Head Coach Doug Marrone Press Conference Trancript (Nov. 8, 2010)
“I appreciate everyone being here. A lot of what I said after the game was confirmed with the film. Disappointing that we lost the football game, but at the end of the day I give Louisville credit. They made plays when they needed to make it. We didn’t make those plays and we wound up losing the football game. We could have won if we made those plays but we didn’t. It’s time to get back to work and play a Rutgers team that’s a good football team and we have to keep our kids healthy. We are a banged up football team right now. So we have to get everyone back and get ready to go and compete like heck for this upcoming game on Saturday.”
On how banged up the team is from Saturday’s game …
“It’s almost a little bit like last year you start going through and the players are banged. There are a lot of injuries and it takes a little bit longer to get back at this time of year. We are doing a couple of things with the schedule to get players back so this way we can go at 110% on Saturday. I don’t want to get into a situation where we were last year at the end of the year where we lose two players within a series and next thing you know we might have had to put a player out on the field who really has never played that position. And we were close this week. Ian Allport was injured last Thursday (in practice) on a team period on the fourth to last play and Andy Phillips went in for him with probably taking about 20 snaps at right tackle and I give a lot of credit to Andy. He did a nice job for us, he really did. But you never want to be in those situations. You should never be in those situations, but it is what it is and people need to step up and play and Andy was able to do that for us.”
On what the offensive needs to do in order to be more productive …
“Make plays. They are out there. We just need to make them and take advantage of them. The one good thing about us offensively is that you have seen a lot of different types of things throughout the season and it fits into the system. It’s not like we are changing what’s going on due to injury we are just trying to fit the system that gives us the best chance to win the football game. You have to make plays when plays present themselves. When you look at college football, even in the NFL, you have ‘X’ amount of chances to get a play and when you do, you have to convert on it. We have to do a better job on that.”
On if the ability is out there to make those plays …
“It’s out there. Do we have enough players where you can spread that thing around where you can give ‘X’ amount of players who have the potential to make that play on our roster? No.”
On the reason for not running the ball as much in the second half …
“If you look at the second half, we didn’t get the ball as much as we had in the first half. I thought it was going well offensively (in the first half). We had a lot of yards running the football. We were getting to their safety. Their safety had 11 solo tackles. That’s a good thing in a running game. When you sit here the following day and see a defensive linemen or a linebacker with a lot of tackles, then you know that someone is not blocking them. When a safety is making a lot of plays, you know that you’re getting the ball into the second level. And then the second half, the first two drives they were able to run the football on us really and switched the time of possession and flow of the game. And then when we needed to make a play to get back to 24-21, we settled for a field goal and never were able to swing the momentum back in our favor.”
On if team is disappointed on missed opportunity to qualify for a bowl game last week …
“I think it’s no different of a missed opportunity when we played Washington. I really believe that. That’s at least how I have been going about it, so I wouldn’t know what the players feel. We go about it each game so when you win there is a sense of gratification and when you lose there is a sense of disappointment, but you need to move on and get ready to play the next opponent. I don’t think it’s what you said, at least from my point of view, because I really don’t discuss that and I just concentrate on the next opponent.”
On the opportunity to have a chance to get into the position you want to be in for the postseason…
“We have an opportunity because it’s the next opponent. And that’s really how I speak. I don’t say we have three opportunities or four opportunities. We have an opportunity to win a football game this week. That’s how I address it.”
On if this is a far better team …
“I don’t know. I mean the record would indicate that right now. We prepare well each week. We practice well each week. There is nothing that is out there that we need to do this or change this. We had an opportunity to win this past game and we didn’t. And it wasn’t because we didn’t play hard. It was because we didn’t make plays in three phases of the game, not just offense.”
On (quarterback) Ryan Nassib managing the offense …
“I am very comfortable. The one thing about his experience and what he is doing is that it’s getting better and better. By the time the year is over we would have seen everything. All the coverages, all the pressure, everything that is going on he is getting better and better each week about handling it. He is doing some things much better now than at the beginning of the year. For a first year starter, he has handled a lot and he is going to be a very special player for us.”
On the importance of special teams in this specific matchup with Rutgers …
“Our margin of error is very small for us to be successful. So when you talk about trying to create turnovers on defense that we can take advantage of that has been a big part of how we have won football games. The other thing is when we played solid on special teams we have done well. It’s important when you talk about field position. You are talking about an aggressive special teams unit in Rutgers that really can change a game. So our special teams have to play extremely well. And they have throughout times in the year. We need them to step up and that will be a challenge for them this week.”
