UCF head coach Gus Malzahn hints at bye week changes, confirms John Rhys Plumlee will start at quarterback and talks about the challenge of facing No. 6 Oklahoma and his former QB Dillon Gabriel.
Opening statement:
"Coming off an off week which was much needed. We evaluated all three phases like i said we would. It was really good for us to kind of get back to the basics. It was really good to heal up too. Two of the guys you'll hear from, John Rhys (Plumlee) and Ricky Barber, will both be back which is really good for us.
"Looking at an Oklahoma team, No. 6 team in the country. One of the best teams that entire country on their home field and a great environment. If you look at their offense, I think they're No. 6 in the country in offense. Dillon Gabriel, which we know well. Obviously an outstanding quarterback, he's playing at a really high level. They got a good run game too. Defensively, one of the better defenses in the country. A good challenge. They got really good players. They got a good scheme. Their head coach, we've went against each other numerous times. We know knew each other well. It's a good challenge for us but one we're looking forward to.
"Like i said, coming off the off week, our practices were really good. I really feel like the three practices we had last week, we got better each practice. Our guys had great spirit about them. We had a really good practice yesterday. Just to get a little head start on Oklahoma."
The run defense has struggled in the Big 12 games. What have you identified specifically that stands out to you for why you've had so many problems there?
"There's a couple things. There's a couple scheme things that we'll definitely clean up that will be addressed. Like I said, anytime you have an off week, you're able to go back and you're able to evaluate everything. So position wise, maybe you'll see some guys a little bit different in some different positions, but really just scheme wise and just our approach to certain things should help us tremendously in our run fits and our run defense."
You mentioned John Rhys coming back this week? Is he 100 percent and will he start for sure? Will we see Timmy McClain?
"He will start for sure. He had a good week last week. Really last night was really the first time I really took a look at kind of where he's at. I'd say he's close to 100 percent, so don't expect any issues moving forward. Timmy obviously will be ready to go, did a really good job for us. He'll be ready if called upon. But right now, John Rhys is our quarterback and ready to go."
What are some things that you're focused on going into this week heading into Oklahoma to make sure that guys are locked in and not getting too focused on everything else going on?
"Really it's more about kind of getting back to the basics, getting back to who we are offensively, defensively and special teams. I know it's been really good for our coaches which usually that's the case, because you get so wrapped up in your opponent and scheming. And for the first time, you can really look back and you can watch and watch every rep on all three phases. There's some glaring things that we need to improve on that we're addressing, which will give us the best plan moving forward.
"I'm excited about the second half. I'm gonna bet if you ask most of our players, they feel the same way. It was kind of one of those really, be able to push pause, kind of refresh, regroup. Like I said, I still think we have a good team. We just need to play good football and I think we're ready to do that."
What makes Dillon Gabriel so good?
"Well, he's got an outstanding skill set. You talk about a guy, when we had him, every day in practice, he would make a throw that you'd go, wow. His accuracy. He's a veteran guy now, too. Think about all the snaps he's played. You can see when you watch him on film, he's got really good command. He knows when to throw the ball away. He's got great courage. He'll wait until the last second, get the ball out and then you talk about the RPO world. They're good at running the football, but he's also good at reading it. So really, it's all above with him."
Having the bye week, how did that help refresh and reset the team?
"Obviously spending time together in the off week and be able to slow down and not have to worry about an opponent has been really good. We went ones on ones against each other. Really more than we have all the way back to fall camp scrimmage. And that has a way of really bringing teams closer together, too. So I think it was a combination of those two things."
You talked about the importance of the bye week for evaluating all three phases of your team. You said saw some glaring areas. What are the top areas this team needs to improve upon?
"Yeah, I don't want to incriminate us too much about getting specific other than there was a couple things that really stood out that you just kind of go okay. We're gonna address that, we're gonna address that, we're gonna address that. Obviously our run defense, that was one of the No. 1 things. And then it was penalties on offense and really probably just the basic overall execution on offense. That was really what stood out big picture wise and then you look at certain areas, red zone defense, red zone offense. How can we improve in those areas? And so those are really the big picture areas that just from a head coach's standpoint, making sure that we're better moving forward."
What is the overall health of the team?
"I would say right now, halfway through the season, I think we're in good shape. There towards the last couple weeks, we were just kind of hanging together, which that's to be expected. There's a lot of other teams in college football that halfway through the year, same way. Really hoping that our offensive line, I think we're really close for our offensive line to all be healthy. That'll definitely help. I think we're getting closer to getting five guys, keeping them in one position, getting that continuity. Defensive line, I think we're healthier there. And I think that's where it really starts."
