarterback) Will's (Grier). Baylor, when (redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Allison) came in, he definitely had some confidence that was there, and we believed in him. I think our thing when he came in was to throw a bomb to get him started. He hit (senior wide receiver) Gary (Jennings Jr.) for a long touchdown, so I think that definitely helped with that confidence. This week, and last week in the couple of bowl practices that we've had, it's just building that confidence for him. That's going to be our job to keep him clean, because if he's clean early, then he's going to have that confidence with completions and getting him comfortable back there. So, that's our biggest part, keeping him clean and comfortable,
 
On preparing for Syracuse's aggressive defensive style
Yeah, that's a big thing we've looked at is what kind of blitzes are they going to give us and IDing them and making sure that we're IDed right. The big thing is seeing those looks and making sure we have our protections in accordingly and, also, keeping (redshirt sophomore quarterback) Jack (Allison) clean.
 
On the new-look offensive line
It's been that constant rotation of guys filling in, plugging in and seeing who is the best fit. It's been that theme this year. I think, this week, it has been good bringing those guys in and getting a rotation with (redshirt junior offensive lineman) Kelby (Wickline) in at left (tackle) and getting everybody comfortable with where they're at. You just never know, injuries happen in a game, like we saw against Oklahoma, and guys have to play elsewhere. It's good to have that rotation to get guys used to different spots.
 
Redshirt Senior Tight End/Fullback Trevon Wesco
 
On what changes when a new quarterback is running the offense
The cadence is a little bit different, and you just have to get together on the chemistry, and the timing of him throwing the football is a little different because everybody throws the football a little bit differently.
 
On redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Allison's passes look different
It's not really that much different. It's just like throw and catch. You have to catch the ball if it comes out of his hands, so it's not that different, really.
 
On redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Allison's strengths
He's getting more confidence in himself with calling the plays out there. He doesn't have that much experience on the field, but you can tell he's getting more comfortable every week. We've been practicing for two weeks now, and he's getting more comfortable every day, and he was getting better every day during the season, so he's come a long way.
 
Redshirt Junior Linebacker David Long Jr.
 
On preparing for another mobile quarterback
I don't think it's any different from other guys we've prepared for, but we've definitely had more time to prepare and work on the stuff that has hurt us when we've faced mobile quarterbacks.
 
On the mentality since the team has arrived in Orlando
It definitely changes because, now, we have to really lock in, especially with there probably being more distractions out here in the warm weather. But we're enjoying it and still have time to lock in, and we still have time to have fun as well.
 
On what impresses him the most about Syracuse
They play hard, especially up front on the (offensive) line. They definitely play hard, they get out there, they're nasty, I like that. The running backs run hard, and No. 2 (Eric Dungey), he does what he does back there. He gets the offense together and makes some plays.  
 
Redshirt Senior Safety Dravon Askew-Henry
 
On what he thinks the Syracuse offense does best
They like to take shots. They have big targets on the outside, a nice quarterback, and I feel like they just try to use that to their advantage.
 
On if Syracuse reminds him of a Big 12 offense
They could be. They have a tempo and a nice quarterback, so they could be compared to the Big 12.
 
On how important depth is against an up-tempo offense
We have to have guys that can step up no matter what the situation is. If a guy needs a break or a breather, or a guy went down, or whatever, it's always the next man up. That's just been the focus.
 
Redshirt Senior Defensive Lineman Kenny Bigelow Jr.
 
On how a mobile quarterback changes the way the defense has to play
It kind of adds a 12th man to that offense that somebody has to account for, where most quarterbacks are just back there throwing the ball. He's a real dual-threat kind of guy. He has, what, 15 touchdowns? So, he's a really accomplished runner and is somebody we definitely have to keep track of.
 
On looking for runs out of the quarterback
We definitely have to be more conscious of the A gap, because, like I said, he does have the threat of being able to pull the ball and run it. So, that's someone I'm keeping an extra eye on now and probably won't get off a block as fast, so I get a chance to get a little bit better.
 
On playing in his last bowl game
It definitely makes it a little bit different. My last one wasn't my last one, I guess, so this one truly is my last one. I'm really excited about it, really excited to be out here with these guys. We have some great energy going on and having a lot of fun. I'm really excited to go out and play these guys.