Weekly Press Luncheon Quotes
August 25, 2008 | Football
Aug. 25, 2008
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media prior to this week's game against Virginia Tech. The following are selected comments:
Opening Comments:
"Welcome to the 2008 season as we're here to kick this off."
On Preseason Camp:
"I think we've had a very productive camp when you look at everything that we got done both physically and mentally. With the new rules and regulations from the NCAA we didn't have as many two-a-days, but we had a lot of meeting time in the morning, walk-throughs, and keeping the guys here late at night. We got an awful lot done in camp and I thought it was very productive.
"I think the attitude of this team coming out is very positive. I think they've very upbeat and extremely excited. They're ready for camp to be over and to get into the season. I think they're tired of hitting each other and are really ready to get into game planning and scheming, and to see how they fit into what we're trying to do."
On this Week:< br=""> "With this being game week, we have had a very productive camp, but we are not ready to play a game yet. We still need this week. This week will not be a very physical one, but it will be a week where the focus is going to have to be incredibly high for us to be able to get done what we need to. We've got a lot of things to polish up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from a game plan standpoint, a fundamental standpoint and just doing all the little things right. We've still got a lot of work that needs to be done."
On This Year's Squad:
"When you look at this team, from a personnel standpoint, there's a lot of experience on this football team, which excites me. But, there's also an awful lot of youth. When you look at the mix of players, there are two things are going to be absolutely critical for us to have success this year.
"One is going to be the leadership, not only of the staff leading the players, but also the leadership of these players themselves. The experienced players in taking a lot of these younger players under their wing and helping them is also going to be key.
"The second is the attention to detail and doing all the little things the right way. We have to get past knowing what to do and now we're focused on how to do it. The fundamentals and little things such as: proper shoulder blocking technique, keeping a block, taking on a block, and keeping the outside leg and arm free. All those fundamental things are going to be keys to our success this season."
On the Defensive Ends:
"On the defensive side of the ball, when you look at the defensive ends, I couldn't be more excited about Zack Slate and C.J. Wilson. They've both had great camps and have done a wonderful job. Having Marcus Hands back, who has gotten a lot of reps these past few practices and scrimmages, gives us a lot of depth. We have three guys who have played a lot of football at defensive end. Scotty Robinson has also gotten much better and I think we have four guys there who are doing a very nice job. Young players Maurice Mercer and Anthony Johnson are also starting to show up and play well."
On the Defensive Line:
"I think Jay Ross has been a staple for us. He's had a great camp and is playing real well. I couldn't be more pleased with the progress that he's making. He's really taken that next step in order to be a great player. At the other position, you've got two guys who have been a bit nicked up. Khalif Mitchell, who is healthy and scrimmaged the other night, is doing better with his hamstring. Linval Joseph has returned from back surgery and is doing well. It's nice to see him back. That gives us two more guys up front who have played an awful lot of football.
"There's also the emergence of a young man, Josh Smith, who has done a phenomenal job this camp. He's a guy you look at and you think he's not big enough. His weight is only about 250 pounds, but he is a scrapper. He plays with heart, desire and attitude and gets after it all the time. Josh has really made a dent and is a guy you will see play against Virginia Tech, even though he doesn't have a lot of experience.
"Robert Jones is one of the true freshmen has the opportunity to play. He has had a good camp and is doing some good things on the defensive line."
On the Linebackers:
"There are four guys we're looking at as starters right now. Quentin Cotton and Pierre Bell have had some injuries and Jeremy Chambliss is coming off his shoulder surgery and had a really good camp. I think Nick Johnson has really taken his game to another level. I'm really pleased with his progress and he's a guy who we put in that category as a starting linebacker.
"We are not as fortunate to have the same depth at linebacker that we do on the defensive line. When you look at the next four, Cliff Perryman, Melvin Patterson, Steve Spence and Matt Thompson, none of those four have played much for us in a game. Three of them were redshirted a year ago. Those three guys need to get as many reps as possible. That's where I say we have experience, but we're one play away from playing a lot of guys who redshirted last year. Some of them weren't even on the bus when we went to Virginia Tech.
"That's a position that needs to continue to improve and get better from a depth standpoint."
