Doug Marrone Press Conference Transcript (vs. Louisville, 11/10/12)
Syracuse Football
Syracuse vs. No. 11/10 Louisville
November 10, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening Statement:
“We are very excited. The No. 9 ranked BCS team came in here undefeated and I am very proud of our players. We took a moment after the game – and I think this is important – we had Master Sergeant Van Gorder from Fort Drum in the locker room. Everyone knows there are things that we worked with the military during the off season, as well as relying on it during the year. I told the kids, when we took a knee and said a prayer in the locker room after the game, that I wanted to make sure that we kept in mind tomorrow is Veterans Day and what the men and the women of our country do. I think that’s important. It’s a great win, but tomorrow we need to remember what those veterans do for our country.
“I’m proud of our players. We played well. We made less mistakes. We were able to get the ball vertically down the field. We had a good balanced attack. I think at times we were able to move (Louisville quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater off the spot. He is a very good quarterback. We kept up the lead and kept momentum as we went on. I think we took advantage early on with the fumbled punt and turned it into seven. I think that really helped us. We carried momentum late in the game. We still made some errors, but obviously they were errors that we were able to recover from.
“I am proud of the seniors in this group to be able to go out with the win. Obviously some of those seniors played extremely well for us. Obviously, Ryan Nassib and Alec Lemon had great days. Marcus Sales helped quite a bit. Defensively, Shamarko (Thomas) did a nice job.”
On if the team was ready to go after being frustrated:
“I used the word frustration early on, and I said this publicly, I can understand why we were all frustrated because we were making too many mistakes. You get up here as a coach and there’s one thing that you hear coaches say, which is there is no one who is more frustrated than myself. I wanted to make sure that everyone understands it’s probably more frustrating for our students, our fans, the administration because we are talented enough to win a lot of football games. At least, with my frustration, I am still in a position to do something about it, along with our players. So we communicated early on what is that frustration and identified it by not being able to make plays. Then we identified going through a process of how we can make sure that we don’t make those types of mistakes. I think the team did a very good job through the season of turning it around and really turning a good positive energy toward this game.”
On if throwing to receiver Alec Lemon repeatedly in the first quarter was a set play:
“Louisville is a good team. I think we executed very well. When you are 9-0, you really don’t have a lot of weaknesses. I think that we were able to execute well and our kids did a very nice job without getting into schematics. “
On widening that gap in the game and dominating:
“When you are talking to the players, just like we have been all year, about concentrating on each play and to play out, give all of your effort on each play and really focusing in. That’s what we try to do and not look ahead. I think when our players are truly focused and we are able to execute at the level we did today where, obviously even though there were some mistakes, then we are a good football team. I truly understand where frustrations come from for our fans. It’s frustrating. I want to be able to celebrate this. Our kids did a nice job today. We need to get back to work and get ready to go and get ready to go back on the road again. Just for the moment, our kids executed well and played well. They feel good about themselves and they deserve that.”
On a balanced running and passing offensive attack:
“I think it was very successful. The physicality of what we’ve been able to do helped us. A lot of times you hear you win on first and seconds down and that’s what wins you the third downs of being able to run the ball. I’m very proud of what we’ve done. I don’t know if reinvented is the proper word, but I would say, an emphasis on more of that and on becoming a balanced team. I think that’s helped us a lot when we do that when you do have to defend the run.”
On the keys of the defensive line:
“I think they were a very difficult team to defend. I think that a lot of the check downs are in the middle of the field, and not looking schematically, but we were able to get some people on the edge and move him. When we didn’t move him, he was very successful. Sometimes when he did move, he was able to run and make plays down the field. It was one of the things that when we went into the game that we felt we had to move him. You have to be very careful when mixing your coverage and your pressures with him. It’s obvious because they can make plays.”
On the play of the secondary locking down the receivers:
“Everything we are saying, you can say that about every quarterback. If they moved Ryan Nassib off the spot and hit him, which they’ve done the past few years and got him rattled, then you have a chance. That’s what gave us the chance to do it. You’re exactly right. Front and coverage go hand in hand. That’s what happened. We were able to do a good job where you couldn’t get rid of the ball fast. At the end, we gave up some things. We knew we were giving up some throws to the flat and keeping things in front of us. We said, ‘Let’s make sure that we tackle. Let’s not get beat deep.’”
