Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Okay, well, it's great to see the fans out tonight for the spring game.
00:04I thought we had a really good turnout at the end of the game.
00:06I think they love football and are looking forward to the football season.
00:10So we gotta give them something to cheer about.
00:12I thought the guys came out and they played hard.
00:15It was a pretty good spring scrimmage, like you like to have,
00:18where you see some execution.
00:19You see some things that aren't very good.
00:21You see some things that definitely stand out as positives.
00:25And then you see some things that you definitely need to work on a whole lot to
00:28get better, and all those things happen in one game.
00:30And that's good for us, and we'll look at it and learn from it.
00:33Jeff, how much more do you see yourself being able to throw down the field this
00:40season, based on Tyler's experience and posture?
00:48Well, it's gonna be an emphasis, and it always is.
00:50I think to create big plays is how you can score points and help your team win.
00:54Not turning over, playing good defense, those things go hand in hand.
00:57And Tyler has the arm.
00:58If we can run the ball, then it'll help us in the play action game.
01:02If we can get vertical fast with our receivers, and they can get off press,
01:06and they can get off collisions, and they can stretch the field.
01:10You saw today that we hit some.
01:12I just think we gotta keep working on it, and
01:14there's gotta be multiple ways to do it.
01:15I think we hit a couple goal routes today,
01:18a couple hole shots versus cover two.
01:21And those are all good, but we still have to find other ways to get the ball
01:25vertical and make sure that big plays are being created to all receivers.
01:32Obviously, just coming up and watching the flip,
01:35how would you assess all the quarterbacks?
01:38I guess kind of how you did tonight as a group,
01:40cuz you've got some young guys in there at the end,
01:42but maybe the four that took a ton of snaps.
01:46I think it's about what we saw through camp.
01:47I think Tyler understands football.
01:51Pretty good day, maybe one little air throw on a sidearm slant,
01:56and a good play by Quincy on a seam ball.
01:59They tried to drive in there,
02:00but Quincy did a really good job overlapping the outside receiver.
02:04So I give him credit, but he drove the ball off the field.
02:08He was accurate up the field.
02:09That's very important, and I think once we get into game planning and
02:12get to creating other ways to get completions, move the chains,
02:15he'll be very efficient cuz he's an accurate passer.
02:17You saw Pierce come in, and he did some good things.
02:19And I think just developing the consistency,
02:22finding ways when he's in there to move the pocket and
02:25get him out where he can see a little bit, and let him kinda see things as well as
02:30he can, but also give him some completions as well.
02:34I thought Harrison, a little shaky early on, but he can throw the ball as well.
02:38And I thought in the end, he started getting a groove, he was letting it rip,
02:42he was cutting it loose, and he did a good job.
02:44And I think Brady made some good throws as well.
02:47Nothing perfect, but they all displayed that they've improved,
02:53and I think they understand at some point we're gonna need to multiply.
02:57Jeff, you guys have talked about Chris and the spring that he's had.
03:01Tonight, it looked like he showed off some of the development.
03:04What's the biggest difference in him just now compared to even the end of last year?
03:10I think the formula really isn't extremely complicated.
03:15Chris works very hard.
03:17He puts in the time and the work, and it shows.
03:20It's on the weight room, that's in conditioning, that's running routes,
03:23that's studying the game.
03:25You saw him today get up the field fast, make catches.
03:31Sometimes young receivers, when they get open, they'll occasionally make the catch.
03:35So he made the catches, and he's gonna have to do that for us this year.
03:38And I think Collin Lacey, we didn't get him the ball a whole lot today, but
03:42he's gotta be a force in our offense.
03:43He's got some power, and we gotta find ways to get him the ball.
03:47And then Ja'Cory Brooks is out right now, but he's got some speed and
03:53ability that, because we're getting over the shoulder injury, he'll be back.
03:58But then I do think Jimmy Callaway had a good camp before he hurt his foot.
04:02J.D. Thompson made really good strides as well.
04:05Maybe didn't get the ball as much today, but he can play as well and get open.
