Sept. 27, 2011
Opening Statement:
"This week we have an undefeated Towson team coming in that is ranked 25th in the FCS polls. They are playing very well and are averaging 38 points a game, 468 yards a game [of offense] and have only turned the ball over three times. We understand what they do, but what we need to do this week is focus in on ourselves and make sure that we do what we need to do. Hopefully we will be able to do that. We are looking forward to having a good week of practice. We need to continue to get better and continue to do things the right way to give us an opportunity to win."
On being consistent for an entire game:
"I told them the other day that we have played three games but have only played [well] a full game and a half. I am trying to find out about these guys. I am making changes to get guys in there who are going to play with that energy, excitement, and passion for 60 minutes every time they go out there.
"It's a learning process for me to find out who those guys are. This is the first time that we are on the field competitively and I am able to watch them compete in person. I have watched film but every year is a new year. There are going to be some more freshmen who play this week. I am trying to find those guys who fit into the process of what we are trying to get done. I will learn every week because I don't know it all. What I am trying to do is learn as much as I can and do as much as I can to make sure we can go out there and win each and every week.
"I am trying to figure out why we are starting so slow. We need to come out and play with energy. When you have a chance to compete you need to go out and give it all that you have. If you are going to be a Division I student-athlete in this program you have to go out there and compete at the highest level of your ability. Ultimately if you aren't self motivated to be the best you can and [if you don't] work as hard as you can in whatever you do in life, it doesn't matter what anyone does for you."
On whether he considered moving Kenny Tate back to safety:
"We considered that but I didn't think that was the best move for our team based on the big picture. We are making one move with Matt (Robinson) not being in there, but if we move Kenny (Tate) back to safety then we are making two moves. I feel comfortable that Kenny will start playing better and that Titus (Till) going in there can do the job. Hopefully we don't get any more injuries. There are always those things that you are looking at to try and have the best 11 players on the field. When I make a position move or if we get injuries I am always trying to have the best 11 on the field that we can."
On the defense's struggles:
"We aren't big enough up front size-wise against the people that we have played. We have played three very good football teams and all three of them were big up front. I think that guys are still getting comfortable with what we are doing and our schemes. I have to take a look as a head coach with the young guys that we have playing if we are trying to do too much. We haven't tackled well in addition to not executing the plays that we have called. I need to take a look a see what these guys do well and emphasize that. We need to keep working and coaching guys and get everyone better. We hope that each week they get better and settle in to having guys in there consistently every week."
On having so many freshmen on the 2-deep depth chart:
"I worry about playing some of the young guys. Along with the guys on the 2-deep, Tyrek Cheeseboro will be playing some on special teams. The way he goes out and practices with intensity and focus - we can't even block him with our people. I brought him in with A.J. Hendy, Cole Farrand, and Alex Twine and told them that they all will be starting on some special teams this week. I see things out of them that I don't see out of other guys. I told them that they have to stay on top of their grades.
"Now with them playing we have to make sure that they keep their priorities in line. If they are our guys in the opinion of the coaches then we are going to play them. There are going to be some growing pains with the freshmen. I do know this, they are going to go out there and give me everything that they have every play. Those young men who were here over the summer did get acclimated to how we do things by taking classes and working out. They have a jump because they didn't just come here in August and get thrown into everything. They are handling the transition pretty well through four weeks. Hopefully that will continue but we need to continue to monitor it."
On what needs to improve offensively:
"We have to get better at everything. I'm sure that Danny (O'Brien) will be fine but we haven't practiced since the Temple game really. There are no excuses; whoever is out there has to go play. They have to play to the best of their ability and play as hard as they can. We can't worry about who is and isn't out there. We just need to go out and play."
On freshman safety Titus Till, who will make the first start of his career Saturday:
"Titus (Till) is a young man who has range and some length to him. He has had some injury situations here in the spring and was a little bit banged up. He is a guy who is coming on and we feel he can go out there and do the job for us. What he is going to have to do is go out there and execute. He has played a little bit in games when we have had injuries so he has stepped up. He is now getting his big opportunity. He has to play his responsibilities. He is a young guy who doesn't have a lot of experience so he has to go out there and play hard and utilize his speed, intelligence and his physicality to be able to get the job done."
