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Transcript:
Opening Statement
“Excited about the opportunity we have to be able to go down to Miami and play a really good football team. I think Miami is as talented as any team in the country. We’ve played them the last two years I’ve been here and they were really good. Without question, this is the most talented team they’ve had at every position – great defensive front, NFL prospects on the defensive line, which will be a challenge, athletic as heck at linebacker and the secondary, the offensive
line is big and strong, big, physical running back, great quarterback, really good receivers and they’re well coached. We’ll definitely have to play very well in order to win, but that’s why you practice all week and get ready to face a great opponent. Great opportunity to play an outstanding football team that’s playing as good as anyone in the country right now. We’re going to have to play really well in order to win.”
(On common denominator in pulling an upset)
“I think there has to be some kind of aggressive approach in all three segments and that plan has to work. At the same time, you can’t beat yourself. Which means, turning the ball over, giving them points, a lot of negative plays and giving up big plays. I just think we have to play some clean football mixed in with some aggressiveness in the plan and hope to execute. On any given day, anyone could win and that shows up every week. We’re definitely going to have to do a lot of things well in order to come out with a victory.”
(On the emphasis during the bye week)
“I think on offense we have got to clean a lot of things up. We want to make sure we’re not giving the other team points. You can’t make silly turnovers and silly mistakes, which we’ve had. I think we have to have less negative plays, which unfortunately has happened a little too much this year. That’s a combination of a lot of things. We do need to be better and more consistent up front in our play and know exactly what we need to do and go out and play as hard as we can and try to execute that. We need to find ways to run the ball more effectively and be able to put some pressure on the defense that way, instead of having to throw the ball quite as much – that will be important as we proceed forward. We just have to play much more efficient in our play without giving the team points, to a certain degree. I think on defense, we have done a lot of really good things. We’ve got to be able to create pressure on the quarterback, we’ve got to get some turnovers, we can’t give up the big scramble, and then we have to be able to execute in key situations. On special teams, I think that Caullin [Lacy] is a weapon, but we’ve got to find ways to get him space and then we’ve just got to be able to gain an edge in that in some capacity.”
(On the excitement level of playing a team like Miami)
“We’re definitely excited to play a great football team. Miami has always played good football. They have been very good here in the past. We’ve had two really good games against them the last two years – one we came out on top barely, and the other we lost barely. This team we’re playing this year is a more talented football team that they have, without question, the roster is as strong as it’s been. I think they’re well-coached on offense. They’ve got a new defensive coordinator, who’s doing a great job, so they’re very well-coached on defense. Right now, they’re playing as consistent as anybody. We’re just going to have to go make plays. That’s part of the game. You work hard all week to put together a plan and go out there and make plays, and you’ve got to go out there and make plays during the game. We’ll have our opportunity this week, but we’re going to have to block these guys, we’re going to have to tackle them, and we’re going to have to find a way to create some big plays.”
(On Miami QB Carson Beck)
“He’s an NFL quarterback, e’s big, e’s tall, he can make all the throws. He’s played a lot of football. He’s handled adversity. He’s had some ups and downs and now he’s in an offense that really suits him well. They have a great running attack. They’re really big and physical up front, big strong runner. They’ve got some speed at receiver, but they don’t air it out all the time, it’s a very balanced attack that throws a lot of screens and gets the ball on the perimeter and runs the football and then he’ll hit you with some play action, so he’s executed that very well. So I don’t think they ask him to drop back and just pass it every play. It’s a very good system that he fits very well in because he can deliver the ball accurately, and he’s tough and he’s played a lot of football. I just think that he is somebody that you have to change some things up, you have to disguise some things, you have to create some pressure on him, you have to find ways to make him do things they haven’t had to do all year. They’ve had the lead in pretty much every game and they’ve been in control, and we have to find a way to do that ourselves, if we can, if we want to win.”
(On the offensive line play)
“I think that we need to play better up front, and I think we’re capable of that. We’ve got to be more physical. We’ve got to know our assignments better, come off the ball and strike and play confident. We’ve got to be able to block movement and blitzes to a certain degree and be able to handle that and not panic and whiff so to speak. I think that we’ve adjusted a few things up front that I think if we have to do, we’ll try to do, but at the same time we have to play better. Trevonte [Sylvester] is back. He’s been back. He’s not at the weight he’s played at before so that’s a concern. We’ve got to continue to work through that. All of us need to play better and we have to have the best plan to do that. I think that as long as we play hard, we play physical, we play fast, we’ll have a chance, but we have to make strides there.”
(On TJ Quinn’s Play and Leadership)
“He has done very well for us. He’s got a lot of experience. He understands the game; he understands our package. He needs to be our leader at the linebacker position on defense for the most part he has done a really good job. I think when we know exactly what to do or when we’re all on the same page, the call is communicated and we executed it well. We’ve still had a couple times where there have been a couple miscues there and we have to make sure that we clean that up and simplify it. And, make sure that we have answers so when the ball is snapped, we are all on the same page, coming off. I just think that he is the one that controls that and has to be the vocal leader, so to speak; the quarterback on defense. But he’s done a really good job to this point.”
(On Game Planning for Miami’s Defensive Front)
“It shows up on tape. (Miami’s) got two defensive ends that are really talented, fast, and strong along with some big guys up front and fast linebackers. We’ve talked with some coaches at Florida and they said that this front is better than ones they have seen in the Southeastern Conference in the last three to four years. It is a good defensive front; they are talented, big, strong, and fast. They are not overly complicated, but when you are that talented you do not have to be. They come off the ball, they strike, and they do a very good job. This will be a huge test, and we are going to, without question, have to help to a certain degree, and at times they are going to have to man up and do their part. But it will create a lot of challenges for us.”
