Quotes from Maryland Football Assistant Coaches

Wide Receivers Coach Lee Hull:

On the offensive unit:

“I think we are starting to play a little faster because we are in our second year in this type of offense. Last year our offense was thinking a lot, trying to get lined up, so I think having this be our second year we have a lot more consistency. The players are starting to figure out what we are trying to do, so that is going to help them play faster and make plays.

“I have always told our players that they have to know our offense like the back of their hand so it becomes second nature. Now I do a three-click test, they get three seconds to get an answer right about our attack because that is how fast paced it moves on the field. When you are in a game situation you don’t have much time to think, you have to line up, read the coverage, adjust your split and know the route you are running all in a matter of seconds. Getting used to this no-huddle offense and playing at a faster pace is starting to come more naturally. “

On the wide receivers:

“If I had to give them a letter grade I would give them a C+ right now. I think there is always some room for improvement. The grade might seem a little low because I think in the beginning of the spring we didn’t do as well as we expected to. But now that we are in the second half, we are performing better and learning from our mistakes.”

On standout players:

“I think everyone has made strides of improvement, but I would say Malcolm Culmer has made the most. He has been the most consistent all around, both in blocking and running routes.”

Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Mike Locksley:

On Deon Long’s impact:

“I think his familiarity with the system has allowed him and afforded him the opportunity to come in and put himself in the position of possibly being a starter for us. His accomplishments have helped build his confidence, but now we have to fine-tune the intricacies and techniques to help him excel as a wide receiver against the top completion. The knowledge of the system will give him a chance to come in and play right away, but how quickly he picks up the technique will determine the type of success he has at Maryland. “

On the receiving unit:

“They have the potential to be a really strong unit on our team this year.  To have the skill that we have on the outside, I would say as a coaching staff we feel really good about our talent. I would also say although they have talent, they must also perform at the type of level that is necessary to be successful.”

On the players’ familiarity with his offense entering year two:

“There’s definitely a natural ease in that the terminology, the plays, the techniques, we’re going through all of it. This is the third time it’s been installed for some of these guys — we put it in last spring, we did it again in the fall and now we’re doing it again in the spring. There’s definitely a familiarity with it.”

Running Backs Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Andre Powell:

On moving Joe Riddle to another position

“I think initially Joe was recruited at another position, and then as we watched him we determined that his skills were best suited for running back. He has improved this spring, and has exceeded my expectations. To play running back you have to be smart and be involved in every facet of the offense. You also have to be really tough, and I think he is starting to pull all of those aspects together.”

On finding a back who can play every down:

“We would like to have an every-down back, a guy that can run the ball on a normal down and one that can operate within the passing game as well. We haven’t gotten that far in our planning, but I think we are looking for guys to play every down.”

Offensive Line Coach Tom Brattan:

On Ryan Doyle:

“Ryan has moments where he is really good. His thing to me is playing on a more consistent level and growing into his body.”

On new players:

“We see improvement in all of our guys, we just have to gage if we are on track for the start of the season. I think spring football has been huge for us in determining what we need to work on over the summer. Summer ball is going to be huge for us.”

On Silvano Altamirano:

“He has been a welcome addition. He has come in and brought a lot of athleticism. He is receptive to what we are telling him. Is he a finished product? No, but certainly he will help us out. I would say he has the athletic ability to play either guard position.”

Tight Ends Coach/Recruiting Coordinator John Dunn:

On importance of practice time in March and April:

“We are allowed 15 practices, and these guys aren’t 10-year veterans. We need everything we can get, and we need to maximize this time. Going into the summer the guys must know what things they have to work on individually, and I think it is critical to have this time so going into the fall they have a base understanding of what we are coaches need them to do in terms of fundaments, techniques and schemes. This time of development is huge.”

On Dave Stinebaugh’s role this season:

“I think Dave has always had the ability to accomplish the things he has shown us this spring. As coaches we have always seen that he has great capability. He has had the injury bug which has set him behind a little, but I think he is going to be able to do everything that Matt Furstenburg was able to do. Dave can be effective in both the running and passing game, he is dynamic.”

Outside Linebackers Coach Lyndon Johnson:

On starters:

“Right now Marcus Whitfield would be the ‘Will’ and Matt Robinson would be at the ‘Sam.’ We have to see how his shoulders hold up. Coming back from those two surgeries is obviously a concern, but he seems to be progressing very well.”