On the Secondary:
"In the secondary is probably where we have our best battles going on. At the corner position, we have jockeyed back and forth in regards to starters and backups. We have two guys, Jerek Hewett and Dekota marshall, who are older and experienced. We also have two younger guys, Emanuel Davis and Darryl Reynolds, both of which have been starters at some point as we have gone through camp. There is a great battle and all four of them will play. We will start the Virginia Tech game with Jerek Hewett and Dekota marshall because of their experience. I think those young guys will play a role on this team this season. Travis Simmons and DeAndre Jones have also had a good camp back there. It's nice to see Jones come along as a freshman.
"At the safety position, J.J. Milbrook has had a really good camp, as well as Van Eskridge, Leon Best and Chris Mattocks. Those guys got their feet wet a year ago. Derek Blacknall has really come along at that position.
"Overall, when you look at the defense, you can understand the excitement we have, but also the concerns with the lack of experience at key position, especially at linebacker."
On the Offense:
"Offensively, I think we return a very good nucleus. We're very similar to our defense. We have a lot of experience, and we also have a lot of guys who we're going to learn a lot about in these first few weeks.
"On the offensive line, D.J. Scott and Terence Campbell have had an ongoing battle all camp at the right tackle position. They have gone back and forth from scrimmage to scrimmage as to who is going to start. They have both had really good camps, as has Doug Palmer. Sean Allen is playing center right now with the injury to Fred Hicks and has done a really nice job for us so far.
"At the left guard position, Cory Dowless has stepped in and has just done a fantastic job. He redshirted last year and has stepped in. His emergence allowed us to move Sean in and have Stanley Bryant at the other tackle position.
"The other backups at the guard position are Andrew Farr, Stephen Heis and T.J. Harper. Fred Hicks is back from his ankle injury and played in the scrimmage on Friday. This is the most depth we've had on the offensive line yet and I'm really excited."
On the Tight Ends:
"Devon Drew has had a great camp and I'm really looking for special things out of him. J.R. Kraemer has had a good camp, and the move of Willie Smith to tight end has really been a positive one for us. I think he's really emerging, to give us a little more of a hammer. Willie is about 275 pounds and has really done a nice job."
On the Fullbacks:
"Kevin Gidrey and Jason Simmons are ironing down the fullback position. It's the same thing with those two going back and forth on who is going to start."
On the Running Backs:
"Brandon Simmons will be the starting tailback. He will be backed up with Jon Williams and Norman Whitley, who have not played a whole lot. They're very talented, but not very experienced yet.
"We came into camp with six running backs and now we're down to three. Staying healthy is going to be critical for us at this position."
On the Wide Receivers:
"We have Jamar Bryant, Dwayne Harris and T.J. Lee, who have a lot of experience and we feel are solid starters for us. Then there are a handful of guys who have really had a good camp, who we will learn a lot about in the first few weeks. Those guys are Alex Taylor, Darryl Freeney, D.J. McFadden, Reyn Willis, and Michael Bowman. These guys have worked hard and are coming along, but they're not very experienced. One of my concerns for this football team is the lack of depth at the linebacker and wide receiver positions. And now the running back position, with all the injuries."
On the Quarterbacks:
"Rob Kass and Patrick Pinkney have both had really good springs, summers and fall camps. Todd Fitch has really done a nice job with those guys and they are really coming along. Right now Patrick will start. At this point, I don't know if you'll see two quarterbacks. It is nice to have two quarterbacks with the experience that we have. They have such different talents and that makes it very difficult for opposing defenses to prepare for us."
On the Kicking Game:
"Right now Ben Ryan will be our field goal kicker. We're just now starting to see what Ben can do because we've been breaking in a new holder and kicker. With Ben Hartman being out, Ben Ryan will be our guy. He took over those duties in camp. We're going to let Matt Dodge just focus on punting and handling kickoffs. I would rather he have a great year at those two aspects of the game instead of being average at all three.
"Wilson Raynor has had a great fall camp and it's also really nice to have holder Joe Sloan back after he was out during the spring."
On the Injuries:
"We have two players right now who are done for the season. I hate injuries, especially when they happen to seniors and both of these guys were in the mix for us. Brandon Setzer is out with his knee. He has had surgery. Dominique Lindsay had a freak accident at practice one day. We weren't even tackling and he ran into Quentin Cotton, Lindsay's knee got caught underneath and the weight of both their bodies caused his knee to twist. It's unfortunate for Dominique because he is a senior, we were counting on him and he was going to start at running back. But this gives some younger guys who are very talented a chance to step up and see some playing time.
