Weekly Press Luncheon Quotes
November 07, 2005 | Football
Nov. 7, 2005
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University head football coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media prior to this week's game against Conference USA match up with Tulsa. The following are selected comments:
On The Open Date Last Week:
"This has been an open date which has been great for us because it is an opportunity to get healthy physically, mentally, and to have an attitude adjustment in what turns into be a long grind in a long season. Having an open date eight games into your season is all predicated on your season. When you have a lot of depth and guys are playing 30 and 40 plays a game, I'd rather not disrupt the rhythm of what we are going through in the season. But, when you are in the position that we are in, where offensive linemen and wide receivers are playing 70 and 80 plays, running backs are playing 60 plays, then the open date comes at a great time and it is an opportunity for us to get healthy."
On Mental Rest During The Week Off:
"The thing that we have asked these players was to take this opportunity to evaluate where we are right now as a football team. After the players get away from it for a little bit mentally and you get a chance to get your feet back on the ground, and you are not as worn out, I asked them to sit down and evaluate if the season were to end after eight games to describe the season for me. Some of the words that have been chosen were `disappointing,' `close,' `inconsistent,' and `missed opportunities.
"It is a season that almost was. When you are looking at it you are three plays away from being 6-2, and you are saying `wow, we have been so close on so many opportunities.' What we have talked about as a team is turning because we can still change where we are on the season. We can still change the outcome of this season. What we have to do is change the way we're going to play and practice. Instead of being a season of `almost,' `or what would have beens,' we have an opportunity to make it that `we got it done.' Having three games left on the schedule what an opportune time for us to take that `wake up call' so to speak, to get our feet back on the ground. I am really pleased with the attitude that these players have come back with after their four days off and start getting in our mindset for Tulsa."
Looking Ahead To Tulsa:
"Looking at Tulsa we have got a heck of a challenge in front of us. I know that they lost this last week to UTEP, 41-38. UTEP kicked a field goal, literally with seconds left to go on the clock at the end of the game to win it. UTEP fought its way back, created a couple of turnovers, scored on defense, and did some things to give them a shot in the arm to get back into this football game.
"Tulsa has got an excellent football team, Steve (Kragthorpe) has done a great job, and he is in his third-year there. They have recruited extremely well with a lot of the high school players there, they have 18 junior college players or transfers on their team, and they have done a great job of mixing it up by not just bringing in younger players but bringing in a mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen to build the program.
"This is going to be a very big challenge for our football team. This is a game where we are playing a very talented team, they do a lot of good things, they are one of the best teams in this league, and for us it is going to be more about what we do rather than what they do. We know that they are going to make some plays, we know that they are going to run around, and they are going to create a lot of pressure and we have got to just go and execute."
Tulsa From An Offensive Standpoint:
"When you look at them offensively it is hard not to talk about them without talking about their tight end (Garrett Mills). We look at Aundrae Allison and say that Allison has had a pretty good year and has done some really good things for us. Their tight end is right behind Aundrae in every statistical category in the league {second in C-USA in catches (62), yards per game (90.7)}. They utilize him in a lot of different ways. He is Aundrae, but he is 6-2, 232 lbs. instead of being a wide receiver he is more of a tight end/fullback type body. They move him around, put him in motion, play him out of the backfield, tight end and second tight end. He is one of the things that really make that offense go.
"Their offensive line is big and they do a very nice job. The quarterback is solid, he doesn't turn the ball over a lot a lot. They have turned the ball over 15 times on the season, and they have gained 25 turnovers as a defense. Their quarterback has done a nice job, and he is in the top half of the league in passing efficiency (6th, 131.8%), and is very productive.
"The other thing that makes this team so good is how efficient they are on third downs. They put drives together and they sustain long drives. On offense they are averaging 51% on third-down conversions, which is tops in the Conference USA. That is unheard of on third downs, which is a major credit to the quarterback and Mills. On third down and any kind of medium yardage they are going to try and get him (Mills) the football. When you look at them on defense with a very good on third down percentage (third, 36.4%)."
