Everything From Georgia Tech WR Malik Rutherford Ahead Of The Matchup Vs Pittsburgh

Georgia Tech veteran wide receiver talked to the media ahead of senior night. Here is everything he had to say.

On the play he scored last week against Boston College…

“It was great, just getting the ball in the space, me being out there, you know, just being able to run around like that, you know, it felt great to be back. Happy, I got the touchdown.”

On what he looks for when the ball is coming his way…

“Really, I'm just looking at the structure of the defense, see if anybody's blitzing. As soon as I get the ball in my hands, I kind of know where I already want to go. At that point, I'm just reading blocks, letting my God-given abilities take over.”

On the structure of the screen play and how he views it…

“Coach, he wants us to run it a certain way sometimes, but sometimes I'd be like, I done ran it so many times that I know how some defenses react. I forgot who was locking that tight end at the time; it was Josh Beetham. I knew he was gonna go to the man who was over me, and then it was, I think it was the Mike linebacker. He was right there. As the ball is being thrown to me, I'm acting like I don't see him. But the whole time I see him, and I'm like, I'm gonna just step in. So as I stepped in, I slipped off him, and he missed the tackle. And that's how I was able to get out.”

On what the emotions will be like on Saturday night…

“I mean, long time coming. I've been alone five years, and hard five years, I'll say, and I'm glad, you know, we are at this point in the season where we have a chance to do something that hasn't been done here in a long time. So, I'm just happy and I'm excited for our fan base because, you know, they've been through a lot these past few years, especially like my freshman year, starting out in 2021. I'm just really happy that we get to go out here, about to go out and show out in front of a sold-out crowd.”

On Jordan Allen….

“Jordan, I don't want to say he plays like me. Jordan, as Jordan, you know, he's coming in, he's helping, being able to play outside, inside, just like I do. Just the things he brings to the team to speed, that touchdown run he had, that was really big for us. He was a great addition. Yeah, he's gonna have a big season next year, for sure.”

On seeing the wide receivers dominate on the field….

“We are a run-first team, and we just try to hang our hats on. When the ball is thrown to us, we make a play for Haynes. Yeah, that's what we just hang our hat on. We just wait for our opportunity. We block when we have to. So we are not selfish at all. So when the ball comes to us, we just make the play.”

On Bobby Dodd stadium at night…

“The energy. You come in the afternoon game or early 12 o'clock game, you know, I don't want to say the energy is down, but it's just a night game. Just you filled up. You've been waiting all day until seven o'clock. You know, the fans are probably out there tailgating just waiting. You know, once they get in, you know, they're ready. They are ready to play just like us. So yeah, and it gets real loud.

On his favorite memory playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium…

“I'll say the Miami game last year. Miami. Being able to storm the field with the fans. I'm going to take that back actually North Carolina. I think that was our first. Yeah, 22. Yeah, that was probably my favorite memory. I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, that was a great game right there. I think we won 46-42.

On if anybody taught him his dance moves…

“No, that was the gritty. That was a dance. know, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and all them be doing. So yeah, really, when I stood up and paused for a second, I was thinking about what I want to do.”

On the dance moves he might bring out this weekend…

“I haven't thought about it yet, but I know I'm probably going to come up with something by Friday. Yeah, me and Eric I say we hooping this week, so me and Eric going to have a celebration, you know, so I don't know yet. We're going to see.”

On when the messaging is clear from the head coach about a big game…

“For me personally, I try not to get too high, get too low. Just try to stay in the middle, no matter what game we play, who we play. Because when the stakes are higher, people tend to get more nervous and more anxious, and that's how you make mistakes. You don't go out there and play carefree. You worry about trying to do things right all the time. So yeah, we're really just trying to go out there and just play. Of course, we know this is a big game, but at the end of the day, you just have to go out there and play and be yourself.”

On whether there was a different energy in practice this week in regards to preparation….

“Yeah, of course, every week the stage gets harder, like we said, we're trying to get into the playoffs. So yeah, of course we have to come in. We knew Coach Key was gonna be on one, cuz we were in a close game last week with a team that we felt like we should have beaten by a few touchdowns. We're just coming in with a ready-to-work mindset, 1 % better every day.”

On the wide receiver group and coach McKnight…

“All props to Coach McKnight, man. He really elevated every single one of us in the receiver room, especially Eric. Eric Rivers has gotten way better since he first got here, man. You can see the improvement in Isaiah also Dean, also a lot of guys in the receiver room. With Haynes throwing us, with the threat of him being able to run and the defense having to worry about that, I feel like that just makes it easier for us down the field. We just go out there and make plays for him whenever he throws it to us.”

On head coach Brent Key being turned up a level…

“It's what I expect. I expect him to come into the locker room, throw some stuff, and all that. So yeah, it wasn't anything like that I ain't never seen before, so I'm kind of used to it. When he does things like that, everybody just, ah. Yeah, we got to get right, y'all. We're doing something wrong. So yeah, we are just looking at each other like, hey, it's time to go second half.

On a favorite memory with Coach Key...

“I'm trying to remember one, but I forgot what game. It was a game we were already winning. So we were actually in here in the team room, at halftime. We have all the drinks set up and snacks. He knocked down every single last one of the snacks and drinks. So we ain't have nothing to like eat half halftime. He knocked everything over.

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