UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 13, 2026

Corey Dailey

Press Conference

Florida State 16, Pitt 10

Q. Corey, what happened on the third and two? Seemed like there was some confusion. Pat told us La'Vell lined up on the wrong side.

COREY DAILEY: Just the mic shut out. Just trying to get the right play call. We were in the right play, just got to get him on the right side.

Q. Did you get the play call before the 15 seconds or what happened there?

COREY DAILEY: Yeah, it cut out midway, I'm pretty sure. We were in the right play. Had the look we wanted. We just lined up wrong. That's part on me. I got to get 'em lined up.

Q. How much more comfortable were you stepping in tonight in your second start than you were in your first?

COREY DAILEY: Definitely a lot more comfortable. My first start, hopping around too much. I told myself after that start I got to step in the pocket, trust the O-line, because they're doing a hell of a job this year. They continue to do it. They keep working. Trust 'em. Put my body on the line for them. That means keep stepping up for them.

Q. You started using your legs more towards the end of the game. Was that a concerted effort or...

COREY DAILEY: Yeah, just Kade. Told me before the game, he watched my highlight tape of high school the day before. He said, Just play like you did in high school, be that guy, make plays.

I took a different mentality to this game than I did in Boston College, I think. Tried to do what I can to help the team win.

Q. I think you have a strong arm. What is the process of maybe taking some velocity off some throws? Something you're trying to get ahold of?

COREY DAILEY: Yeah, for sure. I think that is just more work we got to work on after practice. If that means I got to stay after and work on it, that's what we're going to do. We got to fix that. That's for sure a big problem right now with me. I got to throw catchable balls when they're close.

Everything starts with me. I got to get that fixed.

Q. Season low 10 points tonight. Offensively generally speaking, what limited you guys?

COREY DAILEY: We just got backed up in the first half really. That's what really stopped us, the first couple drives. It's hard to play football against good teams. Third and long. They're athletic. They got a good defense. So we just got to be disciplined, not get penalized, get backed up.

We got to get back to the fact of being explosive like we say we are. That's a big change we got to make. We got to be explosive.

Q. Coach talks about there's no substitute for in-game reps. What might you take away from in-game experiences that you can't from practice?

COREY DAILEY: Definitely the speed. The D-lines are a lot quicker than practice. Same with the secondary. Everything moves faster. It's just something you got to get used to. It's nothing compared to practice. It's completely different. But you got to be ready for it.

Q. The big pass to Malik on the left sideline, second quarter. Take us through the play.

COREY DAILEY: Kind of just had to make a play. We work it all the time, getting out of the pocket, stuff like that. Made a miss. Saw Malik wide open. Give him a catchable ball. Made an explosive play.

Q. The interception, I think it literally bounced off a defensive lineman's back. Is that a wonky play?

COREY DAILEY: It's definitely one I'd want back. Just bad on me. Step up and run there, don't try to make a play. That's something I did against Georgia Tech. Just try to make a play, throw a pick.

I can't keep doing it. I got to learn from it. It's something I got to fix. Trying to do too much in certain moments. Just get our play-makers the ball like I am supposed to and we'll be all right.

Q. There were moments couldn't cycle through your reads as often. What were you trying to tell yourself to stay locked in?

COREY DAILEY: It's just something with, like, trusting myself, trust what I'm seeing, honestly. Defense tried to disguise things. Coming to the sideline, looking at iPad, know what they were doing most of the game. We figured it out pretty well, honestly. Then it just comes down to executing.

Q. As a true freshman, what has that year been like for you? What have you learned about yourself as a player and person?

COREY DAILEY: It's definitely unreal. Blessed to get the opportunity, honestly. Coming in the year, you can ask Jacob, too, I told him I wasn't going to play this year. I was just trying to get developed. That's why I came here because I thought Kade would develop me the best.

Now we're in this. But I got to be ready to go. They told me that from the beginning. You never know what's going to happen. So yeah.