Holtz' Weekly Press Quotes
November 17, 2009 | Football
Nov. 17, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina University Head Football Coach Skip Holtz addressed members of the media prior to this week's game against UAB. The following are selected comments:
On The Tulsa Win:
"Looking back at Tulsa, I was really proud of this football team. We're looking at each and every week as a single-elimination tournament. We put a lot of pressure on the team to perform Sunday and I really thought they did a great job of responding. The way they came out and were focused really fit with how we always talk about winning the intangibles. They really performed and played an excellent football game."
On The Defense Against Tulsa:
"On defense, there was a lot of excitement and energy in the second half with three touchdowns being scored. We hadn't scored a defensive touchdown all season. We had two on special teams, but none on defense.
"Emanuel Davis started the thing off by jumping the curl route and taking it to the house. Then Levin Neal picked off the ball in the middle of the field and ran it back. My first thought when I saw those guys running, turning with the ball and dodging traffic was that, `I have to get those guys on offense.'
"Probably one of the joys of the year so far was to see the smile on Jay Ross' face after he was able to take that ball into the end zone. He was saying in the locker room after the game that he scooped up the ball and then kind of stumbled, but kept his feet under him. He said the whole 50 yards he was thinking, `I'm getting a penalty. What am I going to do? What's my celebration dance? But I'm getting a penalty.'
"He ran the 50 yards and got into the end zone, but was so tired when he got there that he couldn't think of anything to do because he was just trying to breathe.
"To see the excitement and joy on all those kids' faces was well worth it. To see the energy and electricity in the locker room after the game was really a great feeling.
"Somebody had asked me what stuck out in my mind last year winning the Conference USA Championship in Tulsa. I said being in the locker room and on the field after the game to see the excitement and energy on those players' faces. We talk all the time that it's about the journey and not just the destination.
"I was really proud of the defense. It was a special moment for those three guys who scored."
On The Play Of The Front Seven Against Tulsa:
"The front seven was special once again. C.J. Wilson came off the edge and had a number of sacks. Linval Joseph also brought pressure up the middle. Scotty Robinson made the tackle that forced the fumble Ross returned. Those guys are having a lot of fun and playing with a lot of energy.
"With the linebackers, Nick Johnson continues to amaze me. He keeps throwing his body around, even with some of the physical problems he's having right now. He isn't about to pull himself out of the game.
"Jeremy Chambliss ended up getting a mild concussion and left the game early. We expect him to be cleared by the end of the week. He'll be limited form a physical standpoint this week.
"Chris Mattocks and Dustin Lineback really played well. Cliff Perryman got in for about 15 plays, too. That was nice to see as we start to get these younger guys a few more reps to continue to develop our depth."
On The Performance Of The Secondary Against Tulsa:
"I thought the secondary did a great job of keeping the ball in front of them and eliminating the big play. They mixed coverages well. We did a lot of different things. We never ran the same coverage twice. Those guys showed great maturity and are really starting to play well together.
"They're starting to understand how the defense works. They're getting to the point where they understand what they can do against certain formations and what little things they can add to the defense. They're starting to adjust and really do a nice job with it. Their solid play is really adding another dimension to our defense because it's never the same."
On The Offense Against Tulsa:
"Offensively, I thought it was the best first half we've had probably since I've been in Greenville. I really was impressed with the focus and the way they were dialed in. I certainly wish we would have gotten more points out of it, but to have over 400 yards of total offense at the half was special. To see the focus of Patrick Pinkney and the determination of Dominique Lindsay was great.
"Darryl Freeney keeps evolving and climbing that ladder each and every week. He's a receiver who brings big-play potential to the offense. Those three skill guys really did an excellent job.
"The offensive line of Sean Allen, Terence Campbell, D.J. Scott, Willie Smith and Cory Dowless continue to do a great job up front. They're creating the holes and the backs are running hard. The big plays in the running game were nice to see. From a first-half standpoint, it's probably as well as we've played. I would have liked to see us maybe convert a couple of those long drives into touchdowns early in the game, but I really thought they did a nice job."
On The Special Teams Against Tulsa:
"I think Damaris Johnson of Tulsa is a special player. He's elusive, fast, tough and physical. He's not very big when you look at him, but when you try to tackle him in the open field, he's a jitterbug.
