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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 7, 2017

Steven Gonzalez

University Park, Pennsylvania

Q. Talk about it's homecoming this weekend, also homecoming for you guys, as well, coming off a two game road, talk about being back?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: It's great, to be back in Happy Valley, you know, just being back in front of the home crowd, especially after being on the road for two weeks, it's -- just coming back to this atmosphere is something else in Beaver Stadium. So definitely it will be huge for us to bounce back, coming back home.

Q. Today and after the game Coach Franklin talked about the people in the trenches needing to be more physical. How much of a challenge do you take that? You're known as a guy who likes to play a physical style of ball?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: I think it's a huge challenge not only for me, but for the rest of the offensive line. And I think that's the real emphasis this week to try to improve that. And that's what we do every week to try to improve our physicality. So I think that will be our mindset this week, and just try to be as physical as we can against Rutgers.

Q. In the recruiting process you were offered by Rutgers. At the time as a recruit, your perspective on the differences between Penn State and Rutgers, the two programs?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: I just felt like -- it was a fit here, when I came to Penn State. I felt like everything was right for me, not bashing Rutgers. Rutgers is a great program, and they have our successes academically and football wise. But I just felt like Penn State was the better fit for me.

Q. Talk about Rutgers and what they face, their defense, and pass rush. And talk for you guys in the trenches, what's that going to be like?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: It's a challenge every week to try to face a defense like them. They're physical. They're a big group. And they're coming off a few games where if they've won obviously they're coming off a hot streak. It's always going to be tough. And they're going to come in and try to knock us off. And they're going to come in with a lot of momentum, so we just have to be prepared for it.

Q. So when you talk about that physicality on the O line, what exactly changes in practice to make you guys bring that out, whether it be physicality, nastiness, whatever Coach Franklin likes to call it, or Coach G, what changes for you guys to get more physical?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: It's just our mindset and the way we approach the practice. I think we just have to approach the practice today and for the rest of the week and the rest of the season of more finishing mindset. Trying to finish every play, don't stop if until the whistle. That will be the mindset we'll be implementing more and more as the weeks go on.

Q. Curious about Ryan Bates being out. How is he handling being on the sidelines, I imagine he'd like to be out there every single snap. How is he doing?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: He's handling it pretty well. He's doing what he has to do to get back as fast as he can. And we're keeping his spirits up. But he's doing just fine. And he'll be back soon-s hopefully. We'll see what happens.

Q. Rutgers has those two linebackers, over 150 tackles. What do you see from those two guys?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: From what we've seen they're pretty physical. They're quick. And obviously they have a sense of where to go when they see the ball. The challenge for us is to get movement up front and try to push the D line to be in their face, just to disrupt them little bit.

So I think our challenge, obviously, like I've been saying, is just to be physical and to get to the second level as fast and physically as we can.

Q. I'm curious your thoughts as a lineman, you're obviously a big, tough guy. To have your offensive called a finesse offensive, do you take any exception to that. What do you think when your head coach calls your offensive a finesse offensive?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: Don't really take any meaning to it. We do a lot of finesse things. We do run pass options, things like that, nice little dress up schemes to make the defenses see other things. But at the end of the day it just comes down to the grit and physicality of the game and that's what us as an offensive line we pride ourselves on.

Q. Can you go back a little bit to last year? It seemed like you guys were better able to maybe impose your will on some other teams with your running game. What do you guys seeing that -- are you coming off the ball in the same way that you did last year?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: I think we are, I just think teams know what Saquon is about and our running game is all about. So they're going to load it with more than what we can handle. So I think that's just kind of somewhat the issue for us. But I think we have a good game plan going into this week, and I think we're going to have it solved for Rutgers.

Q. Just going back to when you say guys hold the backs. What challenges does that specifically present to you. Obviously it changes stuff for you?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: We still have to account for our guys, our guys are basically whoever they have on the D line, but it does bring a challenge to us when they start moving around and start glitzing and doing twists and stunts and things like that. It does bring a challenge. And plus it's bringing more people than what we can block. So that's a real challenge.

Q. Who is the most difficult defensive tackle you've ever faced or lineman?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: There's been quite a few. More east Harris is a great player from Michigan. He was tough. Going back to last year, the D tackle from USC, I don't quite recall his name or I've forgotten his name, he was a big guy. He was tough to move. And there's been a few guys that have been tough to play against.

Q. What have you learned this season about yourself or about your game?
STEVEN GONZALEZ: I think I've just gained more confidence in my game. I think last year, I mean towards the beginning I wasn't really confident. And it took a while to build it up and I wasn't really clicking with the offensive line, I was kind of a lone wolf. And I think this year I just made a lot of changes. Obviously with my faith, obviously just believing in the process and believing that -- in my abilities and just the confidence grew. It's a product now. And I've been playing pretty decently.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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