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Q&A with Nate Collins
Third-year nose tackle Nate Collins was the only true freshman to see action for Virginia two years ago. He played his first two years behind starter Allen Billyk before seeing his playing time increase this season. Following the recent injury to Nick Jenkins, Collins has gone the enitre in the last two games, making 11 tackles. He has 27 tackles through nine games, including two for loss. Collins talks about his increased role of late as the Cavaliers prepare to face Wake Forest Saturday.
Q: Coach Groh said late in the Miami game you didn’t looked winded at all, but after playing Georgia Tech and some of the things they do takes a toll on your body and late in that game after you’d been on the field a lot, how did you feel?
NC: It’s just one of those situations where everyone out there was somewhat winded, especially during that long drive they had in the fourth quarter, but when you’re out there and you’re playing and you know the game’s on the line, that doesn’t really affect you. It’s kind of like when people get hurt and you’re going off adrenaline, so that wasn’t really a big issue.
Q: Can you see how beneficial it will be to have Nick Jenkins back so that you guys can get back to where you were, now that you’re earned more playing time, it could almost be 50-50?
NC: Absolutely. I think it will be great and at the same time I just think it’s going to be great for our team and us up front because it just opens up everything for the d-line. The last game I think for regular stack defense none of the d-linemen came out the whole game.
I’m a swing player; I can play end and that’s going to help out for this game, too, just in case those guys (Alex Field and Matt Conrath) need a blow … to help everyone (stay) fresh.
Q: Have you played end in any games this year?
NC: Yes, I’ve played end in a couple games (on) both sides. I wouldn’t say I’m better than the ends we have but just a spot filler if someone needs a blow or if someone gets dinged up and needs to come out for a couple plays. I know enough there and I think the coaches are confident in me enough that I can play one of those spots.
Q: Is there a reason you would be a better nose tackle than defensive end other than the fact that that’s where you practice?
NC: Other than a few little things the position is really the same across the board. For the most part you get the same blocks and things like that. It’s not that much of a difference. I feel like if we play anybody on the d-line at any of those spots it equals out to be the same thing.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about some of the other nose tackles on the team?
NC: We have John-Kevin (Dolce) who is now mostly our nickel specialist. He moved down from linebacker and is more of a rush-the-passer-guy. In practices he works behind me and Nick (Jenkins), getting a few reps and getting ready for next year. Probably in the off-season he is going to have to put on a good amount of pounds. I think he’ll be ready for either of those spots next year.
Q: What about freshman Buddy Ruff?
NC: Buddy (Ruff) is good. He’s a big body in the middle, a real nose tackle body. There are a few kinks that he needs to work out, just things you learn your freshman year and I feel like he’ll be another good candidate to help us out next year.
Q: What do you look for in an offensive line when you line up as a nose tackle in front of the center?
NC: What Nick and I do for the first couple of series that we are out there is get a feel for what the line is doing. It’s one thing when you are practicing against the scout team all week, seeing what they are going to do and watching tape and seeing what exactly a team does. There are little things in a game when you hear the O-line make calls and you know what kind of block you are getting from that call. Our O-line does it and we practice against them all the time. So when they make certain calls we already know what’s going to happen. When we are out there we listen to calls and there are a lot of times when you watch the center come out of the huddle and he’s usually talking to a guard when he sees you line up and he is usually telling that guard to help out before getting to the linebacker.
Q: How much do you weigh now? How much do the coaches want you to weigh?
NC: Coach (Matt) Balis is our strength trainer. He always tells us he wants us big, he really doesn’t want any defensive lineman slipping under 280. Right now I am about 285. At the beginning of this year I knew that I wanted to play a little bit bigger and at the beginning of the season I was probably around 290 or 295. He told me that as long as I can move—he was watching me during drills—if he felt that I was losing a step he would tell me that I need to lose some weight because he knows how I can run.
Q: Are there any other nose tackles that you look at to try and model your style of play after?
NC: I don’t really do that. Coach Groh likes it that I am an active guy—I’ll run, I’ll pursue, and I’ll make plays outside the tackles. I think that’s a huge plus. At the same time, I know that sometimes being bigger is good, trying to be a stuff rush guy in a 3-4 defense. I feel like I can do that pretty well and help out to rush the passer effectively.
Q: As a team, do you all feel anxious to get back onto the field after a loss?
NC: I feel like we are really anxious. As a team, we let one get away and now it’s going to be a big challenge for us to go to (Winston-Salem) North Carolina and then come back here for senior day. We are just trying to take it one game at a time right now and find another win. That’s what Coach Groh has been preaching all year for us: take every game one at a time. We don’t need to go on a six-game win streak; it’s just a one-game win streak. You try to get the next win and you worry about everything else later on. He’s been preaching to us that we should just focus on the next opponent; it’s like a series of one-game series throughout the year and that’s what we’re trying to do now.