"There has also been a lot written about Ben Hartman with his hip, and we just do not know how this is going to progress. They're trying to go to every specialist and every option that is available, to see what the real problem is. Right now, though, he's having a lot of discomfort and pain when he's trying to turn and kick.
"The other injury is J.R. Rogers who turned his ankle at practice. Right now he is very doubtful for the first game. He did not scrimmage Friday and did not practice last night. My concern there is that he is a running back, and we came in with Brandon Simmons, Dominique Lindsay and J.R. Rodgers. We had two seniors and a junior and two of those three are now out. Jon Williams and Norman Whitley are now going to have to grow up in a hurry and step on the field.
"There are a number of other injuries, Antonio Allison, who was vying for a spot on the depth chart, is out with a knee. Josh Clark, a freshman is out with his back. Allen Crowder has had surgery on his wrist, but he should be fine. Anthony Garner is continuing to rehab his leg. Martin Tanski and Wes Pittman are both out with knee problems.
"The ones who are really affecting the depth chart right now are Setzer, Lindsay, Rodgers and Hartman. I hate injuries, but they are a part of this game."
On Robert Jones and the Freshmen:
"One player who we are considering taking the redshirt off of is Robert Jones. It looks like he's probably the only freshman who will play. I am very pleased with the progress of Joe Womack, Leonard Paulk, Jacobi Jenkins, Rahkeem Morgan and a lot of those skill players. Right now, though, with the depth that we have at those positions, those guys will redshirt."
On Players that Transferred:
"DeMorio Waymon has transferred to North Carolina Central and DeRonte McNeill has transferred to Elizabeth City. Both want to have the opportunity to play right away and we wish them both the best of luck I hate it when young men choose to leave, but I understand their desire to play."
On Virginia Tech's Defense:
"We are very excited to have the opportunity to go play in Charlotte, on the other side of the state where a lot of our alumni and fans are. We're also excited to be able to play in Bank of America Stadium and to play a team that is the caliber of Virginia Tech.
"To walk into the first game of the year and have it be kind of like a `BCS bowl environment' will be very exciting. We have the opportunity to play one of the top teams in the country year in and year out in Virginia Tech. I know our players are very excited and I think it will be a great measuring stick for our program and the progress that we've made in the last year. I know our players are very excited about the opportunity, but we also understand the great challenge ahead of us in playing such a great team.
"I don't know what to expect out of a lot of the younger players, which makes you a little bit nervous and creates a lot of unknowns. But you just don't know when they walk into a stadium with 72,000 people, against a top 20 program with the caliber of athletes that they have if they'll raise their game to a new level or be overwhelmed. We're going to learn a lot after that first series.
"We understand what we're walking into. We know that we're playing a very talented and well coached football team. When you look at this team, they have 14 starters who are returning from last year. They lost a lot of talent. But what concerned me most, was when Bud Foster said he thinks this defense will be better than they were a year ago. He thinks they are quicker and more athletic. We understand the challenge that we're going to have. Last year, they were in the top-five in the country in five major defensive categories. We are playing one of the best defensive football teams in the country this opening game. It's going to be an extremely tall order for us.
"Their secondary, with Kam Chancellor and Victor "Macho" Harris, is their strength. Chancellor moved from strong safety to free safety and I think he is one of their best, and hardest hitting, players. Being at free safety will make him more involved in every play on the field. Harris is at the corner now and he'll play a lot of man-to-man. He's an All-American and a great athlete. He's also their punt returner. They're going to have to break in two new players back there, but when you start with those two staples, I think they'll be very solid.
"Cam Martin at linebacker and Orion Martin on the defensive line are returning starters and very good football players. All of the linebackers roll and they play a two-platoon system, so even the guys who did not start, still played a lot a year ago.
"Jason Worilds, the new defensive end, is supposed to have ran around a 4.3 40-yard-dash as a defensive end. At 255 pounds, they are ranting and raving about him screaming off the end. That kind of speed will be very hard to simulate.