"I thought the punt and kickoff return teams were OK. I thought the punt coverage team was OK, but the kickoff cover team needs some work. Part of that was because of Johnson's ability, but a lot of it was us.
"We're starting to get down on the depth chart at a couple positions. The loss of Rob Kass and some of our other linebackers is really starting to take a toll. We're starting to get thin 10 weeks into the season with where we are."
On The Injuries:
"Dustin Lineback, unfortunately, looks like he might be lost for the year with his knee injury. That is really unfortunate. He is a young man who has worked extremely hard to get here. He is a walk-on who has played a significant role. He'll be one of the next guys to become a scholarship player. He came here as a walk-on and earned it. He brings emotion, energy and toughness. I can't tell you the role he played on this football team. That'll be a loss for us.
"When we lost Dekota marshall, Lineback became the go-to guy on the special teams. With Lineback now being out, we're going to have to keep asking some of these other guys to step up. Some of those guys who have been here for a year or two, maybe it's time for them to step up and play more of a significant role for us.
"We're very hopeful this week that we'll get Darryl Reynolds and Josh Smith back. We'll have to see where that goes throughout the remainder of the week."
On Playing UAB Saturday:
"UAB is a very good football team. When you look at them right now, it's all centered on their offense. They are 4-2 in the conference. I'm sure they're preaching right now that they control their own destiny. If they win their final two games, they would win the division. They are going to come in here excited and ready to play.
"What they're doing most impressively right now is protecting the football. They are a plus-10 on the turnover ratio. They have the fewest turnovers of any team in the league this season with only 10, an average of one per game. They do not give you the ball. We've had 18 turnovers this season and they have only had 10. They're doing a great job of protecting the ball."
On UAB Quarterback Joe Webb:
"It starts with their offense and Joe Webb. He is a 6-foot-4, 220 pound quarterback. He is very athletic and their leading rusher. He is also ranked third in the conference in pass efficiency with a 147.9 rating. When taking into account only league games, Webb leads C-USA in efficiency at 157.7.
"Rushing, he's averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He is an excellent football player who is helping this football team.
"UAB is leading the league in rushing, averaging 228.1 yards per game. They also average 28.5 points per game. They're a very dangerous offensive football team. It all starts with Webb.
"He reminds me on the field a lot of Matt Jones at Arkansas. Jones was a big, athletic quarterback who was drafted to be a wide receiver in the NFL. Webb is just a very talented player. He is most similar to Jarrett Brown of West Virginia in terms of who we have played this season.
"Webb is big, elusive and can throw the ball. He threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns last week in the win over Memphis. But yet if you drop back and play the pass, he is an excellent runner and you know he's going to hurt you on the ground. He poses some problems for your defense."
On The UAB Offense:
"Their tailback, Rashaud Slaughter is a very good player. Frantrell Forrest is their leading receiver with seven touchdowns. Every receiver on the roster is over 6-foot-2. They spread you out, play one-back sets, put you in space and let Webb run around and make plays with his arm and legs. It has been extremely effective for them."
On The UAB Defense:
"Defensively, they're a little different from what we just played. With the three and four-down linemen sets, Tulsa gave us some confusing looks. Our missed assignments on offense were at an all-time high as a result.
"This week is probably very similar with what UAB does. They do not change their front as much, but they are a stunting 4-3 defense. They do a lot of line twists and movement. They're not a big blitz or man-coverage team, but they do give you a lot of motion and movement, which turns and creates problems for your offensive line and blocking schemes. They try to disrupt you and create confusion.
"On the defensive line, they play all eight guys. Their leader in sacks, Bryant Turner, is a backup. The biggest thing they emphasize with those guys is playing hard. They play a lot of people and do a great job.
"Elliott Henigan is the most active guy up front. When you look at their front, their linebackers are young. They play two freshmen and a sophomore. Lamanski Ware, the weak-side linebacker, is very active. They're young and they'll make a couple of mistakes, but yet they're very athletic and are going to grow into being excellent linebackers. They can create some disruption and wreak some havoc with what they do. The mistakes that they make right now are aggressive ones, which is what you want to see as a defensive coach.