On having Adonis Ameen-Moore back in the running back rotation:
“’It’s always good. I saw Ashton (Broyld) limp out out there. Prince-Tyson (Gulley) got hit pretty good. I think that it’s just that knowing that Adonis can go in there and you feel comfortable to finish the game or in the tank package getting out to the red zone. I think when we have those backs and they are ready to go, you are able to sleep better at night. As things go throughout the game, there is a sense of security when you have four guys who can play (running back).”
On stopping the Louisville ground game:
“We were very concerned with them running the ball out of ‘12.’ They shifted in motion and have really hurt us in the past with it. We came in and we’ve had a lot of calls, a lot of movement and a lot of things going on these past few weeks, but we were really just trying to narrow it down for the players (this week) so they can play fast. That’s some of the things that I said all week long. I think with the score, with the way it was going, gave us an advantage when it took away some of the run game that they had planned coming in.”
On playing well in all three phases of the game:
“Obviously, we are proud of how they played in all three phases. I don’t want to beat a dead horse. It just shows that when we have the capability of executing this way, we are a very good football team. That’s what we have to keep working on. We have two games left. I have a problem because I usually take away the victory quickly in my mind because I’m already going ahead. I don’t want to do that for these players. We just need to stay focused and just keep working and keep fighting. A lesson that you learn is that you just keep fighting. I have talked to the players, to the people who are very close to me, and shared this. Once the effort becomes so painful, and this comes from (Winston) Churchill, the person who pushes himself through it, will win. I really believe in that statement. I am proud of our coaches. I am proud of our players. I’m proud of our fans who were there today. It was a great crowd. They had a big thing to do with it (the win). I think we are all in the same thing. We are all fighting and we are all trying to get through this emotional pain. I think we did it and we won. We have to continue to do that for the next couple of weeks.”
On Ryan Nassib’s performance on Senior Day:
“I’ve said it, probably privately, that I have really seen him come along in these last couple of weeks. It’s probably the best that he has been throwing the deep ball. He’s someone in that position, and that’s such a difficult position, at least from my standpoint. When you look at a student-athlete, and he’s a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, one of 15, and he’s a dual major in the Whitman School of Management, the community service that he has done and the type of leader that he has been for this team, is great. As a community, as a University, as a football program, as an athletics program, how can you not be proud of what he has done in the face of adversity? I couldn’t be more proud of Ryan and what he’s accomplished. And it hasn’t been easy for him. I really, really appreciate that, as he moves forward and the success he has in the future, he will represent this community and this University the way we would all want him to.”
Syracuse vs. No. 11/10 Louisville
November 10, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Opening Statement:
“We are very excited. The No. 9 ranked BCS team came in here undefeated and I am very proud of our players. We took a moment after the game – and I think this is important – we had Master Sergeant Van Gorder from Fort Drum in the locker room. Everyone knows there are things that we worked with the military during the off season, as well as relying on it during the year. I told the kids, when we took a knee and said a prayer in the locker room after the game, that I wanted to make sure that we kept in mind tomorrow is Veterans Day and what the men and the women of our country do. I think that’s important. It’s a great win, but tomorrow we need to remember what those veterans do for our country.
“I’m proud of our players. We played well. We made less mistakes. We were able to get the ball vertically down the field. We had a good balanced attack. I think at times we were able to move (Louisville quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater off the spot. He is a very good quarterback. We kept up the lead and kept momentum as we went on. I think we took advantage early on with the fumbled punt and turned it into seven. I think that really helped us. We carried momentum late in the game. We still made some errors, but obviously they were errors that we were able to recover from.
“I am proud of the seniors in this group to be able to go out with the win. Obviously some of those seniors played extremely well for us. Obviously, Ryan Nassib and Alec Lemon had great days. Marcus Sales helped quite a bit. Defensively, Shamarko (Thomas) did a nice job.”
On if the team was ready to go after being frustrated:
“I used the word frustration early on, and I said this publicly, I can understand why we were all frustrated because we were making too many mistakes. You get up here as a coach and there’s one thing that you hear coaches say, which is there is no one who is more frustrated than myself. I wanted to make sure that everyone understands it’s probably more frustrating for our students, our fans, the administration because we are talented enough to win a lot of football games. At least, with my frustration, I am still in a position to do something about it, along with our players. So we communicated early on what is that frustration and identified it by not being able to make plays. Then we identified going through a process of how we can make sure that we don’t make those types of mistakes. I think the team did a very good job through the season of turning it around and really turning a good positive energy toward this game.”
