Skip Holtz Press Conference Quotes
December 14, 2007 | Football
Dec. 14, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media Friday afternoon to discuss the upcoming Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl against Boise State in Honolulu, HI, on Sunday, Dec. 23. The following are selected comments:
Opening Statements:
"We are really excited about the opportunity to represent Conference USA and East Carolina over in Hawai'i this week. It is a great opportunity for us to play a team like Boise State. It has the potential to be a trip of a lifetime for the players, experiencing the culture, the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, the luaus, beaches and just the scenic beauty that is over there. It is a great reward for our guys after a long, hard and emotional season in which we played for so many weeks in a row.
"We were excited when we learned that we would get the opportunity to go to Hawai'i but as a team, we were probably even more excited to learn that we are going to play a team like Boise State. They have won five WAC championships off of the tradition that Coach [Dan] Hawkins built and turned in that undefeated season last year. Also, they were only the third non-BCS team to qualify for a BCS bowl as they went to the Fiesta Bowl and beat Oklahoma. That gave them a lot of national exposure and they showcased the type of program that they had built and the quality players that they have. I congratulate them on their 10-2 season. They had a tough loss at Washington and then lost to Hawai'i right at the end of the year but then again, everyone who lined up against Hawai'i lost this year.
"I think [Boise State] has just an excellent football team. I believe they are scoring 42 points per game and averaging 480 yards so as you can see, they are very explosive. They can definitely out-score you. From an offensive standpoint, they are creative and don't stay still very often. They shift and move as the fullback can play tight end, the tight end can play fullback and the receivers play running back. They will shift and motion on almost every play and will not show you the formation up front. It makes you really think and simplify what you are trying to do.
"Right now, everyone thinks of Boise State as an offensive-minded team with their trick plays like the `statue of liberty' in the Fiesta Bowl but you can also make the argument that this football team is known for their defense as much as their offense. I think they are a physical defense, only giving up 320 yards and 20 points per game. I believe that would have led our conference in scoring and total defense. Every starter on their front seven and offensive line is a junior or senior. They have developed their program to the point that there are very few freshmen and sophomores that are ready to step in and play. I believe there are corners are one of the strengths of their defense which gives them the ability to do some things with their safeties, whether bringing them downfield or loading the box. They play more or less fundamental football and make you have to block them. However, they don't like to stay blocked very long.
"When you look at where we are as a football team, we have had six practices and will end up with a total of 11. We did not practice last week or this week because of final exams. We went Thursday through Sunday the week after Thanksgiving and then practiced this past Saturday and Sunday. Finals end today so we will have really our first `Boise State' practice and go extremely hard at it. Today through Sunday will be almost like a two-a-day mindset with meetings, walkthroughs and practice and will almost be like a three-day Boise State cram session. We will practice two hours each of the next three days.
"I think this football team is really excited. It has been great to give some of our younger players some action and get them involved in the offense and defense. They aren't just looking at cards anymore as they are able to get into the huddle and keep learning the terminology, which will pay dividends for us a year from now.
"This month has been positive for guys that are battling injuries. Daniel Muhwezi is supposed to start practice today. Jeremy Chambliss should be fine from a physical standpoint and Nick Johnson started practice last week. The only people now that are definitely out that have played significantly for us are Marcus Hands and Fred Hicks.
"On Monday we will arrive in Hawai'i at 2 p.m. and go right to the stadium in order to get some blood flowing in their legs. We will have the opportunity to practice in Hawai'i for five days before the game. At a bowl game, especially in Hawai'i, you want to have a good balance of football and fun. I think the Hawai'i Bowl does a good job with their functions and the way they have orchestrated the entire event. The mornings will be dedicated to football while a lot of meetings will happen in the afternoon before the dinner functions. Last year, the team was excited just to go to a bowl game and didn't have the focus we needed, but this year it seems as if they are excited to actually play the game."
