Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech football Head Coach James Franklin spoke to the media Monday afternoon following the Hokies' 25-20 loss at Cal over the weekend. Tech's next test will come against Georgia Tech in Blacksburg. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
Head Coach James Franklin
Opening statement:
“As I said after the game, we did not do enough to win the game. Got to give Cal a ton of credit, but ultimately, we did not do enough to win the game and that’s on us. We got to be honest about that. The things that we need to correct and take ownership (for), and to make sure we got accountability. Our focus is on learning from it and taking steps in the right direction. This week, I thought the guys were really good on Sunday. I thought the staff was really good on Sunday. I know coaches kind of come in and say that, but when you lose a game like that, it’s critical that we all approach it the right way so that we can learn from it and move forward. Looking forward to being back at home in Lane Stadium and having a great crowd. I think it’s Homecoming and also Maroon Effect. We need that place rocking. When you look at our last two games, I think we all realize the margin for error is small and any advantage that we can gain with the crowd and our fans and our environment, we need it. I challenge our fans to come out and support us like they did our last home game. We truly appreciated it and we need to continue building on that. I also know that it’s my job to make sure we put a product on the field that they’re excited about, too. I’ve got tremendous respect for (Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key). I thought they did a good job of getting their team ready to play this week. They’ve got some talented guys and I think their coaching staff has done a really good job after what I think they would argue is a slow start to their season. I thought last week watching them on tape was impressive. They’ve put a good staff together, they’ve put a good roster together and this will be a challenge.”
On what challenges Georgia Tech present on both sides of the ball:
“They are big and physical on both fronts. They’ve got some talented playmakers. Their running back, their wide receiver that they use a lot of different ways. Both those guys can make big-time plays. They got two backs that are really playing at a high level for them. They’ve got a massive tight end who does a nice job in both the run and pass game. The quarterback, obviously, is well known. Got a lot of name recognition and is doing a nice job as his old man, which I think is probably a big reason why he went there. It felt like this past week, I know Coach Key talked about it as well. It was their best, most complete game, offense, defense and special teams, and you saw that. Duke, coming in there, undefeated, and they did a really good job for four quarters battling those guys. Duke’s got a phenomenal tailback. His first game I really got a chance to watch him a lot. He’s a special player, and they did a really good job, for the most part, limiting his overall impact in the game. Their game came down to a kick, too. It’s impressive to watch how they’ve rebounded, and how they responded and how they played. I know we’re going to have an enthusiastic and inspired football team coming into our stadium after a big win for them last week.”