On Towson:
"They are very multiple offensively. They are going to do lots of things offensively... Their quarterback (Grant Enders) has been playing very well offensively. He has had a tremendous year for them. They bring about three different running backs out. They have Leon Kinnard and Gerard Sheppard who were up with me at Connecticut. They are very multiple offensively. Defensively they really like to move and stunt. They will move their defensive line and bring linebackers and secondary guys. They are very active up front and very sound in the kicking game."
On the team meeting Sunday:
"We met with Coach Edsall. We talked. As a team we are going to come out and start playing football. The last two weeks we really haven't shown our capabilities. Everyone got the message. Everyone knows what we have to do."
On playing well against Miami and in the second half against West Virginia but not against Temple:
"Consistency. That's all that is. We've seen that coming out in the last two games, if we don't play in the beginning of the game, we can lose. It's going to be a test for us coming up this week. We need to play the full game and not just show up for spurts and drives where we play very well and other drives where we have given up touchdowns. We need to be consistent and focused."
On the defensive changes this week:
"It's an opportunity for people to play. We need people to step up. We have some young guys that haven't played and it's their time to shine."
On scouting Towson:
"I've seen they have two good running backs. They run the ball. I think their quarterback has rushed over 100 yards. They have two guys that have scored quite a bit. The quarterback can throw the ball. They have one receiver with 10 catches already. They have a dynamic offense and they like to move the ball around."
On Sunday's team meeting:
"We are evaluating our team and what we need to do to move forward. We are trying to stay pretty positive. It's the third week of the season. It's unfortunate that we let one slip away but at the same time we know we need to keep moving forward and we have nine more opportunities. We know our team well enough to know that the Temple game was not indicative of who we are but at the same point we need to prove it."
On the team's identity:
"I think we know we have great potential. We know we have great players. We are trying to find some consistency in our new system. We have to keep believing. I think in the next couple of games we are going to find out who we really are."
On Towson:
"We are looking at Towson as a 3-0 team that has a solid offense, averaging 460 yards on offense, and their defense is up there. They have seven sacks in three games. It's not our place to judge the caliber of their team. They look like solid players. I've seen both defensive tackles and they look like well-coached players with great motors. We are taking it as if we have nine one-game seasons left."
On getting the offense back on track:
"We need to have sharper practices this week. We have to get back to finding our fast-paced tempo. I think we could have played a little bit faster. I think that's something that's going to work out to be our niche but we need to show consistency with that... just show better execution and focus."
On his game:
"I have my game because of the way Coach Gattuso taught me how to play defensive line. Honestly, no bad habits, I just did exactly what he told me to do. Nothing more, nothing less."
On team's attitude going into game vs. Towson:
"Get back on track. Perfection. We went to practice Sunday, nobody had any kind of repeats during exercises. Everybody is really trying to stay focused and perfect everything they do, and just do their job."
On what the defense needs to focus on:
"First of all, we are trying to stay healthy. We have a lot of upsets with the whole defensive line and what not and even in the rest of the defense, but at the same time the next guy has to step up. I am a perfect example of that. I just want the team to win. We have got to do the best we can in order for us to win."
On playing with such a young team:
"It doesn't seem any different. The way we are practicing, the younger guy step up and do the exact same thing as the older guy."
On starting over with a new coach:
"Personally [Coach Edsall] reminds me of by high school coach. He's really straight forward, he's all about team and everybody caring for each other and this team. All the rest of the stuff, just leave it out of it. Stay out of trouble, do the right thing... He's got his head on right."
On meeting with coaches about his role on the team:
"Between Coach Edsall and [defensive line coach Greg] Gattuso, I told Coach Gatusso myself that I was trying to be a leader on this team. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted on offense. Then this idea of defense came up and then I didn't play. I have all this talent that I want to burst out and go help. If you don't have the experience how do you lead? Coach Edsall said to me in his office, `you've got talent, that's why you're still here and you have just got to keep doing what you're doing and you'll come through.' That's what I did, I did exactly what he told me to do and eventually things started working out. He made it really simple."