"Among their defensive backs, Hiram Atwater is a junior college safety who they brought in. He is leading the team in tackles and is like a bonus linebacker who they roll downhill. He is going to be very involved in the front. He's a very good player.
"Their defense is very solid with what they do. They create a lot of turnovers and their red-zone defense is one of the best in the league."
"This is a very good football team and this is going to be a heck of a challenge. They have done a great job there with this team. When you look at where they were a year ago and where they are now, it's impressive. I think Webb has given them a huge boost of confidence. He's making a difference.
On Returning Home To Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium:
"It's going to be another conference game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. We're excited to play the final two games at home. We've been on the road an awful lot, playing six of our 10 games away from home. We're really excited to finish up at home, especially with everything riding on each and every game. This is going to be another one of those challenges in the single-elimination tournament we're in.
"We control our own destiny. I think this team has worked hard to put itself in this position. It's going to be important to finish strong. Some guys are going to have to step up with some of the key injuries that we've had over the past few weeks. They are really going to have to step in and play a significant role and carry some of the burden. It has been nice to see some of the guys step up so far. It's going to be a challenge and we're going to have to have a great week of practice on a shortened week."
On Facing Another Running Quarterback :
"Webb is totally different. Brown and G.J. Kinne don't have a lot of run plays called for them. Brown's yards are ad-libbed. His yards are when he drops back in the pocket and then scrambles. He's running around and finding space.
"It's the same thing with Kinne. They don't really run him on a called dive, isolation or zone play. They let him ad-lib. When you try and challenge Brown and Kinne, you're spying your tackles and trying to keep them boxed in.
"Webb is different because he's running for 115.8 yards per game. A lot of his yards are called runs. They are truly running the single-wing offense. They are snapping the ball to Webb and running him on the quarterback sweep, isolation or power. Beyond that, he gets his ad-lib yards when he drops back in the pocket as a passer. He threw for 378 yards Saturday against Memphis, so he can do it either way.
"The dimension that Webb adds that Brown and Kinne don't is that UAB spreads you out and runs the two-back offense with Webb at quarterback. That's why he's as efficient as effective as he is.
"It's going to be a challenge for our front seven. Our linebackers are going to have to play well. Guys like Perryman, Steve Spence, Marke Powell, Lamar McLendon are going to have to step up and play a significant role for us."
On The Team's Improved Tackling:
"When you look at just open-field tackles and the things we're doing, it's getting better. The other thing is that when your front seven is playing as well as ours has to this point, it gives you the ability to do some things in the secondary. When you look at North Carolina and West Virginia, we put a lot more pressure on our secondary because we had to try and help stop the run. We put a lot more pressure on them.
"We're able to take more pressure off the secondary the better our front four plays. When they're playing well up front, we have a chance to be a pretty good defense. That's what has happened the past couple weeks. I think Webb will pose another problem because he's the most athletic we've faced since Brown. Kinne does a great job of picking his holes and getting north and south, but Webb and Brown will start sideways and then change direction in a hurry."
On The Difference In The Offense From The First To The Second Half:
"About halfway through the season, we looked at it. When you look at the Appalachian State, West Virginia and North Carolina games, we started strong. This game against Tulsa, we were winning at the half and running the football. We were extremely efficient. To start the second half, Tulsa loaded the box, brought an extra man down and blitzed much more. They played man coverage the entire second half after mixing it up in the first half. I thought Pinkney was very good reading the zone coverage and deciding where to go with the ball. He was extremely efficient.
"In the second half, it was all man coverage and blitzes. It was get up and pressure the line of scrimmage. They changed their front every play in the second half, going from four-down to three-down fronts. That's what you do. If what you're doing isn't working, you change it.
"I didn't want to get into a pass-happy game. We got into that against Appalachian State. We went into the second half and started throwing the ball every down. We weren't very efficient with the passing game last week against Virginia Tech, so I certainly wasn't ready to come out in the second half and react to their pressure by throwing every down. I didn't think that would allow us to move the ball the way we needed to.
"I was content with the way our defense was playing to run the ball, eat the clock, punt it away and make Tulsa drive 80 yards. I didn't want us to do anything foolish and give Tulsa cheap points. We had that turnover in the first half which gave them good field position, but our defense rose to the occasion.