Breakdown Of Tulsa Defensive Unit:
"One of the things that is making this team work is the aggressiveness of the defense. They are in the three of this league in almost every statistical category when you look at pass defense (third, 171.0 ypg.), total defense (third, 3149 yds., 5.3 avg.), they have 20 sacks which is in the top three. If I were to compare them to somebody with their aggressive style of defense, and they a lot like Memphis. From a scheme standpoint they play a lot of three down linemen with five linebackers and strong safeties, and they come from everywhere. They are a pressure oriented defense and they play a lot of man coverage. When you talk about them up front Brandon Lohr (6-0, 250) is a very active player. When you look at how aggressive they with their linebackers Nelson Coleman and Nick Bunting are both two active players at the linebacker level that are very involved.
"One of their cornerbacks, Nick Graham (5-11, 185, Jr.), is leading the league in interceptions (5). One of the things that makes him look impressive for them defensively is that they are playing a lot of man coverage and are still one of the best pass defenses, and that speaks volumes for their talent. It is not just scheme, it is that they can lineup and turn and lineup and not about scheme, running particular routes to get players opened, someone is going to have to beat man coverage. They are very good with what they do and when you try to spread them out and to throw the ball they are very aggressive and they have a lot of sacks. In the UTEP game the first four plays for Miners threw two interceptions, allowed a sack, and ran for minus-five yards. It is going to take us a little bit to get accustomed to the speed of the game, the way that they play it, and the things that they do because they do run every blitz known to man."
On Tulsa's Special Teams:
"They have a kick returner (Ashlan Davis) right now that has tied an NCAA record for kickoff returns in his career. He returned five of those last year and has returned one this year. Last year everyone kicked it to him and now this year they have seen what he can do. He is 5-8, 179 lbs. but he is extremely quick and turns and hits it north-south. He has got a great feel for the field. One of the reasons that he doesn't have the returns or yardage this year is because no one kicks it to him. Teams kick away from him, the high kick that ends up short, and some teams kick it out of bounds and give it to them on the 35-yard line because that isn't giving him an opportunity to return the ball. That is why his numbers haven't been as impressive, but you have to know that he is back there and what he is able to do."
On ECU's Backfield Situation:
"Brandon Fractious and Dominique Lindsay have earned the right to play more. We have rolled all three of them. We will continue to roll all three of them will play. Right now it is not so much take Chris Johnson out, after all he played in 50 plays against UCF, he has been pass protecting and run blocking extremely well, and he has been playing as an all around player. He has been a receiver out of the backfield for us, and I am not ready to say `sit on the bench and watch,' because right now he is giving us 50 productive plays a game. When you play a game and there are 80 plays, those other two guys are carrying the ball 10 times and both did a nice job. They have both earned and deserve more time with the ball under their arms, but I am not going to turn and bench a starter that has been productive for us because of one game performance. So they will all three continue to play. He (Chris Johnson) will start and they will all three play. The other two have merited that. We don't move people down, we move people up, and when they are more productive than Chris Johnson then I will move them up."
On Aundrae Allison Replacing Travis Williams As Punt Returner:
"Aundrae Allison has been working at this position all camp and has been our number two returner all along. This is not a punishment, it just becomes a factor that if you are going to be back there on a punt return, you are going to be evaluated on the decisions that you make. If you are making decisions that can help this football team then you can stay there. If you are making decisions that are hurting this football team then our job as coaches is to put someone back there that gives us a chance to win and right now that is Aundrae. He finished catching punts for us against UCF after that one situation and had a punt return while fair catching a couple. Travis Williams just needs to get work, because obviously he catches better than any of them, which is why he was our number one. But, Aundrae Allison has been working at it all camp, and so have Phillip Henry and Demetrius Hodges."
On Marcus Hands' Injury:
"A decision was made last week, and Marcus Hands underwent surgery on Friday. He will be done for the season, after having his shoulder tightened down. It was an injury that he had from high school, with a loose shoulder, and it continually popped out. From an x-ray standpoint it didn't show up, and so they put weights in his hands to see if they pulled his shoulders out at all, and just a 10 lb. weight showed a gap in his shoulder. He underwent surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, and tighten that down."