On spring surprises:

“I wouldn’t say Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil was a surprise. Since the moment he got here his work ethic has been off the charts. He has a non-stop motor, and he is one of the stronger guys. I expected him to do the things he is doing now because of his transfer status. I think the group as a whole is very impressive. They pick things up a lot faster than I thought they would, and we are playing fast right now.”

Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Brain Stewart:

On athleticism of defensive line:

“I think the defensive line did a great job this spring in terms of pass rushing and playing blocks. It is hard because we are going to play against big guys. Joe [Vellano] and A.J. [Francis] played big, so I am excited to see if we can play big again this fall. Right now we are playing athletic, but I am still unsure if we can play big.”

On the players’ familiarity with his system entering year two:

“Last year they were in a learning process so we had to tone everything down and make sure they knew what to do. Now with it being the second year in the defense, now they’re playing fast and we’re trying to do what we’re supposed to do at a high level.”

On biggest accomplishment made by the defense this spring:

“I think we are a good pressure team, and we can play a little more man than we could last year. “

Defensive Line/Assistant Head Coach Greg Gattuso:

On improving defensive vision:

“The actions are what we are trying to get done. We are blending a lot of youth into this defense, but the knowledge is something that will make it work. Everyone is on the same page and understanding what we are trying to get done.”

On defensive room:

“The thing that has been interesting with the defensive line room is Joe [Vellano] and A.J. [Francis] were very domineering personalities, they answered every question and were incredibly knowledgeable. What happens now is the younger guys can answer questions and express themselves. Everyone is increasing their confidence in the defense because they are not overwhelmed by the bigger personalities.”

Inside Linebackers Coach Keith Dudzinski:

On overall unit:

“The one thing we want to do with the 3-4 is stop the run, and try to make teams a little more one dimensional. I think we have been doing a pretty good job because we are challenged every day in practice with our offense. We have done a pretty good job holding up the run so far. I think being in the second year of this defense has helped guys understand concepts better, and guys now know what their jobs are and what we expect from them. We are playing a lot faster and seeing things better.”

On Bradley Johnson:

“Bradley has been quiet here for the last two years, and other players injuries have given him an opportunity to come in and do a great job. I think he is going to give us more competition at the inside linebacker position.”

University of Maryland Quotes

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On Kevin Dorsey’s career and dealing with change:

“I can tell you this, I’m proud of the way Kevin [Dorsey] has handled all the changes that have taken place. I know this year with the different guys that have been behind center for us he’s kind of been the one consistent force out there on the perimeter. Statistically it may not show, but he does a lot of the little things that you want out of a senior. I couldn’t be more proud of Kevin. Of all those seniors, obviously their last opportunity to play here at home, I’m sure it will be emotional for those guys. I can’t thank those guys enough for fighting through some adversity on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve had to deal with quite a lot, and they’ve come in each week and worked diligently to continue to go out and try to find ways to win ball games. I expect the same this week.”

On the difficulty of continuing to get adjusted to new quarterbacks:

“Offensive football is timing and spacing. It’s built on that, and when a guy comes in that they haven’t been playing with, there’s a reason they do so much stuff in the offseason with quarterbacks to develop the timing. For those guys it’s been an adjustment, and they’ve  taken it, they’ve made the most of it, and they’ve continued to come out no matter who’s out there. We talk about maybe having to make a tough catch because it’s not always going to be necessarily where you think it will be. Kevin has been one of those guys, Matt Furstenberg, Devonte Campbell, [Ryan] Schlothauer, all those guys have taken it in stride.”

On running the ball outside with Brandon Ross:

“I think anytime you can run the ball outside, It helps with the numbers you see in the box. That’s where perimeter blocking becomes a major factor. That’s how a guy like Kevin Dorsey has made his mark this year for us as a blocker. It takes pressure off the quarterback in the zone read game, some of the things we do because there is a threat of the ball hitting the perimeter. [Brandon Ross] has the ability to make some plays for us.”

On if they’re using around 50 percent of the playbook:

“That’s what coach said and that’s exactly what the number is. I know this we’re doing what Shawn [Petty] is capable of executing. I know that for all of us receivers, myself as a coach, often times once you get in the game plan, a lot of the creativity of wanting to do things that you think or know has a chance to be successful against an opponent, you’ve to tempo it down. You’ve got to go back and continue to ask yourself the question, ‘Can Shawn execute it?’ It’s not taking anything away from Shawn’s abilities because had he been a guy that’s been with us throughout the spring, through the fall, and all the eight weeks of practices we had prior to him playing, I think there’s a lot of things he can accomplish with his skill set. It’s so unfair to throw a playbook on a freshman quarterback that’s had three weeks to play the position. To give ourselves a chance to win, unfortunately you have to narrow it and focus it down to the bare minimum with enough to try and win the game. I’m sure like I told our receivers and all those guys, we have to do whatever it takes to try to win.  We have to do whatever our quarterback is capable of executing first and foremost, and that’s kind of been what we followed with the use of all those different guys that have played. It doesn’t always allow you to do the things you want to do, but you do what you can do.”