"If that would have been in the beginning of the game, I would have thrown the ball down the field more and tried to create the big play if it was the first half. Instead, we tried to control it a little bit more in the second half when we had the lead."
On Patrick Pinkney Running More In The Past Few Weeks:
"He has always added that dimension to our offense. When we've been at our best offensively, it is when he can break down a defense by running. If you look at the Virginia Tech and West Virginia games a year ago, if the play wasn't there, that's one of the things Pinkney added for us. He can put the ball under his arm and run for the first down. I thought he did a great job Sunday of buying some time in the pocket, throwing the ball and managing the game.
"He is a proud young man. He was embarrassed for the way he played last Thursday. He is a competitor and had a very focused week of practice. Coach Fitch even said he hoped Pinkney wasn't too amped up for the game. I thought Pinkney really did a nice job managing the game.
"That running dimension is something we need to have. It's great to see Freeney step into the big-play offensive role. It's great to know you have Freeney, Dwayne Harris, Alex Taylor and guys out there doing some good things. I think Pinkney being able to run creates the problems we're talking about with Brown, Kinne and Webb. He adds another dimension that people have to turn and prepare for."
On Treating Each Game As A Playoff:
"We started it last week. We're in a single-elimination tournament. We've come this far and put ourselves in a great situation. It's all about finishing strong. We'll let everybody else look at the projections, who won and what it means. We're still where we are.
"That's what I felt was so big about the Memphis game. Winning that put us on top where we didn't have to worry about the jockeying of who beat who. We focus on us and worry about us and our next opponent. We can focus on what we need to do defensively and offensively and control what we can control.
"We're competing right now to win this division first, and then if we're fortunate enough to do that, we'll fight for the conference championship. Those are goals we set out for. As disappointing as a lot of people may feel like this season has been, every goal that we set out to reach for is still there with the exception of a BCS berth. Every goal is still there.
"How great is it to be talking about bowl games, division championships and conference championships in November? Our players have worked hard for it. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Let's just make sure we do what we have to do. Let's not look back and have any regrets when it's all over."
On How Last Year's Success Is Helping This Year's Team:
"It translates well because it has helped build the expectation and the standard for what this program is. We're not hoping to win it and hoping the ball bounces our way so we can back in. We're playing for it each week. That's what we wanted to build this program for.
"Three years ago we lost our opportunity to win the division at Rice and two years ago it was at Marshall. We closed that door last year and learned some valuable lessons. From the mindset and expectation levels, I think last year has gone a long way.
"I also think last year has gone a long way with the program because of the lessons we learned early in the season by beating Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Everybody was talking about how we were going to a BCS game and had played the hardest teams on our schedule. We got caught up in the circus and pageantry of it a little bit.
"None of that matters. I told the team to leave that for the media, fans and Internet. We have to come in here and focus on what we have to do. I think those lessons learned last year helped us build confidence this season and get us to where we are now."
On Returning To A Regular Schedule:
"You see football teams that get into a routine of losing Saturday despite playing hard and then the team gets mad, goes and practices hard, beats up on each other and gets all the frustration out. But then the team goes out Saturday and plays flat again and is not emotional. You get back and go through that same cycle again and again. I've seen football teams go through that. They spend all their emotion and energy in practice.
"Having the maturity and senior leadership that we do on this team with 28 seniors, these guys have been there. They understand what it's all about and they know how to practice. Our practices have been extremely work oriented. The focus is there and the guys are into what they have to do.
"I think that's paying dividends for whatever the schedule is. They're not emotionally involved in the week, but they are extremely emotionally involved during the game. They understand that's what this is all about.
"The last few weeks I've been saying that I love the 10-day week. I love giving them days away mentally and physically. But I hate the 10-day week because practice has lacked intensity at times. I feel like it's spring ball and we just go to practice. But when it's the day of a game and we're at pregame meal, they're dialed in and focused. They understand it.
"They have gone out to play each and every week. We might have made some mistakes and lost some games, but it certainly hasn't been from a lack of effort or focus. I think that goes back to maturity, leadership and how bad they all want the goals they set out for at the beginning of the season."
On The Attendance At Road Conference USA Games:
"From a crowd standpoint, you would love to see 45,000 people each time you play. At the same time, it also impresses me that much more about this team. They're not caught up in the emotion of the crowd. They don't need the crowd to get themselves going. They are playing this game for each other and what they set out to achieve.
