Weekly Press Luncheon Quotes
September 01, 2008 | Football
Sept. 1, 2008
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media prior to this week's game against West Virginia. The following are selected comments:
Opening Comments:
"Thank you to all the Pirates who made the trip over to Charlotte. What an unbelievable atmosphere and environment it was Saturday. To hear how loud that stadium got along with the excitement and enthusiasm in the stadium during the fourth quarter was really a special treat to me, to be able to see how much everybody was enjoying it."
On the Rewards of Coaching:
"One of the rewards that you get out of coaching is when you have the opportunity to have a victory as we had Saturday. You get the opportunity to see the joy, jubilation, excitement and celebration in these football players when they go in the locker room. I had the opportunity to be on the field, but when I went in the locker room, guys, for five minutes, were hugging each other and had smiles from ear to ear. Just to know all the hard work and energy they had put into it.
"You come over here to the `Skip-n-Lunch' on Fridays and you here these players get up and talk and you here the story about how Khalif Mitchell got his first pair of shoes. How he understands the sacrifices his mother made when the electricity went out at the end of the month and he understands the sacrifices she made so that he could get those cleats so he could play.
"Those are the rewarding things, when you hear all the inside stories about these players and you recruit them. Then you see how hard they work and how much they've developed academically, socially and come together as a football team and the joy and the excitement is really rewarding from a coaching standpoint."
On the Impact of the Win:
"It was a great win. It was a great win for the program Saturday. It's a great win from an image standpoint when you look at it on the national stage. I think we got a lot of people's attention from around the country who are sitting there right now saying, `Wow, maybe what they're doing in Greenville is for real. Maybe we need to look at what East Carolina is doing.'
"I think we probably gained a lot of national respect. Our whole pregame talk was about remembering last year. After last year's game, I talked to the team on the field and told them to remember what that atmosphere was like and to remember what that stage was like, with the national television, the packed house, and the enthusiasm and excitement. I told them they belonged on that stage, but nobody was going to give it to them. I said, we're going to have opportunity to be here again, but the only way we're going to earn the respect of the country and a lot of the big time programs is to turn and go out and win one of those games. But don't expect anybody to give it to us. We're going to have to go out and earn it. That was my whole talk to them before Saturday's game.
"As we go out and play this game, it's going to be decided on the field and not in the newspapers, or in the stands and not on anything outside the lines. The game will be determined by what happens between those stripes. The biggest thing we had to do was go out and earn it.
"To see the joy and jubilation. They went out and they earned it. They went out and blocked a punt. T.J. Lee made the play. I was very proud of the way they played all day. I thought they played hard. I was just really proud of what this football team accomplished Saturday.
"On the inside it's one game. On the outside it has huge implications for the image and how we're viewed. But on the inside it's one game. And how we view this one game and where we go from here is a lot more important than what happened in the game itself.
"If we would have lost this football game I would have said, `It's one loss and we'll have to go back to the drawing board and go from here.' Winning that football game is no different. It's going to count one win at the end of the season in the win column and if we go out and lose the rest of our games then everybody is going to say that it was just a fluke and we got lucky.
"I think the challenge that we have ahead of us is to turn and make sure that we can draw the line between the public image of what just happened Saturday and the internal image of what happened. The internal image is that we got one win.
"We did have some injuries come up in the game. There were 23 names on the injury report that I got today. There are a lot of bumps and bruises; it was a very physical game. The guys who are on the question mark list for this week are Sean Allen (shoulder), Jerek Hewett (ankle) and Dwayne Harris (groin). At this point, until we find out how they respond to treatment, I can't tell how far along they are right now. Guys who are probable are Pierre Bell, Van Eskridge and Patrick Pinkney. There are just bumps and bruises and a lot of guys are getting treatment. It was a very physical game. Therefore, we've got to tread slowly as we get ready for this week and we've got to protect these players. But at the same time, we've got to get ready for maybe the best team on our schedule."
On West Virginia:
"When you look at what we're stepping into right now the challenge that we have is to go play a football team that gave us our worst defeat since I have been here, after they beat us 48-7 a year ago. They are the seventh team in the country.
"When you look at them, they had 600 yards against us last year to our 160. They outgained us by 440 yards. They were 70 percent third downs to our 20. They punted once; we punted seven times. They rushed for 400 yards as a team. They completed 88 percent of their passes. I don't think we'll have to go far past putting the film in of the West Virginia team we're about to play to have our team's attention.
"They [West Virginia] have won two BCS Bowl Games. They beat Georgia and Oklahoma. The worst of all these statistics that I sit here and go through is that they have 17 returning starters. They return all five offensive linemen. They return Noel Devine, who is a great speedster. They return Jock Sanders at the wide out. He has great speed. They also return who I think is one of, if not the best football player in the country in Pat White. I think when you look at what he does and what he brings to that team, he is a phenomenal football player. He is the heart and soul of that offense and he is the one who makes the engine room run.