04:09And I just think that there's a couple of other younger receivers that
04:12are continuing to develop and doing a good job.
04:14Jeff, just what do you like most about this defense?
04:17Obviously, the continuity helps, but it just seems like even through spring,
04:20just they've taken that next step, aggression, execution.
04:23Just what have you seen?
04:25Well, there's some missing pieces right now, so
04:27I don't think we're exactly where we wanna be.
04:30But we've seen more players emerge throughout spring,
04:34that once we get everything solidified and people as healthy as we can for
04:39the fall camp, I think we'll see a solid group right there.
04:43And there's plenty of secondary guys to go around.
04:47A couple times we weren't consistent in where we wanted to be today, but
04:51they've had a good camp.
04:53The safeties have done a good job overall.
04:56The linebacker's gotta continue to develop.
04:58And then the D-line, even though we're limited in that right now with some
05:00injuries, when they get healthy, I think they'll be a force for us.
05:05Jeff, just kind of cool what you guys did at halftime there,
05:08to see some of those faces come up and honor those players.
05:12What does that mean to you, that just after year one,
05:14you have these kind of faces moving on to the next big thing?
05:17And kind of building this program, seeing some of those faces emerge, and
05:21the new players watching them, too, knowing that could be them this next year?
05:25It was great to have them back, anytime your former players come back,
05:28especially ones that you just had this past year.
05:30They're all working hard to get a chance in the NFL.
05:32Some will get drafted, some will get in camps, some will make teams,
05:35some will make practice teams.
05:36Some may have to fight their way and see if it happens, and
05:39others may have to move on.
05:40But they were great assets for our football team last year.
05:43They're great leaders, they're really good people.
05:45The skills they've developed through football will carry on beyond the game,
05:49because the toughness that you have to have, the ability to fight through adversity,
05:54the leadership skills, the ability to be a team player when maybe you're not
05:59getting everything you want, but you still suck it up for the team,
06:01that they did it all.
06:02So I think our players see that and understand it.
06:05And the higher up you get, there's more talented players around you.
06:09You gotta work hard to be the best, and sometimes that'll be you having to make
06:14a lot of plays, and sometimes you'll be a role player.
06:16But you all gotta do a part, and that's what we need this team to do,
06:19is develop all those components of a great team, and
06:23stick together, and figure out a way to win.
06:26Jeff, what do you feel like the receivers did the most this spring to help them
06:31really progress and have the kind of game like they had tonight?
06:34Well, I think Coach McGee understands what we're doing and
06:37relates well with our players.
06:39And like I said, Chris Bell's definitely stepped up his game, and
06:43he needs to demand that he play at a high level and be an all-conference player.
06:47And that needs to be a goal, and there's some newcomers, like I mentioned,
06:51that need to work through it and understand things so they can play fast and
06:55make plays, and we gotta put the time in every day to get it done,
06:59because I want to be able to see them line up, execute the route, play fast,
07:03sprint back, and do it again, and not look indecisive.
07:05And then we have some other guys that have been here in their second year.
07:08They definitely understand things more, and they've gotten better.
07:11And then some young players that are improving, and you need that perfect mix,
07:18and they have to be a force for us.
07:20The passing game has to be able to come through when we need it.
07:23In games like this, you see maybe guys that some people aren't familiar with,
07:29name-wise, like Sam Young, Chris Hughes.
07:31They kind of jump up and take a little bit of spotlight.
07:33What do you take about from performances like this,
07:36when they do jump up in the spotlight like that?
07:38Well, that's what's great about football, is it's a team game.
07:41And Chris Hughes is a walk-on that really gets better every day.
07:46He works really hard.
07:47You can coach him hard.
07:49He doesn't miss reps.
07:50He doesn't miss practice.
07:51The guys love him, so they love it when he does well.
07:54Sam Young is a quarterback that we have to play receiver,
07:57because we have 10, and it's hard to get all 10 in, even though we did last year.