On if throwing to receiver Alec Lemon repeatedly in the first quarter was a set play:
“Louisville is a good team. I think we executed very well. When you are 9-0, you really don’t have a lot of weaknesses. I think that we were able to execute well and our kids did a very nice job without getting into schematics. “
On widening that gap in the game and dominating:
“When you are talking to the players, just like we have been all year, about concentrating on each play and to play out, give all of your effort on each play and really focusing in. That’s what we try to do and not look ahead. I think when our players are truly focused and we are able to execute at the level we did today where, obviously even though there were some mistakes, then we are a good football team. I truly understand where frustrations come from for our fans. It’s frustrating. I want to be able to celebrate this. Our kids did a nice job today. We need to get back to work and get ready to go and get ready to go back on the road again. Just for the moment, our kids executed well and played well. They feel good about themselves and they deserve that.”
On a balanced running and passing offensive attack:
“I think it was very successful. The physicality of what we’ve been able to do helped us. A lot of times you hear you win on first and seconds down and that’s what wins you the third downs of being able to run the ball. I’m very proud of what we’ve done. I don’t know if reinvented is the proper word, but I would say, an emphasis on more of that and on becoming a balanced team. I think that’s helped us a lot when we do that when you do have to defend the run.”
On the keys of the defensive line:
“I think they were a very difficult team to defend. I think that a lot of the check downs are in the middle of the field, and not looking schematically, but we were able to get some people on the edge and move him. When we didn’t move him, he was very successful. Sometimes when he did move, he was able to run and make plays down the field. It was one of the things that when we went into the game that we felt we had to move him. You have to be very careful when mixing your coverage and your pressures with him. It’s obvious because they can make plays.”
On the play of the secondary locking down the receivers:
“Everything we are saying, you can say that about every quarterback. If they moved Ryan Nassib off the spot and hit him, which they’ve done the past few years and got him rattled, then you have a chance. That’s what gave us the chance to do it. You’re exactly right. Front and coverage go hand in hand. That’s what happened. We were able to do a good job where you couldn’t get rid of the ball fast. At the end, we gave up some things. We knew we were giving up some throws to the flat and keeping things in front of us. We said, ‘Let’s make sure that we tackle. Let’s not get beat deep.’”
On having Adonis Ameen-Moore back in the running back rotation:
“’It’s always good. I saw Ashton (Broyld) limp out out there. Prince-Tyson (Gulley) got hit pretty good. I think that it’s just that knowing that Adonis can go in there and you feel comfortable to finish the game or in the tank package getting out to the red zone. I think when we have those backs and they are ready to go, you are able to sleep better at night. As things go throughout the game, there is a sense of security when you have four guys who can play (running back).”
On stopping the Louisville ground game:
“We were very concerned with them running the ball out of ‘12.’ They shifted in motion and have really hurt us in the past with it. We came in and we’ve had a lot of calls, a lot of movement and a lot of things going on these past few weeks, but we were really just trying to narrow it down for the players (this week) so they can play fast. That’s some of the things that I said all week long. I think with the score, with the way it was going, gave us an advantage when it took away some of the run game that they had planned coming in.”
On playing well in all three phases of the game:
“Obviously, we are proud of how they played in all three phases. I don’t want to beat a dead horse. It just shows that when we have the capability of executing this way, we are a very good football team. That’s what we have to keep working on. We have two games left. I have a problem because I usually take away the victory quickly in my mind because I’m already going ahead. I don’t want to do that for these players. We just need to stay focused and just keep working and keep fighting. A lesson that you learn is that you just keep fighting. I have talked to the players, to the people who are very close to me, and shared this. Once the effort becomes so painful, and this comes from (Winston) Churchill, the person who pushes himself through it, will win. I really believe in that statement. I am proud of our coaches. I am proud of our players. I’m proud of our fans who were there today. It was a great crowd. They had a big thing to do with it (the win). I think we are all in the same thing. We are all fighting and we are all trying to get through this emotional pain. I think we did it and we won. We have to continue to do that for the next couple of weeks.”
On Ryan Nassib’s performance on Senior Day:
“I’ve said it, probably privately, that I have really seen him come along in these last couple of weeks. It’s probably the best that he has been throwing the deep ball. He’s someone in that position, and that’s such a difficult position, at least from my standpoint. When you look at a student-athlete, and he’s a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, one of 15, and he’s a dual major in the Whitman School of Management, the community service that he has done and the type of leader that he has been for this team, is great. As a community, as a University, as a football program, as an athletics program, how can you not be proud of what he has done in the face of adversity? I couldn’t be more proud of Ryan and what he’s accomplished. And it hasn’t been easy for him. I really, really appreciate that, as he moves forward and the success he has in the future, he will represent this community and this University the way we would all want him to.”