On if he’s been forced to be more creative than he has been in his career:

“I’d venture to say we haven’t been very creative with what we’ve done. We’re trying to do what our quarterback can get accomplished, but you also have to have enough to win the ball game. The big thing is what have you shown on tape, and how can you make it look different while doing the same things. That’s kind of the approach we have to take. We have to self-scout and say hey here’s what we’re doing, this is what they’re seeing, this is what they’re preparing for. But on the flip side of it, it’s not just getting us ready for what we can do against them, they change because all of a sudden you have a quarterback that they think isn’t a thrower. You want to run the ball to help him and now you have these creative run blitzes and eight, nine, 10 guys up at the box. They’re going to force us to throw the ball, and I think Shawn’s capable of making those plays, and I think we just have to continue to build it and give him the preparation he needs to be successful in doing some of those things.”

On if they’ll throw the ball more with Shawn now that he’s played in some games:

“Again, it’s not necessarily just his growth, it’s the protection. Unfortunately for Shawn, we’ve gone against some of the top defenses in our league. He’s moving forward, we’re getting better each week with him. Whether we’ll throw it more. We’re going to do whatever it takes to win the ball game. If the call is for throwing the ball more, that’s what we’ll do.”

On preparing for Florida State and the protection schemes:

“Well, protection obviously the most important thing we do. For us to have any chance to win, we can’t turn the ball over. If there’s been a thing that’s kind of gotten at me, regardless of your experience, the point of emphasis we’ve put on Shawn or any of the guys that touch the ball for us is we’ve got to take care of the football and give ourselves a chance to win by playing good smart sound football. We haven’t done that.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On the defensive seniors playing in their final home game:

“You really tip your hat off to these guys. They could very well be disappointed, and just say ‘wow look what happened to my senior season.’ But, that’s not what they’ve done. They’ve done a good job of just playing hard, fast, and everyone has bought in 100 percent. I’m pretty proud of them, each and every one of them, for their effort up and down throughout the season and how they’ve handled it.”

On how much of a struggle it’s been for Kenny Tate:

“You know we know he’s not 100 percent, but he gives us 100 percent. We’re very proud of his effort, and respect what he’s done on the field for us. I don’t know how close to 100 percent he is, or how far away, that would be something he and the doctors would have to tell you. I really have to applaud his effort, just day in and day out wanting to be there with his teammates and giving us 100 percent on every down that he’s out there.”

On Matt Robinson’s return last week:

“The timing of the game is what changes when you miss [games]. The more he went back out there, the game slowed down for him. Not that he made any mistakes, I’m not saying that, I just think he had an opportunity to play fast once the game evolved.”

On the play of L.A Goree:

“I agree with coach, I think a lot of times what happens is when you’re a backup at practice, you get a smaller amount of plays vs. the starter. So when you play behind [Demetrius] Hartsfield who doesn’t come off the field, at practice Hartsfield gets all the plays. So you’re not going to be at the same game shape as Hartsfield. I think that’s what caught up with L.A. [Goree] was that he just wasn’t in the same game shape he needed to be in. I think this week of practice should serve him well in that aspect.”

On the play of Florida State’s offense:

“I think EJ [Manuel] is playing lights out with the ball in his hand and throwing the ball down field. He has a great supporting cast to throw to. I haven’t seen anybody cover [Rashad] Greene yet, he’s still running in touchdowns. So, offensively, even though they’re missing their running back, they still have [James] Wilder, and have guys that can fill in and don’t skip a beat. As far as their offensive line goes, it’s probably going to be the best offensive line we see this year. They’re very athletic, can get to the second level, can run, so I mean it’s an exciting challenge for us, but it’s a very good offense.”

On assessing Kenny Tate’s role:

“All I can answer that question is from a perspective of this year. I feel we put him in the best position to make plays. Injuries are part of the game, and unfortunate that he has to play with lingering injuries. I believe we put him in the best position to make plays.”

