Everything From Virginia Tech DL James Djonkam On Wednesday Ahead Of Week 3

Virginia Tech defensive lineman James Djonkam spoke to the media on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech defensive lineman James Djonkam spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon; here is the entirety of what he had to say.

On what's been the key to rebounding and getting ready for Old Dominion:

"Really just focus on details, you know what I mean? Do your one-11th because last game during the second half, we kind of got away from that. Everyone's trying to make a play versus just doing our one-11th. So really this year, this week is just all about details, knowing what you're supposed to do and executing it."

Q: Is that part of what [Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry] said when he was assessing everything, there's 11 different things [he] saw. Was that part of like just a thing here, a thing there, not just one thing that was sticking out?

"Mhm. It was really like there's 11 people on defense kind of thing and if one person has an MA [missed assignment], that's 11 MAs. So, it's really just holding on to 'Okay, this is my job, it's my responsibility, I got to execute to the best of my ability," and that's what we're focusing on for this week."

Q: Was that a surprising turn from Week 1 where the defense looked very connected in week one and very ready for South Carolina. Was it surprising that was such a stark difference between the two games?

"I wouldn't say it was a stark difference between the two games. It was really the first six quarters that, as a defense, that we played, was phenomenal and we was locked down. It's just that last quarter [Editor’s note: Djonkam is referencing the third and fourth quarters against Vanderbilt, which make up two of the eight total quarters Tech has played this season.] got away from us. Can't really tell you what happened, like as a defensive lineman. I just felt like we should have really executed our jobs. Been more detail-oriented and then it could have been a different story. But the past is the past, we just got to focus on ODU now."

On what Djonkam sees from Old Dominion's offensive line:

"They're a bunch of great guys. They got good feet. It's going to be a battle up front without a doubt. Like just because they're in the Sunb Belt doesn't mean that we can take them lightly or anything like that. Like they're a good group. I'm pretty sure one of the offensive linemen played here too [Editor's note: Djonkam is referring to Griffin Duggan.] I know he was a good offensive lineman here. So, it's really like, we got to bring it this week. We got to treat them just like we treat South Carolina, just like we treat Vandy."

Q: You faced rushing quarterbacks the first couple weeks. The scouting report of this ODU quarterback looks like he can move pretty well.

"Oh yeah, he can run. He had a 75-yard touchdown against uh Indiana first play. So, it's something that we're not going to take lightly. We're going to treat him just like [South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers], you know what I mean? Keep him contained and really just don't let him get those explosive plays."

On Georgia Military transfer Trequan Jones, his "second-gear" and "home-run hitting ability":

"Oh, yeah. He's somebody you got to tackle low and that you got to be responsible and gap sound because he's twitchy. If you try to two-gap or you try to peek outside your gap, he's going to bounce it out and gonna make you look silly. So, really playing him is just understanding that if I have gap integrity and I don't try to play too much or play outside of my gap or outside of my frame that it should be solid in the run game, he shouldn't get anything that much."

On whether the defense's response in practice this week been what Djonkam hoped for:

"Without a doubt. It was blood in the water. Like I felt like going from South Carolina to Vandy week to ODU week, every single week has been a tick up of 'All right, we got to be even more intense. We got to be even more violent.' Like the scouts we got, shout out to them because they're taking almost every rep and they're really working their ass off and giving us a great look. So, it's really impressive how much they're taken and how disciplined they are."

Q: You played a Sun Belt team in the past when you were at Eastern Michigan?

"UMass wasn't, they're independent. I don't think I have."

Q: Okay. But I mean, group of five team, you know, with the mentality they get and the fact that you get some transfers coming down from big programs like that. What do you what are some things that you can tell your teammates about, "Hey, they're just as scrappy?"

"The biggest thing is like, to an extent our game [against] South Carolina, like it was ACC versus SEC. Now it's Sun Belt versus ACC team. So, it's like don't lose to that mentality of "Oh, they're in the Sun Belt, we can just take them lightly.' No, they're coming with a chip on their shoulder. They got just as good as athletes as we do. It's all going to be about who wants it more because at the end of the day, that's college football. It ain't about, 'Oh, we have all these five-stars.' It's about, 'Look, we have these all these no-stars, but they want it more.' And that's the team that's always going to win."