Head Coach Doug Marrone Stony Brook Quotes
Syracuse Football
Syracuse vs. Stony Brook
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Head Coach Doug Marrone
Opening Statement:
“Obviousl.y we sit here and we’re celebrating a win. We were a winless football team. Everyone saw the game. I think we played a very good football team. I’ve stood here during practice and talked about how we have a lot of work ahead of us. We have a long way to go. I think it was evident today, especially situationally. We are sitting here 1-2. We are going to go back to work tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do. I am happy for the players. They have worked hard. At the end of the day you earn your win. You earn what you deserve. Our first two games, we’ve lost. This game we won. We are 1-2. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
On if he was happy with the way the defense tackled:
“First half, I wasn’t very happy with the tackling. Second half I thought they did a very good job. The first half, I really mean that.”
On the adjustments at half time and how it affected the offense:
“We were trying to find plays. Three and out (on the first series) and the fifth play (of the game for the offense) was a big touchdown play to Prince-Tyson Gulley. The consistency of back-to-back drives, you are always looking for that. Somewhere along the line, with every offense, you are going to struggle somewhat. You don’t want to do it (struggle) when you first come out. You want to get off to a good start. You want to get into a rhythm as fast as you can. It’s difficult. We are working extremely hard to figure out what that right rhythm is for us. We just keep going down this little sheet or big sheet of what we have play-wise. We are going to keep going down until we find out what is good for us. A lot of that in starting of the game, it’s not dictated that much from a defensive standpoint as people may think. A lot of it is dictated on our standpoint, trying to find out what we need to do to feel comfortable and then make plays.”
On if they went back to the run in the second half to open things up for the passing game:
“They played a lot of coverage. They did a hell of a job with it. They really did. A lot of two deep, a lot of four, a lot of four man – stuff that we have seen but we really haven’t seen a lot of it. It’s difficult. They’ve been a team that’s held the ball quite a bit. They’ve had big leads. We really didn’t have a great feel of what they did coverage wise. We went back last year to the playoff games and credit to their coach, they played a lot of coverage. We have to be able to run the football. At times we hit some. At times they did a nice job.”
On stopping the big plays in the future:
“I would say it’s more than a couple. A couple is two. We have been burned in three games. It’s a matter of focus and evaluating it and doing a better job with it. We got burned in three games and gave up some big plays. I was discouraged. We were burnt early. I was discouraged by their 75 yards right off the bat, hidden yardage that I’m sure you guys can see with a penalty here, a sack and a penalty. Things like that. We took points off the board when I say we missed two field goals. We go for two (fourth downs). We had a miscommunication with the signals. The first time I wanted to run the ball twice. We can’t afford to give up those plays. In the end, Marcus Sales makes some big plays and puts the game away. I was very happy Marcus was able to do that.”
On the 15-yard penalty that set them back in the fourth quarter:
“I didn’t feel until the last drive that it was over. We had eight penalties that they accepted. We did a good job last week. I thought early on, they were going on two early on and we had those unforced errors. Wayne Morgan had a poor decision error, a personal foul. We had another one where we had a big sack. I think they called us on a facemask on that. It’s just inexcusable. I think sometimes when I watch the film I say, oh I see that. I can see how a guy can do that. Sometimes I watch it and I think that’s unacceptable. We work on our players. We have reminders from a penalty situation. And that’s how we treat it. Those penalties – right now without having looked at them – I thought were not excusable. I think that they hurt.”