On how detrimental Demetrius Hartsfield’s injury is to his chances of playing in the NFL:

“Obviously he won’t be able to do the Combine and some of those things because of the injury, but I’ve seen guys at the Combine that had injuries that people wanted to look at that injury specifically or just wanted to ask questions and interview the person and see what their football knowledge was. So, I don’t know, if somebody wants you and thinks you can play at that level, they’re going to take a chance. I think there’s plenty of stories of guys who got injured their senior year and got an opportunity. Will he be one of those? I don’t know, you’d have to talk to a scout or somebody to answer those questions. Again, it’s an unfortunate injury but if somebody wants to take a look at you they’ll do that.”

– Terps –

Quotes from Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart

Mike Locksley

On Perry Hills being out for the season and his replacement:

“Well for us it’s the next man mentality. We have some guys ready to play, I’m not going to get into a lot of specifics with scheme and what we’re doing. You know, we have to get somebody ready to play Saturday, and we’re doing all the things necessary in practice to determine who, how much, and what we’re going to do as the week progresses.”

On if using both quarterbacks is an option:

“Well obviously the goal is trying to figure out if one of those guys, or both of those guys are capable. We need to kind of get through the week to figure out whether we play both or whether we play one. We were able to go yesterday, and today’s a huge day for us. This is where we get a better understanding of day two of the installation and working on all the different things to figure out what they can and cannot get accomplished.”

On the success historically playing multiple quarterbacks in a game compared to one:

“From a historical standpoint I can only speak on the experience I’ve had playing two. The answer to that is we’re going to do whatever it takes to get a win. We’re not playing two, or we’re playing one just for the sake of it. We’re going to play the guys or guy that gives us the best chance to win. We’re going to spend this week putting together some game plans and getting these guys out on the field and see what they can execute. Then making some decisions at the end of the week that will obviously affect our ability to get a win on Saturday.”

On if going through a similar scenario losing C.J. Brown helps cope with losing Hills:

“It never gets easy, I know that. But I can tell you the way Randy [Edsall] has developed the mentality of this team, the whole next-man mentality, whether it’s the quarterback position, the offensive line, or any position on this team, if a guy goes down, no need to fret or worry as coaches. We have to get the next guy ready, or next guys depending on the situation. Our team has developed that personality, and as coaches whoever the guy is we have to put together a plan that we can execute against Boston College offensively to put points on the board and win a ball game.”

On what he likes about Caleb Rowe:

“Obviously he has a skill set where he throws the ball very accurately, and a lot of people try and say he can’t do certain things. Well he’s as athletic as Perry, I think he’s a mixture of both Devin and Perry. So, that’s a benefit for us, because whoever the guy is he’ll still be able to do some of the same things that gave us an opportunity to move the ball. Now what we have to do is find a way to put points on the board when we need them.”

On how the emergency quarterbacks are looking:

“A lot has been thrown at them. We’ve been very fortunate that we have Coach [C.J.] Brown and Coach [Ricardo] Young helping out getting quarterbacks ready to play. Then, trying to teach guys who’ve played the position you only have so much time, and that’s where guys like C.J. Brown and Ricardo Young have been great assets for us. They’re both smart guys. I think having [Brian] McMahon being on the offensive side of the ball a lot of the pre-snap stuff is easier on him because he’s taking signals, our tight ends take signals from the sideline. I’ve been pleased with both their efforts trying to learn the things we’re going to ask them to do if they’re called upon in an emergency.”

On how involved C.J. Brown has been since recovering from his injury:

“We’ve kept him involved, that’s the way Randy likes to do things. Obviously he has some rehab things and some things he had to attend to immediately coming out of the surgeries. But as quickly he’s been able to get off the crutches from a safety standpoint, he’s been out there. Taking coin tosses, on the sideline, on the headsets, so it’s been invaluable having a guy like him, and even Ricardo [Young] spends a ton of time around here studying it. They’ve both been really helpful with the development of the young quarterbacks. It’s just great to have those guys involved.”

Brian Stewart

On the play of Darin Drakeford this season:

“He’s just been doing a great job. I mentioned before those positions have always done a pretty good job. I mentioned DeMarcus Ware and Shaun Phillips when we were in San Diego. That guy has to be a guy who has some pass-rush ability, has to be tough because he’s going to be chipped by backs. Drakeford’s personality fits that perfectly, he’s done a great job.”

On the play of Joe Vellano and his tackling ability:

“I don’t know about wrapping up, but we practice tackling every day, every chance we get. Tackling is more attitude than anything. It’s 90 percent want-to and 10 percent technique. I think Joe brings that ‘I want to get to that guy and I want to tackle somebody’ attitude and I think that’s where he stands out.”