"I've got great respect for their program and what they do. I think they have difference making speed on the field. It's going to be a heck of a challenge for our football team to go out there on Saturday."
"On West Virginia's defense, they return five starters. They return the defensive end and they have two linebackers who are very physical and active. They are much more aggressive this year and are forcing the issue more than they're just sitting back and playing defense."
"I have great respect for their coaches. I know Jeff Casteel is a great football coach. He been there for six years and is the defensive coordinator. Offensively, schematically, they have changed a little bit with their new hire, Jeff Mullen who had been at Wake Forest the last six years. They're going to have a little bit more of a Wake Forest offense flavor to them now, more passing and throwing the ball than they've had in years past. That is going to make it even more difficult to line up and stop them.
"I think we have a heck of a challenge ahead of us with this West Virginia Football team."
On Saturday's Win and Then Facing West Virginia:
"We're very proud of what we accomplished against Virginia Tech. I think they have a great program. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for what we just accomplished because of who we just beat. Not only the great talent and athleticism that they have, but what that program is known for is great defense, special teams and not beating themselves. To go out and be able to beat a team like Virginia Tech was just huge for our players' confidence and the image of our program and what we're trying to do. But, I don't think you need to look far to get these players' attention.
"I'm excited for all the seniors and juniors we have playing for us who have been here. They went up to West Virginia a year ago. Hopefully we will handle this in a very mature way. I've said this a million times, but it's not learning how to win that concerns me as much as learning how to handle winning. We're going to have the ultimate challenge of that right now and being challenged to go play an even better game. We have to stay humble and hungry with where we are right now and have a great week of practice. It's going to take a better effort than what we had last week in order to come out here and be competitive against a team like West Virginia.
On the Advantages of Playing West Virginia for the Fourth Year in a Row:
"We're 2-17 all-time against this program. When you look at the odds, they're stacked against us with where we've been, what we've been doing and what we've been through as a program. But the advantage is that the players know just how good this team is. What's really going to be the key as we go into this is that we do understand how good they are and the monumental effort it's going to take for us to be victorious."
On Preparing for West Virginia and Pat White In Practice:
"I don't know how you simulate Pat (White) unless we're going to take our best athletes and put them on the scout team and play quarterback. But that won't happen because we're playing our best athletes. That makes it very hard. We're going to have to put multiple guys back there at quarterback to give us some different looks. We may take some wide receivers and let them play quarterback during the run period so we can see the type of speed that we're going to be getting. That's what makes it so hard. Not only are they good, but how do you simulate them and get ready for their speed? We don't have anybody who runs like Noel Devine and a couple of their wide receivers. It's very difficult to simulate that. You get out on the field on Saturday and take an angle, only to find that he's right past you. Those are some of the challenges we're going to have this week."
On What was Learned About the Team:
"I think we learned a lot about the team through the injuries that we had during the course of camp. All of a sudden Brandon Setzer was out and couldn't play, but nobody hung their head. You heard encouraging words with guys grabbing Josh (Smith) and saying, `Hey, you have to pick it up; this is your opportunity.'
"You heard that word `opportunity' time and time again. When Dominique (Lindsay) got hurt, everybody looked at Brandon Simmons, Jonathan Williams and Norman Whitley and said, `This is the opportunity you wanted. You have to pick it up.' Instead of adversity tearing us apart, we've talked about how important it is for adversity to be that glue that can pull us closer together. I was very proud of the way this team handled camp and some of the adversity that we faced during camp. I thought they handled it very well and I think that showed through on Saturday.
"There were a million opportunities to quit during that game. It was three plays, we throw the screen, they score the touchdown, they kick the extra point and on the kick off they got it again. It seemed like, oh no, here we go; everything is caving in around us. But they kept believing and Nick Johnson steps up and intercepts that pass right before half time and I think that was huge.
"We went into the half down 14-7 and we got the ball to start the second half. I told the team at the half that it was a one-score game and the team that was going to win was going to be the one that made the least amount of mistakes in the second half. At the same time, the offensive team that was good enough to drive the length of the field and get points out of it was going to win. It was two great defensive teams out there playing. I thought that they hung in there and believed.
"Being in a one score game changes your whole mindset. You're one possession away or one interception away from a tie game. That's why it was so almost deflating when we scored what we thought was the `tying touchdown' and instead of being tied 14-14, we were down three again (161-13). It was almost like every time we got close it went away.
"I'm really proud of this team and I think it's a tribute to the leaders on this team and the seniors, Zack Slate, Pierre Bell, Patrick Pinkney, Quentin Cotton, Khalif Mitchell and all those guys. The leadership comments that I heard during the game were incredible. When Virginia Tech got in the red zone one time and a timeout was called and Pierre Bell is in the huddle screaming at the top of his lungs, `They're not in yet. It only takes one play. They're not getting in. We're going to stop them.'
