Georgia Tech Football Practice Notes and Quotes 11/9
ATLANTA- Georgia Tech continued preparations for Miami and SR Day on the Flats with a long morning practice session in Bobby Dodd Stadium in full pads. The Jackets need a win over the Canes to improve their odds of going bowling and the Jackets are favored over Miami, but the Tech players are focused on getting ready for a fight.
Miami used three different quarterbacks in the loss to Florida State last Saturday starting an ailing Tyler Van Dyke, playing Jake Garcia, and then turning to Jacurri Brown later in the game. Starting Jackets’ defensive tackle D’Quan Douse said the team is preparing to face any of those three quarterbacks on Saturday.
“You just have to prepare for either of the three that could come out,” Douse said. “We’ve watched all of them and made game plans just to be prepared.”
Douse and his teammates put Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells through the wringer last week. Douse had a career day with 2.5 sacks and a blocked PAT his second blocked kick of the year in the game. After being a part of a rebuilding defensive line for three years, Douse said he is taking some satisfaction in the team performing so well and starting to see the results he wants on the field from himself and the team and seeing some national recognition as well. PFF College had Douse with the second-best defensive lineman grade in the country last week with a 90.8 just behind Georgia’s Jalen Carter at 92.3.
“It is exciting,” Douse said of getting a little attention nationally. “I can’t lie, it is exciting, but honestly I think it is just consistency and just finally everything coming together and working out for me. Not much has changed with hard work from when I first got here to now, so honestly I just say it is consistency and hard work.”
The now veteran defensive tackle said there isn’t a secret to his kick-blocking ability, it is more of an effort play.
“I don’t think (there is a secret). I just try to get off the ball as fast as I can, stay low, rise up and get my hand in the way,” he said.