On the play of Jeremiah Johnson;

“I think J.J.’s play has been consistent, and he’s continued to play consistent. There’s times when things happen, but his demeanor is a perfect corner’s demeanor. It’s a fluke, it won’t happen to me again, and he goes after it as aggressive as he did the first time. He’s a kid that improves every game, because he takes notes, he looks at himself on tape, he looks at himself at practice, and he takes feedback and criticism well. It’s not easy when someone tells you you’re doing something wrong or you just got beat. You’re already feeling sorry for yourself, but he doesn’t come in with that attitude. He comes in with the ‘OK coach what could I have done here?’ And then you tell him and that’s what he tries to do.”

On the challenges Boston College’s offense presents:

“Their quarterback Chase Rettig, there’s a couple plays where you see him just stand there in the pocket and throw the ball 60 yards. He can throw it outside the numbers, he can throw it down the field, he has an extremely strong arm, the receivers do a great job running downfield and getting underneath the ball. I think [Johnathan] Colemen’s height is a problem for us, because we’re about six inches shorter than him. [Alex] Amidon does a good job of running routes and getting to the ball. So, those guys especially with that quarterback, present a problem just because of the big play potential.”

On if Kenneth Tate is back to 100 percent:

“I don’t know if at this point in the season if anybody is 100 percent, let alone Kenny. But I think he’s done a great job of understanding what we need him to do and executing what we need him to do. One-hundred percent? I think that’s something he would need to answer, but I just think he’s doing what we’re asking him to do and he’s doing it at a level that we can be successful with.”

- Terps -

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On how the offensive players performed:

“Obviously we didn’t run the ball very well, so it’s hard to say if any of them did well. Whether it’s in the run game or pass game, we have a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. It starts with executing our techniques and executing the fundamental things that we teach. When you go back and watch the tape as a play caller, you see that plays are there but then a guy shows up. It’s not just one guy, it’s a guy on each play, maybe not doing their job or not taking care of their responsibilities. As coaches we have to find a way to get our guys to find a way to the things they’re coached to do in games.”

On whether the breakdowns in the running game are different each time or something particular:

“That’s the point. You can’t say that it’s this type of play that we’re running. It’s individual technique and fundamental technique things that we just have to get cleaned up. The positive side of it is that our guys, especially on the offensive side of the bal,l have had a chance in every game in the fourth quarter to win. Three of the five games we found a way and made the plays whether it be in the run game, or the pass game to win the ball game and that’s a positive. That’s something that we’ll build on but the next step for us is the execution has got to be a lot better.”

On how frustrating it’s been to see the running game struggle:

“It’s frustrating, but the thing is when you’re starting young players up front, and young in the middle of your offense, you have guys who don’t have a lot of game experience. So the thing you’d like to be able to do is find a way to run the football to take some pressure off of the young quarterback. We just haven’t been able to do it consistently. There’ve been times, the opening drive of the second half, we had a series where we had been moving the ball down the field. Wes [Brown] did a good job coming in and getting the ball downhill, and I can recall having at least a drive of some plays where we were able to cover people up. If we can do that consistently than we’ll have a chance.”

On giving Wes Brown and Justus Picket the bulk of the carries:

“They make the least amount of mistakes. That’s the thing for us, when you look at us across the board, and it’s not just one guy or one position, I think that during the course of the game we have enough what we call ‘mental assignments’ where a guy goes the wrong way, blocks the wrong guy, or doesn’t take care of his responsibility. For us right now everything we call and how we go about our game plan on offense we have to be pretty perfect. Those two guys have been the most steady in terms of knowing their assignments. Albert [Reid] still has a role, and you’ll see him. He came and filled in when Wes went out for a minute, and I still think he’s in the mix as well.”