"In the big picture of the conference, I think this is a great league. When you put the film on, there are some great players and coaches in this league. There is not a guarantee game. You can't look at the schedule and say, `we'll win that one and get a chance to play a lot of guys.' Every game seems like it goes into the third or fourth quarter. It's a very good league on the football field.
"From a fan base standpoint, I think that's one of the things that makes East Carolina special. We are leading the conference in attendance. That crowd has been there. At first, everybody said fans would only buy tickets or season tickets to see us play the BCS teams. Now, you're playing conference games and there is a fan in every seat.
"They may come to see those BCS teams originally, but if we build this program to where we want to get it to, they're going to come to watch the Pirates play. Right now, that's one of the things that makes this place special. The fan base and the following we have here makes it unique and such a great place to be."
On The `Wildcat' Formation:
"As I told Harris, the call was my fault. I got impatient. We were getting five and six yards a play. Then we got Harris, our best open-field runner, open in space going one-on-one and the safety made a great tackle and we gained two yards.
"I went to a reverse. It was a stupid call on my part. The call was on me, but the fumble was on him. We should have lost five yards with the play based on Tulsa's defense.
"But I have not lost confidence in that formation in any way, shape or form. I still think it gets some of our better players on the field. I didn't feel comfortable putting Harris back out there before we had a chance to practice again and get his confidence back up. I didn't want to turn it over for a second time with that formation. I still think it gets some of our best players on the field at the same time with Giavanni Ruffin, Lindsay and Harris and we'll continue to use it."
On Using More Corner Blitzes:
"That's due to the growth of the secondary. We have been very stagnant in the secondary because of the focus on not giving up the big play and keeping everything in front. As those guys are maturing, we can start to give them more and more.
"Those four guys in Levin Neal, Van Eskridge, Davis and Travis Simmons, with as much as they have played, they're able to do more now. They're disguising things. They have earned it because of what they're handling on the field. We could have called it a whole bunch earlier, but if you do that and have missed assignments in the secondary, it doesn't help you. It is a weapon because it's that element of surprise. As a coordinator calling plays, you have to account for it. We have primarily been a field/zone blitz team. It just adds a whole dimension for us right now."
On The Play Of Dominique Lindsay And Nick Johnson:
"Lindsay and Johnson are unbelievable. They are playing through injuries that a lot of guys on this team are sitting out with. If about 90 percent of this team felt how those two felt, they wouldn't play. Every play Johnson is in on, he's fighting through something. He has a shoulder injury that's going to require surgery eventually. He's also had knee and ankle injuries as well as a turf toe. He walks out of the locker room with about eight bags of ice all over. I've never heard him complain, though. He always says I'm fine and alright.
"Lindsay is in the same boat. He had ankle injury, you put tape on it and he won't come out. I keep telling running backs coach Junior Smith to get him out of the game. Lindsay comes out of the game with his shoulder hanging or having a sore ankle to get taped. Then I look up and he's carrying the ball the next play. Coach Smith says Lindsay is always tugging on his shirt saying he's ready to go.
"Those two guys right there and that type of mindset are leading this team. Lindsay is running hard and playing with confidence. They're not about to miss a play. You couldn't hurt those two with a sledge hammer. I've really been impressed with those two and their mentality."
On Conference USA's Affiliation With The Liberty Bowl :
"I think it's huge. As somebody who has been in this league for five years, I think the Liberty Bowl is what differentiates Conference USA from a lot of the other non-BCS conferences. Our conference champion has the opportunity to play a Southeastern Conference team on January 2nd.
"I think our bowl partnerships are great. We have six automatic berths right now to six great bowl games. The Hawai'i Bowl is a great game. We have had phenomenal experiences out there and also at the Liberty Bowl a year ago playing Kentucky. Those are great opportunities.
"Our bowl partners are one of the things that make this league special. There is not another non-BCS league that has as many bowl tie-ins as we do. I think that speaks volumes for this league. It starts with the Liberty Bowl at the top because that's where the champion goes. That's one of the things we have fought to keep. As coaches, we have talked about that bowl game and that's the difference between our league and many other non-BCS conferences."
