	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 21, 2017

Paul Johnson

Greensboro, North Carolina

PAUL JOHNSON: Good morning. As you mentioned, this is our big rivalry game for the year. Certainly it's going to be a huge challenge for us. I think the University of Georgia probably has the best team they've had since I've been here in the ten years. So they're playing very well. Come in at 10-1, and looking for a spot in the College Football Playoff if they can win the SEC Championship game the next week. So we've got a lot of work cut out for us, and looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.

Q. You have this final game, and obviously it's a rivalry game, but you're also in control of your own destiny for a bowl opportunity. Just what you can say about still having that in front of you as you move forward?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, it's an opportunity. We'll see if we can take advantage. We've had a couple of shots to finish that off and haven't been able to do it on the road. We're on a little win streak at home. We'll see if we can keep that going certainly. This is one of the better teams we've played this year.

Q. As far as TaQuon Marshall who I asked you about earlier on in the season, just how you've seen him progress and what his maturation has been over this year?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, I think he's progressed. He's made a lot of plays for us. I think both he and KirVonte both hit the thousand yard mark in the last game with Duke, and both of them were able to do it in ten games. So he's played well. He's certainly got some things he can improve on, but he's played well for us this year.

Q. Obviously Georgia has a very good running back in Chubb. What stands out to you as you look at him on film this week?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, he's physical and a big back. They have several good running backs. I think Sony Michel is one of the best players in the country. He's a guy that has great speed. He's a good receiver out of the back field. He's kind of a jack of all trades guy. But both those guys are good, and they've got good receivers and tight ends. You know, they've got a good football team.

Q. Defensively, what do you need to do to kind of recapture what you had against Virginia Tech that's not been there for you defensively last week and in recent games?
PAUL JOHNSON: Well, we didn't play much defense last week. Well, we've got to tackle better for one thing, and everybody says that when you play Georgia you've got to to stop the run, and everybody says that, but nobody's been able to do it except for Auburn. So that's going to be a challenge. We've certainly got to play the run better than we did a week ago to have any chance.

Q. I wanted to ask you a recruiting question. How difficult is it to recruit there? Is it similar to what you experienced at Navy because you play the triple option and use the triple option?
PAUL JOHNSON: No, that doesn't have anything to do with recruiting. It's no different. I mean, there are some barriers here, but it doesn't have anything to do with the offense, I don't think.

Q. You don't feel like it's more difficult to recruit players to play the run game?
PAUL JOHNSON: No, I don't.

Q. Georgia spent some time during the season in Monday practices preparing for your offense. Is that common? Have you heard of that through the years?
PAUL JOHNSON: You know, I wouldn't know what other teams do. Usually you don't know. Maybe I've heard a couple teams in the conference say they do that or spend some weeks in the spring. It's going to come down to execution. That's what it always comes down to, blocking and tackling. Yeah, if they did, that's flattering to us.

Q. Obviously you've coached for a long time. You mentioned Chubb and Michel earlier. How do they compare as far as a top combo and a running back that an opposing team has had?
PAUL JOHNSON: They're really good. I'm not sure that we've played anybody that has two backs like that. They're both really good in their own right. They're a little different. They're both physical, but Nick's a little bigger and Michel's a little more vital I think in the passing game and those kind of things. Though they both can do it, but they're both really good players.

Q. Wanted to ask you, you've had a long-time assistant in Brian Bohannon, just led Kennesaw State to his first conference title and playoff appearance. I was just wondering if you've been to any of their games or contacted him throughout the year? Are you surprised he found success so quickly in a program like that?
PAUL JOHNSON: No, I'm not surprised. We've texted and talked a couple times during the year. I'm excited for him and for what he's done up there. I think he's gone in and he's got a good staff and they're committed to what they do and they've done a really good job. Hopefully they can win a game or two in the playoffs. That would be great.

Q. I was hoping to get some thoughts from you on your old assistant, Coach Jeff Monken, and how he's accomplished a pretty monumental turn around at Army?
PAUL JOHNSON: Yeah, I'm really proud of Jeff as well. He's had a great year. I think that they went in there and have done the same thing. They've kind of stayed the course via philosophy. Jeff was a big part of us turning the thing around at Navy. He saw how it worked, and I think he's gone in there and implemented a lot of that stuff and some of his own ideas. They've had a good year to this point.

Q. They had that streak against Navy, and you had to do the same thing against Army. Is a first win over your rival harder or the second one?
PAUL JOHNSON: I guess they're all hard. I don't remember. That seems like a hundred years ago. But we were fortunate when I was the head coach there at Navy we never lost to Army, so we were fortunate that way.

Q. Last week Bronco Mendenhall said on the teleconference that he thought head coaches shouldn't leave their school until a bowl game is played, assuming that team is in a bowl game. I'm curious from your perspective, having gone through that experience, what you kind of think of that statement, and if you think, obviously, now ten years later, if it might be something that makes sense or doesn't?
PAUL JOHNSON: I think each situation is different. I think once it breaks and the word is out, it's probably, probably hard to stay there and coach. I don't think that your mind is probably there. I'm not sure that the players or the people there would want you there if you're leaving. So I think each situation is just different. It depends on the situation.

I think it's probably different if you're retiring or not going to another school or something like that, but if you've taken another job and everybody already knows that you're going to be at another school, I think it would be difficult to stay there and coach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297