On the importance of Justus Picket:

“He’s been the guy who’s been out there when we’ve had to do it. I know in the William & Mary game Kevin Dorsey made the big run after the catch on the screen play, and Justus came back and put it in. The Temple game where we let them back in the game, and had to put a drive together, Justus was the guy who scored the touchdown. Again this past weekend, he’s been a guy who’s been pretty steady and I think it starts with his game experience. He’s only a sophomore, but he played a lot of ball last year and that lends itself to help and be able to handle the things that happy through the course of this year. Whereas a guy like Brand Ross, it’s only been his second ball games for us. Wes Brown has still only played in his fifth ball game, same thing for Albert Reid. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel for these young guys with each game gaining a ton of experience that will be fruitful for us in the future. Unfortunately now we have to get these guys to play better.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On the goal line stand vs. Wake Forest:

“That was awesome wasn’t it? I don’t know how I could break it down; it was just great all across the board. The defensive linemen cut their offensive linemen, which made it easier for the linebackers and secondary players to see the [running]back take a leap. I think it was [Demetrius] Hartsfield who hit him first below, and then it was Cole [Farrand] who came from the other side. They got a hit on him, and then next thing you know Dexter [McDougle] comes flying all out with his best impression of Troy Polamalu without the hair and then just did a good job of hitting. It was just an awesome play, I think that was a spark for us, a big play that was huge and it kept us rolling and I think it affected the offense also.”

On preparing for Virginia using two different quarterbacks:

“Yeah, [Phillip] Sims has had an opportunity to play in almost every game. We got a chance to see him and how he handles the offense. They’re going to run the same stuff, they do the same things, there’s not a big difference. I’m just glad I don’t have to make that quarterback decision.”

On the play of Anthony Nixon:

“Anthony has done a good job of asking questions that don’t just pertain to him, but pertain to the whole scheme. So he can understand where he fits and how he fits. At practice, when you correct him, he’ll look at it on tape and say ‘coach that’s the one you were telling me about.’ So he’s always thinking, and that’s just a testament to his high school coach, his parents, and that everything is important to him.”

On how much he’s seen Jeremiah Johnson improve:

“I just think Jeremiah is another guy where everything is important to him. When you talk to him about football, he sees it. You can talk to him and he sees it. He’s just a smart kid, good grades, and that’s probably why he’s a god football player. He knows how to study, does what he’s supposed to do, and I’m excited for him.”

On the play of Darin Drakeford:

“He’s done a good job. He’s been drawing some double teams. He’s been either drawing double teams or the backs come and chip him. So that’s slowed down his production, but it also helps the guy who plays right inside him. So whoever is on his side gets the opportunity to get a single block.”

– Terps –

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On the changes on the offensive line:

“Well obviously all the personnel stuff comes from Coach. But, I would agree that we want to put the best five out on the field. These guys with the changes that have been made obviously have done some things to earn the right to start for us.”

On what the new offensive linemen bring to the table:

“I think they both add athleticism up front. Obviously with Mike [Madaras] he’s one of the most athletic guys for a freshman that I’ve had the chance to see play. I think with every game he’s getting better. With [Andrew] Zeller he gives us a little more athleticism, a little more strength on the inside. I’m not saying those other guys worked or haven’t, but right now we feel those guys will give us the best chance to have some success. It’s creating competition we like to see throughout the offensive positions.”

If it’s unusual for a true freshman to come in and start at that posiiton:

“I would venture to say you don’t want to make a living out of starting a bunch of true freshmen on the offensive line. That’s the one position that maturity, strength, and all those things come as you develop with them in the system. Fortunately for us, Mike comes out of a program at Good Counsel where they’ve done a pretty good job obviously of bringing along their players. Whether it be from a strength standpoint or a technical standpoint, I would definitely say that’s not something you want to do a lot where you have too many true freshmen playing up front. You can get away with it at the perimeter positions, but inside there is where strength comes with age and maturity. We’re fortunate he’s come in with some pretty good skill set.”

On the most productive thing they got done in the bye week

“I think it just basically confirmed some things that we knew. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out what we’ve done well on the offensive side of the ball, which there’s a lot of things that we’ve got to continue to improve upon. One of the big things is that we wanted to come out, was to say who we were, what we did well. We feel like coming out of the bye week we were able to get some guys healthy, we were able to clean up some fundamental things that for us the execution part on the offensive side is really important and a lot of it stems from the fundamentals. When you play young players as we’ve had to do or inexperienced as even some of our older players haven’t played a lot of football, it’s important to make sure that you’re very technical and fundamental and the attention to detail is where it needs to be.”

On if it’s an advantage playing so many running backs:

“It’s an advantage from the standpoint that they each bring something different to the table. They each have, when you look at how we like to use them, we’re basically doing the things that they do well as opposed to having a guy out there that’s doing all the different things we ask that position to do. They all have warranted playing time, they all have done some good things in that they’ve each had their times where they’ve made plays for us. What we’d like to see is a  guy kind of take that position by the rein and do some things, but we also want to put the best player on the field that gives us the best chance to be successful in particular areas of what we do on offense. If one guy’s a better pass protector, we like to have that guy on the field. If one guy’s a better short yardage runner, you like to have that luxury to do that. In a perfect world would you like a guy that does all four, no doubt. But when you have four guys that are sophomore or younger, I don’t think any of them have mastered all the different skills that are necessary to play every down.”

Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On what the most productive thing the defense got done during the bye week:

“Basically self scout, taking a look at what I call first down, second down, third down, and what I call against different formations. I feel like we need to get better on third down, so that was a big thing of concentration for us this bye.”

On what things they worked on to facilitate getting better:

“Well you look at what you call during different downs and distances. Third and short what were you calling, third and long what were you calling, what would you do over again, is it the call or is it the execution of the call. And then put all of those things down on paper, as a staff we look at it and kind of come to a conclusion after that.”

On what he saw out of Kenneth Tate in his first game back:

“I thought first of all there’s a calmness when he’s out there. The players like him and they know he’s a good player. Second of all, I think it was exciting to go out there in that atmosphere in that game in particular, as well as him getting a chance to play. That’s the first time he played in about 12-13 months so it had to be pretty exciting for him. I think he did a good job for us.”

On Tate’s his role this season:

“Yeah he just has to – the main thing we have to do is get him full strength. Get him to feel good about himself and his injuries and we’ll go from there.”

On A.J. Hendy’s injury status:

“The main thing is that we got two safeties that we’re pretty comfortable with – Matt Robinson and Erik Franklin. Those are our starting safeties so it’s going to be hard to play other guys that fit in behind those guys because we’re going to stick with our starters.”

On how far the defense is from being their best:

“I still think we’re a work in progress. We’re giving up way too many big plays, we got to be better on third down, and we got to tackle the catch. I just think that fortunately that’s a plus that we’re ranked and that we’re playing well. But there’s a lot of work and I think as long as we respect the process as a staff and as our players do, we can continue to get better and grow as a defense.”

On if he addressed rankings with the players:

“I discuss trying to get a win for the most part. You’re doing what it takes to win the football game. I don’t really address where we’re ranked.”

On if he’s surprised how quickly the players have adjusted to the defense:

“I think if you look traditionally at 3-4 defenses, usually the second year is their best year. You look at Coach [Wade] Phillips over with the Houston Texans, we run the exact same defense. You look at Dom Capers in his second year with the Green Bay Packers, they went to the Super Bowl. They give you an idea that the second-year guys just click, guys understand how they’re going to get blocked, the coverage aspect of everything. So, in the second year I think these guys have done a good job as well as the coaches. The coaches selling what we’re doing, and the players buying in and going forward with everything.”

If there is a reason why it takes to the second year:

“It’s just different, different principles. I think on the outside you got guys who are having their hand on the ground in the 4-3 scheme versus these guys are standing up taking on blocks without their hand in the ground. Also, the coverage aspects of it, the guy who is helping you in the flat instead of backed off in space, now he’s at the line of scrimmage, showing like he’s coming. So the coverages change, so I just think for guys to really understand, who’s going to help him where, how to play blocks, it just takes a while.”

On the biggest challenges Wake Forest’s offense presents:

“First of all I think they do a good job mixing up what they do. They do a good job running the ball, they’re a run-first team, and they have some great play-action passes off the same runs. For us to be successful, we have to make sure that we don’t make any mental errors, don’t give away any big plays, win on third down, and then contain [quarterback Tanner] Price when he has a chance to move around in the pocket. I think we’ll be alright.”

On what he’s learned from Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips:

“A lot of things I’ve learned from Coach Phillips. One of the main things is keep your guys playing fast, keep it simple, and when it’s simple it doesn’t mean anybody can do it. It means speaking their language and they understand what their responsibilities are. And those are the two main things I learned from Coach Phillips.”

On if he still talks to Phillips:

“Yes I talk to him as much as I can and ask him different questions about something as simple as ‘We’re playing against Connecticut. They run two tight end sets – what do you guys do now versus two tight end sets?’ Even some game management questions. So I still talk to him as much as I can.”

University of Maryland Quotes

Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

On West Virginia’s defense:

“For us it’s a front that Perry [Hills] hasn’t faced. We’ve faced four down fronts for the most part, and we’ll get some three down fronts like last week in nickel situations. This team is a true 50 defense. Which for him is just another week of adding to his box of experience. You have to attack different fronts different ways, and so this week we have to prepare and come up with a game plan vs. a 50.”