On how concerned he is with the kicking game with Ross Krautman missing two field goals:
“I’m more concerned with him than I’ve been in the last three years. I think Ross has been a very good, very consistent kicker for us. I’ve been very, very happy with him. He’s been one of the more accurate kickers. We’ve really worked hard. He’s really worked hard on a couple of things. He’s struggled in the past on the left hash. He sometimes rolls over his left foot. I think he’s worked hard and did a good job with that. He’s missed three field goals and that’s unlike him. It’s not like he has kickoff duties. We’re not switching Riley Dixon and Jonathon Fisher. Jonathon is going to punt the ball for us. Riley is our sky kick, to get it up and get good height on it. Ross is obviously our PAT field goal kicker. Ryan Norton is our kickoff guy. I’m learning a lot about that culture and how hard they work, the ins and outs of it. My roommate was a kicker here, but he benched 400 pounds and played DB. (smiling) He was a little different. These kids are good and work hard. We are trying to get more from them, as I am with the rest of the players from the team.”
On what quarterback Ryan Nassib is doing differently going into the third quarter:
“As that game is going on, we are gathering information. Our assistant coaches do a good job. We go in at halftime and say this is what we are doing. This is what we are going to do. This is why it is going to work. Our players are like, 'Alright, let’s go.' Before the game, it’s the same thing. All week long we say, this is what we are going to do. We are going to start off. Let’s go. Honestly, I don’t know what it is. It’s my job to find out. We are going through a process of eliminating things as we work through this season. If I had the answer, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about it. We are trying to get it and I understand the questions we get about it. “
On running back Ashton Broyld growing into an important part of the offense:
“When you say, what’s the process like - I think it’s very difficult. I think it’s a very difficult process. I think the further you line up away from the ball, the easier it is. If we had Asthon play a Z receiver or an X receiver, I think it would be a lot easier for him. But when he starts running in the slot and then in the backfield, he is doing a lot of things. We also put him in wildcat at quarterback. I have zero issues with his work ethic. We try to do as much as we can. We had a great conversation when he was upset after the first game. He said, 'I want to play more and get in there.' I said. 'I feel the same way. I want you to play more.' He is a very, very good athlete. But, in order to play more you have to know the ins and outs of everything you are doing. It’s not just the Syracuse football program that’s like that. A lot of football programs are like that. What you have seen, if you take it on a positive side, he has been getting better and better. We have been getting him more involved. We have been getting him more carries. That’s the direction we would like to go."
Syracuse vs. Stony Brook
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Head Coach Doug Marrone
Opening Statement:
“Obviousl.y we sit here and we’re celebrating a win. We were a winless football team. Everyone saw the game. I think we played a very good football team. I’ve stood here during practice and talked about how we have a lot of work ahead of us. We have a long way to go. I think it was evident today, especially situationally. We are sitting here 1-2. We are going to go back to work tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do. I am happy for the players. They have worked hard. At the end of the day you earn your win. You earn what you deserve. Our first two games, we’ve lost. This game we won. We are 1-2. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
On if he was happy with the way the defense tackled:
“First half, I wasn’t very happy with the tackling. Second half I thought they did a very good job. The first half, I really mean that.”
On the adjustments at half time and how it affected the offense:
“We were trying to find plays. Three and out (on the first series) and the fifth play (of the game for the offense) was a big touchdown play to Prince-Tyson Gulley. The consistency of back-to-back drives, you are always looking for that. Somewhere along the line, with every offense, you are going to struggle somewhat. You don’t want to do it (struggle) when you first come out. You want to get off to a good start. You want to get into a rhythm as fast as you can. It’s difficult. We are working extremely hard to figure out what that right rhythm is for us. We just keep going down this little sheet or big sheet of what we have play-wise. We are going to keep going down until we find out what is good for us. A lot of that in starting of the game, it’s not dictated that much from a defensive standpoint as people may think. A lot of it is dictated on our standpoint, trying to find out what we need to do to feel comfortable and then make plays.”
On if they went back to the run in the second half to open things up for the passing game:
“They played a lot of coverage. They did a hell of a job with it. They really did. A lot of two deep, a lot of four, a lot of four man – stuff that we have seen but we really haven’t seen a lot of it. It’s difficult. They’ve been a team that’s held the ball quite a bit. They’ve had big leads. We really didn’t have a great feel of what they did coverage wise. We went back last year to the playoff games and credit to their coach, they played a lot of coverage. We have to be able to run the football. At times we hit some. At times they did a nice job.”
