BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech football met with media Tuesday to discuss this week's matchup against Miami (Fla.). Read below to see what head coach Brent Pry and defensive lineman Jaylen Griffin had to say.
Head coach Brent Pry
Opening statement:
"I don't have much. As always, I want to thank the fans for coming out to Pittsburgh. I thought it was a good turnout for the Hokies. We're excited about Homecoming this weekend and having Miami here. Maroon effect. Sold-out crowd. So, the guys are excited. We started talking about Miami postgame in the locker room. We are anxious to get rolling. We had a good couple of days, Sunday and Monday."
On the pressure he feels to win at home:
"I don't know. The message in the narrative isn't about additional pressure. We don't talk that way with the guys, we usually discuss how it's a new week to improve as a team, improve individually and improve as a staff. That's the outlook. I talked to the coaches and the players on Sunday about the lessons learned. The lessons are laying the foundation, week in, week out. We must maximize the things we are learning and make sure they become part of our fabric. I think there's a level of excitement with Miami coming to town, with it being a home game, big crowd and Homecoming. There's a level of excitement that I think our guys are looking forward to."
Defensive lineman Jaylen Griffin
On his decision to come back this season:
"It was hard. It was mentally hard getting through labrum surgery. I had a few rough patches. I know it was rough. My folks prayed about it, and I decided to come back. I'm blessed to be here."
On the positives he sees halfway through the season:
"I've seen throughout all this chaos, we all still manage to stick together. We managed to still stay tight. In the past, that has not always been the case, but we've been sticking together. We're close and we're seeing it. It's kind of frustrating that we know what we could have, but we've just got to execute plays and execute when your number is called."