"That type of leadership is what it's going to take. As coaches, I think you can try and lead from the sideline, but when you have leadership, experience and maturity and on the field, I think it goes a long way in holding your team together when they're out there. Those leaders also help to make sure that mistakes don't tear us apart and people don't start hanging their head."
On Quarterback Pat White:
"He's doing both [running and passing] extremely well. We got a taste of it a year ago in our game. When you look when he did in the opening game and how many times he threw the ball, but you know he can run too. The thing that I think makes him so great is not just that he has such talent running and throwing the ball. He's one of the very few quarterbacks who can be a 1,000/1,000 type of guy. But what makes him so great is the competitive spirit inside of him and how tough he is.
"I've seen him, on this field, get hit on our sideline and wondering if he was going to get back up. But he's the first one up and he's tossing the ball to the defender with an attitude like I'll be back in a minute. It's almost deflating because he is such a great competitor, and he's so physically and mentally tough to go along with all his physical skills. That's why they've won and without speaking for them, they've had unprecedented success over a five-year period or three-year period with what he has done for that program. That's why they can line up against a lot of these BCS teams and do what they do.
"When they played Georgia three years ago in the Sugar Bowl, I remember sitting watching and saying wow. He's the real deal. Watching him in the Fiesta Bowl last year against Oklahoma, he's just a great competitor. I think he's very difficult to stop. There have been very few games they have lost that he has finished."
On Attacking Pat White:
"I think you've got to keep him off-balance. If you get slated where you're just going to spy the quarterback and make him throw it to beat you, he can do that. If all you do is go after him, he's athletic enough to drop back, put his eyes downfield, find that seem in the defense and split you. I don't think you can let him get into a routine. I think you have to be multiple and try to keep him off balance. If your game plan is to stop him throwing, he'll beat you running. If you're game plan is to stop him from running, he has shown he can beat you throwing. I don't think you can be one dimensional."
On Position Battles and Team Depth:
"At right tackle, we have two really good ones in Terrence Campbell and D.J. Scott and we need to play them both and get them both some experience. I think at center Sean Allen went out with a sprained shoulder but Stephen Heis went in and did a very nice job. Those battles continue.
"At the guard position I was really pleased with Cory Dowless and T.J. Harper, two guys who were not in the equation at the start of this fall. Both have really stepped up and are doing a great job. I think we have two left guards, two right tackles and two centers, which is really ideal because we can keep rolling some guys in and out to keep people fresh.
"On the defense, I think Jerek Hewett played a great game. We were a little worried about the cramping and the heat and being able to have him at the end of the game. We put Darryl Reynolds in there for a couple series and gave up the deep ball. We put Jerek Hewett right back in. I think that battle solidified itself on the field.
"I think Emanuel Davis did a very nice job. Dakota Marshall got a concussion on the boundary and I think Davis, for a redshirt freshman, stepped in there and did a really nice job.
"The depth on the defensive line is well documented. I think those guys who are starters solidified that role. It's a very comfortable situation when you're bringing in guys like Scotty Robinson, who had a sack, and Marcus Hands as your backups. We have some great depth.
"I think that was one of the keys to why we were so fresh at the end of the game. We were able to role so many more guys in than we have been able to in the past."
On Saturday's Weather Possibilities: "It could potentially be really bad. I hope it's not. I'm really looking forward to coming home with all the excitement right now and all the Pirate fans. To have the opportunity to come here, see that student section filling up that stadium, I think it'll be a great venue and atmosphere. If it does rain we have to play in it. We got a lot of weather work last week. I think the field will hold up very well as long as we don't get like eight inches in two hours."
On How to Handle Winning and the National Attention:
"We will address it tomorrow at our team meeting and explain that this is what comes with winning. This is part of what I talked about with how learning how to handle winning is sometimes harder than learning how to win. It's part of human nature to want to beat your chest and pump your ego and listen to everybody tell you how good you are. I think it makes it harder to focus on what you have to do. I think part of learning how to handle winning is learning how to stay humble and hungry for what you have to do, even with all the media activity and attention around you. But as I told them, this is big-time college football. If this is what you want and this is the arena that you want to play in, then we have to get accustomed to it and learn how to win with the outside distractions. It'll be a learning process and there'll be a learning curve. But we've been here before and we've had some big wins.
"I don't think you have to go any farther than last year's North Carolina game. We go against North Carolina and have one of the bigger wins we've had here at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and win an emotional game. Then we go out and play probably one of our worst games of the year against West Virginia and they put us in our place in a hurry with just how powerful they can be. I don't think you have to go any farther than how we responded to that win. We'll review that situation with the team and hopefully we can learn from that mistake and gain something from it."
