AFLAC KICKOFF GAME: VIRGINIA TECH VS. SOUTH CAROLINA

August 31, 2025

Emmett Laws

Virginia Tech Hokies

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Postgame Press Conference

South Carolina 24, Virginia Tech 11

Q. Emmett, take us inside what happened on that safety there when you and Kelvin took down Sellers early in the first half.

EMMETT LAWS: Basically I just got off the ball and just contained. You got to keep Sellers contained and that's what the whole D-line, we were working on that the whole week so that's definitely what I did right there.

Q. Three tackles, including you were involved on a pair of sacks tonight. Your thoughts on your first performance outside the bowl game, kind of significant snaps.

EMMETT LAWS: I feel like I'm just getting started. Yeah, for sure.

Q. Kemari was in here. He said he felt like you caught South Carolina off guard with kind of the stuff you were doing up front. Do you feel the same way?

EMMETT LAWS: Yeah, I definitely feel that.

Q. What did that allow you guys to do in terms of gaining an advantage and kind of pinning your ears back and going right at Sellers?

EMMETT LAWS: Ask you ask that one more time?

Q. Just catching them off guard, how did that allow you guys to kind of pin your ears back and attack?

EMMETT LAWS: Yeah, it definitely does, just that, exactly what you said.

Q. Emmett, leaps and bounds over where we saw you in the bowl game back in January in terms of pressures and actually finishing. Where have you grown the most from where you ended last season to how you started this year?

EMMETT LAWS: I difficult would say I grew just the little details and the keys of playing D-line, things like that, and I really had to work on that before the ghoul became and all last year and leading up to the game now, definitely I got with that in the off season.

Q. The players last year, you had so many graduate students, red-shirt seniors who were there. Did they help you out and has anyone from this team been instrumental in helping you and your development?

EMMETT LAWS: Oh, yeah, definitely, what's that, Fup? APR, all of them old guys back then. Fuga, they definitely played a big part on developing me and giving me that grit and a guy on this team definitely is KG, Kemari. All my guys really just push me and make me better.

Q. How fun was it to play in rotation. I think you had 11 or 12 guys rotate between inside and edge. How fun is it to be part of a group like that where you have so many different types of fronts and you're able to rotate so many different guys?

EMMETT LAWS: I feel like it's great. We work hard in the off season and this whole time building up to that and we definitely, you know, it felt good to have a break, you know? And not be tired.

Q. South Carolina obviously had that opening drive where they marched down the fold but it seeped like after that, you were able to contain Sellers in that offense outside a couple of moments. What shifted from that first drive to the rest of the game?

EMMETT LAWS: It was definitely the little things. Coming into the game amped up. We were trying to find the flow and we found the flow and the whole game, we basically shut them down.

Q. Kemari Copeland I know has overcome a lot with the injuries last year. Five tackles, after all the buzz that we had seemed to delivered tonight. Your thoughts on what he did.

EMMETT LAWS: We call him hawk. He's really a strong guy. He makes plays. He's explosive. He's really that guy.

Q. What's the biggest difference now you have a game with Sam Siefkes leading that defense. What's the biggest difference you notice with him?

EMMETT LAWS: He's just smart. He just knows when to call a play and he's nice. He's really, really good. For sure.

Q. Emmett, LaNorris Sellers is a very elusive quarterback and I've seen the celebrations y'all had with getting the safety and containing him a little bit. Even though a loss is a loss, what is the team chemistry between you and the rest of the guys on the front line?

EMMETT LAWS: It's really tight, I'm going to be honest, because I remember when we went to it's called Crater Lake and we had a little campsite. We were there camping and doing workouts in the woods, you know? So that really brought everybody together and everybody on the same page and the brotherhood on this team is really strong and I really noticed that from last year and just me playing football like the previous years, so, yeah.

Q. In the second quarter, Elhadj Fall has that big strip sack on Sellers. What did you see on that play and what has he provided to you guys as a transfer?

EMMETT LAWS: Yeah, he's really good and he made a really good move and a big play and a big ball game and that's what big players do. He's going to be a big player and he is a big player, to be honest.