On how Perry Hills bounced back after last Saturday’s loss:

“I talked to him on the phone and saw him after the game and my big thing was telling him as a quarterback it’s a natural leadership position. The other guys on the offense are going to look to him for leadership, and it’s a game. It’s one game, and obviously we didn’t play very well on offense and that’s collectively, myself included as a coach. We need to come in, he needs to come in tomorrow and put it behind us. That’s going to be our base way of doing things around here, win or lose, we have 24 hours to get over it and make the necessary adjustments we need to make.”

On Matt Furstenberg’s play and his involvement:

“There’s an effort to get the passing game going. But, with a young quarterback obviously coverages and things they do on defense dictate where the ball goes.  We go into every game with a plan to try to get certain touches to certain people. We have to make adjustments and when you have a freshman quarterback, a lot of the things that you go in planning for you see different things. It becomes a game of adjustments throughout the course of it. Matt’s a guy that the impact he’s made for us may not be on the stat sheet. He’s done a great job in the run game for us and he’s helped us in some protection situations, and we’ll continue to try and find ways to get all those guys involved. As I told our offense, especially the guys on the back end, we’ll only be able to do and go as far as far as our quarterback is able to take us.”

On having Tyler Cierski back and where the reps will go:

“It’s a great situation to have as we’ve talked about. That’s the type of situation you’d like to have at all the positions, along the offensive side of the ball. We’re fortunate to have four backs that are all capable of carrying the load for us. The competition day to day and throughout the course of a game week will obviously dictate the roles that each guy has.”

On Brandon Ross returning:

“Well yesterday was really the first day, and I thought he did well for his first day back. He’s been in all the meetings even though he hasn’t been practicing with the guys that are traveling, but he’s been there mentally throughout the course of the injury. From a mental standpoint we feel that he’s there, and then last week he was able to get some physical reps down on the scout team. From what I heard he did a great job and looked good running.”
Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart

On how he rated the return of Matt Robinson and Isaac Goins:

“I thought both did a good job. I thought our communication in the back end was clean. I thought they did a good job of coming in where they left off and knowing what they’re supposed to do. They did a good job of making sure everybody was on the same page.”

On the difficulty of going up against WVU’s offense:

“The offense has one of the better quarterbacks, Geno Smith, in NCAA Football. Not just having him, but the tempo of their offense, they’re a fast paced offense. And then they have good skill players on the edge with Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin are going to end up as two of the better receivers. As a challenge, we’re excited about the challenge. To be the best, you have to play the best. I think it’s excited they’re on the schedule and we get an opportunity to play them.”

On the challenges the air raid offense presents:

“For the most part they can lure you to sleep, especially if their quarterback has a strong arm like Geno does, and their receivers can catch the ball. What we want to do is keep the ball in front of us, tackle the catch, and eliminate the big play. If we can get off on third down, I think we’ll have the opportunity to be close.”

On slowing down a quarterback like Geno Smith:

“I don’t think you go into it worried about slowing him down. I just think like I said you eliminate the big plays, keep the ball in front of you, tackle the catch, put pressure on him, and get off on third down. You’ll have opportunities.”

On Head Coach Randy Edsall’s insight on WVU:

“Coach Edsall knows what we do defensively, and the people we’re playing against. So, he always is going to have his name on it and he’s talked to us about it.”

On how the secondary has taken steps the past two games:

“I just think with Matt [Robinson] back as a starting safety our communication is a lot cleaner. You’re not going to get freshmen mistakes from him. Unfortunately freshmen are going to make mistakes, and they’re going to see run when it’s not run, and see pass when it’s not pass. Matt understands his keys, your keys tell you run or pass, and then you play it from there. So, I think the biggest improvement is not having mental errors in the back end like we had against Temple and William & Mary.”

On the challenge of playing a hurry-up offense:

“My first college job back from the NFL was the University of Houston. This is the exact same offense that the University of Houston employs. As a matter of fact, Dana Holgorsen in 2009 had the number one offense at the University of Houston, and then he went to Oklahoma State. The way the defense is set up with the no huddle and the wristbands that we use, it came from playing against that offense in practice. I don’t anticipate the communication being a problem. What I do anticipate is that it’s hard to practice that speed.”

On the linebacking core:

“Honestly I’d like to see more plays. We had some opportunities to make plays and it’s not anybody’s fault. We just need to understand what’s asked of everybody, and once we get that cleaned up I think we’ll be able to make some more plays. For the most part they’ve done what we’ve asked, but I just guess I’ve been spoiled.”