08:01And he just goes out there and loves playing the game,
08:04along with all the other quarterbacks that have taken reps at receiver,
08:08even though they wanna play quarterback.
08:09And these guys haven't complained.
08:11They're a special group.
08:13They love their teammates, and they love having fun.
08:15So you just wanna build a team with that type of camaraderie and chemistry.
08:20And then you just try to piece it together, put the best plan in front of them,
08:25so that they can go out and enjoy wins.
08:26I guess on the other side of that, when you look at some of those young guys on
08:31the defensive side, Trent Carter made a play, Maurice Davis made a play.
08:34Knowing that you still have those defensive players that'll be back,
08:37how encouraged are you by some of those younger players,
08:39and knowing that you're kind of building that depth there?
08:43The depth is being tested right now, cuz there are a lot of young players.
08:46And Maurice is a true freshman that still should be in high school,
08:51and Trent as well.
08:54And they're out here going against college players and good players.
08:59And Stan Kwon, I think you see him step up, and he's gotta make plays for us.
09:03And I just think he'll continue to see it.
09:06I think Aaron Williams has really had a great camp at the corner position,
09:10overcoming an knee injury last year.
09:12TJ Capers has continued to make strides in overcoming a knee injury last year.
09:17He really came a whole year early, a year and a half early.
09:22So he's gotta hang with them, you gotta work with them.
09:25They have to be able to handle adversity, but
09:27at some point they're gonna have to play.
09:28So to see some positive signs, it's always fun to see.
09:33In the different world that we're in, is the next couple weeks for
09:36you gonna be figuring out who's gonna stay with you and be here, and
09:40finding out what holes you have?
09:42And if you need to bring more guys in?
09:45Well, that's the challenge right now in today's game.
09:48And you have to have that perfect balance where you wanna do right by your players.
09:54You want them to have opportunities to play here or somewhere else.
09:59But you also have to somehow teach the ability to fight through adversity and
10:04understand that things don't happen overnight.
10:05And you can't always get everything you want right away.
10:10You gotta be able to work through things.
10:12So you gotta have a good balance.
10:14You gotta teach these guys that it's not always greener on the other side.
10:19And once you get in a game of switching things around, I hope it works out.
10:23But it's just, I've been there.
10:25I was an NFL player, and I can remember being with the 49ers.
10:29And we brought a new coach in, and I played a little bit.
10:32And I was a little angry that they brought in another quarterback.
10:36And I don't remember, I might have even asked for my release.
10:40Went somewhere else, and I should have done that.
10:43That kind of started a chain, and God, I wish I just stuck it out.
10:47And maybe it would have worked out, maybe not.
10:49But I just think that you have to have that balance.
10:52You have to be willing to put the work in.
10:54Understand it's not gonna happen overnight.
10:56Don't jump ship too early unless you just really feel that it's not a good match.
11:00But like I said, at the same time, I understand how it works.
11:04We're gonna have people that maybe aren't on the depth chart where they want right
11:09now that it's probably in their best interest maybe to look around.
11:12We're gonna have others that maybe we wanna keep here,
11:16that we feel good about where they're going.
11:17But it's not happening fast enough, and they may choose to go somewhere else.
11:21So you gotta continue to recruit just in case.
11:26There's a lot of movement, and a lot of things shaking up.
11:28So that makes it challenging because it's been a busy week.
11:32It'll be an even busier week as we progress forward.
11:35But in the end, you want a group of guys that understand that, hey,
11:40it's time to start gelling as a team and doing your part.
11:44And understanding that's gonna take everybody, whether you're the star player,
11:49a role player, or somebody who's just maybe a half a year or a year away.
11:53You still gotta grind this thing out and play together and not get frustrated and
11:58try to compare all these things.
11:59You gotta just stick to it.
12:00And I just think, in the end, we want a team of guys that wanna be here,
12:06that wanna compete to be the best, and stick together, and play together,
12:09and have some fun doing it.
12:10And if somebody doesn't fit, then we encourage them to try it somewhere else.
12:14I encourage you.