On thoughts on Rutgers team …
“You have to remember that Coach Schiano has been there for I believe 10 years and they have done a great job in recruiting. They have a lot of players on that team. They have always been ranked recruiting-wise. They have a lot of good coaches. He’s had a lot of success there so they have very good football players. It’s a challenge. We are in the beginning of creating a foundation for our football team. They are in their 10th year and we have to go down there and play solid and sound football to be able to compete in the game.”
On concerns for matchup with Rutgers …
“I haven’t really gotten to that point where I have seen everything yet. So I don’t know if I can really comment like I did last week where I had watched everything. We are going to have challenge each week. Every team has a challenge. I don’t think me standing up here saying that we have a challenge and I don’t feel comfortable about this match up, I think everywhere you go in football you can ask a coach that he may not say it, but that’s the truth. Each week sometimes I feel good about certain matchups and I don’t feel good about others. I just look at it from that standpoint and how we can help that person in the game plan to put them in a situation to do well and if it’s a team aspect, then we have to get that team ready to play. This week special teams will be a big challenge, but I haven’t looked at the matchups yet. I know it will be a big challenge for us this week and how we play.”
On recruiting significance for this game in the tri-state area …
“Every school is unique in its own way. It all depends on what the recruiting philosophy is at each school. I do not know what the recruiting philosophy is of any other school within in our conference. I just know what ours is. We are a special school and we have a lot to offer outside of just being able to play football.”
On why he did not take shots and opening up the field against Louisville …
“It’s the same thing. We did have shots in the game and we weren’t able to take advantage of them. I don’t understand what opening up means. What does that mean to you and then maybe I can answer the question?”
On opening up the field with longer pass plays …
“The situation last week was that they were always going to bring one more player than you can block, so it’s pretty difficult to hold the football to go down field. We were able to lock them up at times and throw it down the field. And then who should we throw it to? (pause) I’m just asking. We don’t have many people and we have to manage the game and receivers and pick and chose when we take our shots.”
On if the team will go back to the relaxed atmosphere coming off a loss …
“I hope that losing doesn’t help that. As a coach, you build up during the week, whether it’s the first game of the year, first spring practice, first BIG EAST game, whatever it may be, you consciously are always telling the players that you just need to relax and go out there and play. I don’t think anyone has ever played this game that feels the pressure to make a play or that they need to do something extraordinary. That’s when mistakes happen and critical errors occur. It’s something from a standpoint as you are coaching during the week you are saying that let’s make sure we understand that so it’s second nature. If there is any question in your mind, let’s make sure it’s answered. So we can just go out there and play football and react.”
On sense if they were pressing this last game …
“No. I just have the sense that we didn’t make enough plays. I really do. I would say it if we did. I really would. But, I didn’t see that. I just saw that we weren’t able to make plays. We were on the losing end of it, but it was a competitive football game. We could have gone either way.”
On whether he expects Rutgers to do the same defensively …
“I hope so because it gives us a chance to make bigger plays. It really does. We knew coming in when I was talking about the matchup problems last week, I knew they were going to pressure us and it’s just a matter if we can catch the ball outside or inside and break an arm tackle and score a touchdown. We see it every day. Can we get a double move and beat them down the seam and have guys wide open? We did that the other day. So when people see what we are doing they know that they are plays out there and we just have to make them. The system is built to handle everything so I feel comfortable with that. People are going to come after us and say we have to go ahead and make plays and we can see who is going to those plays or they are going to play coverage where it will be even more difficult.”
On (wide receiver) Van Chew’s health …
“He is banged up. He and a lot of players are. When you are banged up and try to rest people and all of the sudden you put them out of the football field, it’s hard. It’s easier when you are a 10-12 year veteran in the NFL that you don’t have to practice as much during the week, you save your legs, and go out there and play in a game. In college, it’s just not like that. You have to get your reps and have to be able to know what you are doing and be able to go out there and perform. We are still dealing with young players, especially on offense.”
On if Louisville has given future opponents a blueprint for run defense …
“It’s not a blueprint, but for me to sit here and say it’s not a concern is a lie. Anytime someone has success of doing something that you have to make sure you cover it and you handle it. Is there a concern because they had success running the football? Absolutely and Coach Shafer would say the same thing, as well as all the players on our defense. Now you know that people will challenge us that way and we have to set up to the challenge. If a team can go out there and consistently run the football, that’s probably the worst feeling you can have when you are standing on the sidelines whether you are on defense or on offense. Yes, it’s a concern and it’s one that will have to address and be able to stand up for. Is it a blueprint? I don’t know if people will try to do that and follow it.”