On stopping the big plays in the future:
“I would say it’s more than a couple. A couple is two. We have been burned in three games. It’s a matter of focus and evaluating it and doing a better job with it. We got burned in three games and gave up some big plays. I was discouraged. We were burnt early. I was discouraged by their 75 yards right off the bat, hidden yardage that I’m sure you guys can see with a penalty here, a sack and a penalty. Things like that. We took points off the board when I say we missed two field goals. We go for two (fourth downs). We had a miscommunication with the signals. The first time I wanted to run the ball twice. We can’t afford to give up those plays. In the end, Marcus Sales makes some big plays and puts the game away. I was very happy Marcus was able to do that.”
On the 15-yard penalty that set them back in the fourth quarter:
“I didn’t feel until the last drive that it was over. We had eight penalties that they accepted. We did a good job last week. I thought early on, they were going on two early on and we had those unforced errors. Wayne Morgan had a poor decision error, a personal foul. We had another one where we had a big sack. I think they called us on a facemask on that. It’s just inexcusable. I think sometimes when I watch the film I say, oh I see that. I can see how a guy can do that. Sometimes I watch it and I think that’s unacceptable. We work on our players. We have reminders from a penalty situation. And that’s how we treat it. Those penalties – right now without having looked at them – I thought were not excusable. I think that they hurt.”
On how concerned he is with the kicking game with Ross Krautman missing two field goals:
“I’m more concerned with him than I’ve been in the last three years. I think Ross has been a very good, very consistent kicker for us. I’ve been very, very happy with him. He’s been one of the more accurate kickers. We’ve really worked hard. He’s really worked hard on a couple of things. He’s struggled in the past on the left hash. He sometimes rolls over his left foot. I think he’s worked hard and did a good job with that. He’s missed three field goals and that’s unlike him. It’s not like he has kickoff duties. We’re not switching Riley Dixon and Jonathon Fisher. Jonathon is going to punt the ball for us. Riley is our sky kick, to get it up and get good height on it. Ross is obviously our PAT field goal kicker. Ryan Norton is our kickoff guy. I’m learning a lot about that culture and how hard they work, the ins and outs of it. My roommate was a kicker here, but he benched 400 pounds and played DB. (smiling) He was a little different. These kids are good and work hard. We are trying to get more from them, as I am with the rest of the players from the team.”
On what quarterback Ryan Nassib is doing differently going into the third quarter:
“As that game is going on, we are gathering information. Our assistant coaches do a good job. We go in at halftime and say this is what we are doing. This is what we are going to do. This is why it is going to work. Our players are like, 'Alright, let’s go.' Before the game, it’s the same thing. All week long we say, this is what we are going to do. We are going to start off. Let’s go. Honestly, I don’t know what it is. It’s my job to find out. We are going through a process of eliminating things as we work through this season. If I had the answer, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about it. We are trying to get it and I understand the questions we get about it. “
On running back Ashton Broyld growing into an important part of the offense:
“When you say, what’s the process like - I think it’s very difficult. I think it’s a very difficult process. I think the further you line up away from the ball, the easier it is. If we had Asthon play a Z receiver or an X receiver, I think it would be a lot easier for him. But when he starts running in the slot and then in the backfield, he is doing a lot of things. We also put him in wildcat at quarterback. I have zero issues with his work ethic. We try to do as much as we can. We had a great conversation when he was upset after the first game. He said, 'I want to play more and get in there.' I said. 'I feel the same way. I want you to play more.' He is a very, very good athlete. But, in order to play more you have to know the ins and outs of everything you are doing. It’s not just the Syracuse football program that’s like that. A lot of football programs are like that. What you have seen, if you take it on a positive side, he has been getting better and better. We have been getting him more involved. We have been getting him more carries. That’s the direction we would like to go."