"I know they have a great defense and are a great defensive team. Bud Foster does a phenomenal job and we know they'll be well coached, fast and physical. We know it'll be a challenge for our offense."
On Virginia Tech's Offense:
"Their strength is very much like ours, in their front seven. They have five offensive linemen who have started a handful of games for them so they have a good nucleus coming back on the offense line.
"I think Greg Boone, their tight end, is just scary how they're using him right now. He hurt us last year running down the middle of the field. He's catching seven or eight balls in all their scrimmages and they're putting him at running back on the goal line and just trying to get him the ball any way possible.
"The other ones that return are the two quarterbacks. One is more of a prototype NFL drop-back passer and one is more of an athletic, spread the field, run around quarterback. I don't really know what we're going to get, so it's going to be a great challenge for our defense. We want to try to attack them in two different ways. We want to rush a little more, but also try to keep contain a little more. It changes your defense scheme with who is in the game.
"I think they're very inexperienced at their skill positions, their wide receivers and running backs. Most of the guys are juniors and seniors who have played some football in the past and who have been in the program for a long time. I know they're going to be a talented offensive football team.
"With Beamer ball, you know their special teams are going to be very good. They return their punter and they break in a new kicker. But is stepping in as a senior and he has been in the program and they know what they're getting. But I know their special teams will be very polished and ready to go.
"This is going to be a phenomenal challenge. It's exciting. I know the players are very enthusiastic and excited about the opportunity that they have. But at the same time, they understand the challenge and the level of play that we are going to have to take our game to. This is why this week is so important and we need to focus on getting all the little things right this week."
On How the Running Back Injuries have Changed the Scheme:
"We were planning on playing a lot more two running back sets and be able to start with a Dominique Lindsay, Brandon Simmons, Jamar Bryant, Dwayne Harris and a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. We wanted to put that experience on the field. Having the injuries has now forced another receiver on the field when we want to get into our one running back set and spread some things out. It has really put some of these guys into a position where they have to step up.
"When we went into camp, we thought we were really deep at running back and we wanted to evolve this two back system. But as things went on and we had the injury to Dominique and the ankle injury to J.R. Rogers it has really thrown a curveball into that idea. Trying to get our most experience on the field now puts us at more of a one back system and not the two, which we had worked so hard at in the spring and even at the beginning of our fall camp."
On the Pros and Cons of Playing Such A Tough Schedule:
"On the pro side, it creates a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for the football team and the fan base to play such teams. It brings a focus to your players. They understand where they need to be. You have a great summer and great camp because they're really focused on what they have to do. It's not just we have to get through this camp, but we have to make camp count because we know who we have to play. I think it creates a lot of excitement for your players and the fans and I know we're excited to have the opportunity to play that level of competition. That's where we aspire to be and I think the only way we can get there is if we line up and play.
"The cons are that you would love to play a game early and get all your inexperienced players 30-40 plays in a game before they have to play in a real difficult game. A lot of times in those games, the outcome comes down to one play. You would love to get those players time early in the year, in case of an injury, so you don't have to break them in during the middle of the year in a conference game. You would love to get them that experience."
On What Last Year's Virginia Tech Game Taught Coach Holtz and the Team:
"There weren't many people who thought we had any chance to go into that environment, emotionally or physically, and play with a team of that caliber with all the returning starters that they had. I was proud of our team and the way they went in there and competed.
"I think our players like to play the tough schedule. They gain some confidence. We've been competitive and close, and now we've got to get to the point where we can win some of those games, and it comes down to one to two plays."
On This Year's Schedule:
"I really like how our schedule is laid out this year. Last year we played 11 straight weeks and then had an open date before our last home game to try and get healthy. I think toward the end of last year we were really beat up. We had some injuries and bumps and bruises. I don't think we were as good of a football team at the end of the year as we were at the beginning.
"With our schedule this year, with the out of conference opponents early, right out of the shoot, I think we're going to learn an awful lot about ourselves and then start to get into conference play. We then play the Tulane and Houston games early. We play five straight weeks, then have an open date, and then play two more and have another open date. Then we get into the final five conference games. Hopefully, at that point, we'll be in the middle of the conference race. I really like our schedule and the way it plays out with where the open dates fell and when we play our conference opponents. I'm excited about the way it's laid out this year as opposed to last year."
