Everything From Georgia Tech Safety Clayton Powell-Lee Ahead of Saturday's Matchup With VMI

Powell-Lee spoke with the media ahead of Saturday's game vs VMI

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Cadarrius Thompson (5) is tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Trenilyas Tatum (0) and defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee (5) in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is back at home this Saturday and they will be welcoming VMI to Bobby Dodd Stadium. After practice on Wednesday, Yellow Jackets Safety Clayton Powell-Lee spoke with the media, and here is everything that he had to say.

1. On why the team has had success bouncing back from losses in the past...

"For the most part, we just take a different approach to practice. We know that, the following week has to be way better than the previous week because in the little details that we may have missed in the game we realized that in practice that we may have missed those and we didn't hone down those details so the following week as like this week we hone down all those details we make sure we fly into the ball as far as defense make sure we communicate and trying to communicate everything all the possibilities from each formation each snap that we get post snap pre -snaps so we really just honed down the details a lot more so I'm wishing that for our defense we can do that every week just be every week and I have to be consistent for us, at least on the defense."

2. On the travel the team has had to deal with...

"I mean, there's no real excuse or no real, like, expectation. You're just expected to get there, play your best, come back, play your best. Like, it's just, we know traveling is a part of the game, so we just have to always be adjusted, like just always being able to be able to travel and do little things like that to where, like, you don't really think about it because like when we went to Ireland, it didn't really feel that much of a difference to me at least. And then when we came back to play Georgia State, then it didn't feel that much of a difference. So just being that consistently, just going there, just playing your best of football."

3. On being the leader in the secondary when LaMiles Brooks went down on Saturday...

"I want to say it would put more pressure on me because I've already been trying to step up in that leadership role as far as in the back end. I know LaMiles he has a lot on his place. I'm trying to just, just trying to help each other out. So now that LaMiles has been taking a couple of less reps And in practice, I'm just trying to just keep everything smooth transition because we got Taye Seymore, who's been playing a lot recently, and he's been doing a great job. So I have a lot of faith in Tay. He has a lot of faith that we're able to just keep things rolling, even though he may be down when as far as that game."

4. On the communication in the secondary...

"I mean, Taye has been a sponge. Like, we all wanted to defense at the same time. He's been a real sponge. Like, now he's playing field safety and boundary safety, just like how I usually been playing it. So I've just been real on him about all the little details, all the little communication that he has to make to the linebacker to the corners, even to the opposite safety. And the nickel, just trying to make sure he knows his defense inside and out to where he's more versatile to where we can't use him in the boundary. We can't use him in the field. So it just makes him more versatile in his skill set."

5. On if Syracuse was an eye opener...

"The defense does still have a long way to go in that sense. We always say we have something to improve on each weekend each day. So like it wasn't necessarily a wake -go call. It was just a tough tough loss. It's in the past. Now, can't go back and change anything about it. The only thing we can focus on is that next week and next opponent was we were taking big steps and big strides. They had a pretty good practice today."

6. On how motivated the secondary is following the Syracuse game...

"Yeah like it's it's a db's dream to get that many targets and today just wasn't our day if we'll keep it keep it keep it black and white like no gray area like that day wasn't our best day but we love to see that we would be tried and we will continue to be tried so next next step is just to take the most of those opportunities and really just get those interceptions those pbues and the little things like that because we don't have as far as I know we have one turnover like we want to like as a defense secondary we really want to just amp up them turnovers amp up them pbUs and the interceptions so we're really like honing in on those details that we got to get our hands on the football."

7. On playing quick passing games like they did on Saturday...

"may, well, for me, at least at safety, I may be a little bit slower out of my pedal, like a little slower on my reach because I know that any run action, it's also a little quick hitch or a quick slant. I can maybe break on and get a pick or little things like that. So, like, as far as this, we've got most definitely been honed in on those details and playing a little bit slower for the run and for the quick game that this team does. So a lot of plays are going to be made on Saturday."