On Potential Scoring Margins In The Game:
"When I look at [Boise State] on offense, you can't say that you have to win a defensive game or a shootout. We said that we had to win by a baseball score against Virginia Tech and a basketball score against a team like Houston. I liken Boise State's offense to Houston as they are putting up big numbers and can really run the ball. At the same time, they are not one-dimensional because they are throwing for 280 yards. That is why they are as good as they are, winning five WAC championships, going undefeated and beating Oklahoma. A lot of the teams in Conference USA all have strengths but also have weaknesses. Boise State doesn't have a lot of weaknesses so I don't know if it is going to be high scoring game. Because of their defense, I don't think we will score 40 or 50 points and win that way but we most likely not hold their offense to 10 or less points either. In order for us to be competitive, the scores will most likely have to be in the middle."
On Going Into Bowl Practice Knowing Who ECU Would Play:
"When we practiced the very first week, we obviously didn't know that we were playing Boise State. When we learned it was them on Sunday, there still wasn't any film in so we did not have a gameplan or preparation. The film arrived about Wednesday of that week and that is when we started breaking it down to put a preliminary gameplan together for Saturday and Sunday. Today will be the first practice dedicated entirely to Boise State. The last two weeks, Coach Hudson and Coach Fitch have stayed in house to watch film and create a gameplan. I would like to get as much of it done here because there will be distractions in Hawai'i. We will go in full pads the next three days and the practices will be very physical."
On Potential Distractions in Hawai'i:
"As long as we handle things the right way, it can be a phenomenal trip. Anytime you go to a bowl game, it is much more rewarding when you get on the plane to leave with a win. Every event becomes that much more fun and you remember all the positive aspects. When you lose, you leave with sort of a sour taste in your mouth. We are going to talk to the team about how to handle distractions and how to be focused. When it is time for football, we need to come out and talk football instead of a trip we had that day. I want the guys to have fun, not sit there with a game face on all week. However, when we are inside Aloha Stadium, they need to have that look. Then, it is not about having fun but what we went over there to do. We talk about this being a business trip and we have a football game to win. When we aren't on the business portion of the trip, then I want them to have fun and enjoy the experience. I have spoken with coaches from UCF to see how they handled going to Hawai'i two years ago in terms of practice schedules and things like that. I have also talked to my father and he has been helpful with everything."
On Using Last Year's Bowl Result As Motivation:
"I think the players talk about last year's bowl loss more than we do. For us to grow as a football program, we talked about going from five to six wins in the conference as well as not only going to a bowl, but winning a bowl. I have really been impressed with their focus, not only on the practice field, but also in the weight room with Coach Golden. He tells me that they are really talking about winning this bowl. It is encouraging to see them utilize last year's result as a motivating factor. However, on game day, I think a quiet locker room is a focused locker room. There is no doubt that we will see how motivated we are once we get to Hawai'i. I want them to get into Aloha Stadium on Monday when we are running around in shorts so that we don't come back on Tuesday in awe of the place and not ready to get after it."
On Rob Kass On and Off The Field:
"I think Rob went through a very difficult time as a person. He is a proud young man who has a great family support system. I think he needed every bit of it with what he went through, especially the way that the incident was so public. I know that he had a lot of legal issues to deal with afterwards but I think he learned a very valuable lesson. The way he handled it with his team was why they accepted him so much. He wasn't able to play but he was the guy down there on the scout team taking every repetition as the quarterback. He jumped in with both feet and really grew as a person. You grow the most through adversity and I am really proud of the way he handled himself. He was very encouraging and positive for those four weeks on the sideline. I have great respect for Rob, not only because he is big and can throw a football far but also as a person. He was always the first one to congratulate Patrick Pinkney after a touchdown and Patrick would do the same. They really made our two-quarterback system work nicely this year. If the two quarterbacks were divided, I believe the team would split behind them."
On Keeping The Offense Fresh:
"You just don't want too much rust to settle on the offense. You want them to keep throwing and catching out there. We are going to practice every day from today to the bowl game so that should not be an issue. We let the seniors have a few days off to let the younger guys get some experience but now is when the guys who are going to play will get the bulk of the work."
On The Recruiting Impact Of The Hawai'i Bowl:
"It definitely helps recruiting when you are able to go to any bowl game. When recruits come into the football office and see pictures of our players surfing in Hawai'i or at a luau, it definitely leaves an impression. The fact that we have been to a bowl game two consecutive years really shows that we are committed to building this program. Boise State has built its program as they have won their five conference championships. That is what we aspire to be as a football team so these bowls definitely have helped us on our way to that goal."
