USF Postgame Quotes: Thor Jozwiak

[Brad]

Thor Jozwiak, LG

On creating open spaces for the skill players
“You give our skill guys any type of room and they’re off to the races. Great by them and great by the O-line. It’s fun winning that way.”  

On the offensive line having to step up without Marlon Mack
“Not having Marlon, I think he was under reserve. We were going to feel him out and see how he felt. But as an offensive lineman, you say ‘you know what guys, let’s go out there, let’s be the front five we know we can be.’ We don’t even think about the rushing yards, those just come. We just try to be the best unit we can be. We try to get after it on the field and we want to let defenses know we’re going to come and play as a unit no matter what. If a play doesn’t work, you know what, we’re on to the next one. Every single play we have to be like that. It’s fun being a part of an offensive line unit that’s really working great together.” 

On whether the goals of the team have changed now that they’ve strung together three wins in a row
“No, the goals are the same no matter what. Every single week it’s a one game season and we’re looking to win that game. We’re trying to be a great football team, we’re trying to continue to become better. This wasn’t our best game. This wasn’t a perfect game. There’s still little gaps, little holes that we need to fill, that we need to get better at going into Navy and a great defense at Navy, so it’s going to be a test for us. But our goals don’t change. We’re the USF Bulls. We worry about us and how we play and that’s going to be the moral of the story for the rest of the year.” 

On the offense scoring 38 points without Marlon Mack
“When we’re gelling, when we’re working together as a complete unit, the sky is the limit. We feel like as an offensive line, when we’re down there getting ready to go on the field, we have that feeling that we want to score every time we touch the field. I think that’s how everyone feels. No matter what the situation, whether we’re backed up or whether we have great field position, you almost have this feeling in your stomach that, you know what, any play can go. So we just have to keep fighting and we have to finish. That’s been a big emphasis these last two weeks is finishing blocks, even if it’s another second, finish the blocks. As I said our skill guys, whether it be Quinton (Flowers), D’Ernest (Johnson) or (Darius) Tice, any one of those guys, Rodney (Adams) on a catch, they’re going to make something happen. It’s really good to be a part of that.” 

On whether the offensive line blocks differently for a mobile quarterback like Quinton Flowers
“Quinton being very mobile, when we have a great pocket, even if we give up a little pressure, he’s going to scramble with his feet. He’s going to get out of harm’s way. It doesn’t necessarily change our blocking assignments. We want to have the best pocket for him and he can throw the ball when he’s comfortable in there, so we as a unit want to give him the pocket he deserves and let him throw the ball. But it is nice, if you get beat a little bit, that he can get out of there and make something happen on a scramble drill. We don’t really change our mentality. We want to keep that pro pocket that you see and you hear about, but having him back there and be able to get out of sticky situations is really nice.”

On how far the team has come in a few weeks to be able to score 38 points without Marlon Mack
“I think that’s something that can attest to this entire team. We’ve faced many challenges and many adversities this year whether it is on the field or off the field situations and there’s something about this team that we just keep moving and keep grinding no matter what happens. Whether a player gets hurt or a player gets out, you know what, someone is behind them and he’s going to step up and he’s going to make that play. That’s something I’ve seen a difference in this football team. No matter what the circumstance, we just keep moving forward, onto the next play. It’s a great mentality and something special to be a part of, especially for my senior year.” 

On whether winning a game like this gives the team extra energy
“Coach Hope, who’s our offensive line coach, he says it the best. ‘Winning is living.’ No matter how you cut it there’s nothing like the feeling of winning a hard fought football game against a good football team. SMU has come very far from where they were last year. Great defensive front, they played hard even into the fourth quarter, they were out there getting after it. Attest to them for being a good football team. Their record doesn’t speak to how quality of a football team they really