Linebacker has been one of those positions that's been a struggle maybe besides Jason Johnson. You've got some defensive end that have linebacker experiences. During the bye week, do you talk about moving guys around and moving positions?
"Yeah, you could see some different things. Like I said, I don't want to say or incriminate exactly what we're doing moving forward, but we evaluated all those things.
"And I think one thing too that also stood out is special teams. There's a couple guys that hadn't helped us up to this point on special teams that'll have a chance to help us. That could equate on offense and defense playing a little bit more than maybe they did if any at all the first six games."
From a mental toughness standpoint what do you need to see from your team this week?
"Mental toughness, I think it all works together. Physical toughness, mental toughness that's really what we pride ourselves on. You've got to play good quality football and obviously the last six quarters were not up to our standard, but I expect us to cure that and moving forward to be better in those areas."
Now that you've got a few weeks of Big 12 football under your belt. UCF is one of the newbie teams that has never won against an existing team. What's your impression of the level of play?
"Well first of all, there's quality teams. Every week you're going to go against quality players really in all positions. You're going against good depth and you're going against good coaches and so I really think it's all the above. You've got to play really good football to win games in this league. We knew that when we came in and that was really our approach. We've got to start playing good football."
In your experience, in a game like this when probably a lot of people outside the building are not giving you a chance, is it a bit hard for coaches to kind of get them up and going or a little bit easier because you really don't have much to lose?
"I think from the standpoint of what we went through and having an off week and be able to kind of push pause like we talked about earlier. And then you turn on the film, I mean, you got respect for them in all three phases. This is one of the best football teams in college football. Okay, I think everybody knows that. And it's a big challenge for us, but it's a challenge I know our players and our coaches are looking forward. Me personally, I'm very excited. I'm excited for our team and excited for the opportunity."
Ricky Barber, what impact does his return have on the defense?
"He's one of our best players. I categorize him as an impact player. He can impact the game with his pass rush ability, with his ability to play the run. And he's one of those guys that makes everybody around him better. So to have him back, and I'd say like I said earlier, I mean, John Rhys is close to 100 percent. I think Ricky is too, I've just watched him practice yesterday. And that'll be two really big keys, I think, to our overall team having those guys back healthy."
You mentioned offensive line getting close to 100 percent. At center, what is the situation there? Is it Caden Kitler's job if he's healthy? I know Drake Metcalf started there. Bula was banged up and then playing there.
"Yeah, Bula's done some really good things. Really it was all about his snaps there for a while, but he's been snapping the ball extremely well. I thought Caden Kitler did a really good job. He's still probably not 100 percent right now, but he is getting closer. And then Drake, really starting to settle in a little bit more at guard. He is capable of playing center, but I think that fits him a little bit more with not have to have the stress of snapping the ball and everything that goes with that."
RJ and Johnny have carried the load in the running backs room. The rest of the guys in that group, you talked about that before the season started, how deep the unit was. What's their status? They haven't been getting many snaps.
"Yeah, I think it's one of those things that when you got somebody like RJ and Johnny, especially Johnny, you're sitting there from an offensive coach's standpoint, how can we get him the ball more? Both those guys have done an outstanding job. That's nothing against the other guys. You could see the other guys play a little bit more, we'll see. Obviously those two guys have stayed healthy too.
"So there'll be a little more specific plan as far as that moving forward. But we do have two or three guys that if something did happen or need to play more, we have a lot of confidence in. We said that the very first of the year. That's one of our deepest positions. We knew it and we stayed healthy so far. But those two guys are impact players. They're averaging in good yards when they touch it."
Getting the guys on the field is one thing. But how do you keep those guys on the field to try to make a run at this thing for the second half of the season?
"Yeah, I think that works hand in hand. Now we're healthier at the midway point, good. Now we gotta stay healthy and I think it's just a matter of managing your body, managing your mind and then having a little bit of fortunate things happen, staying healthy."
You mentioned a reset button, what do you need to see from your team and fundamentals like tackling at this point?
"Well, I think that that last week was really kind of good to go back. And kind of go back to the fundamentals that you just said, slow down a little bit, focus on tackling. Not just tackling, but on special teams tackling. A lot of times the offensive guys, in practice, every day don't get a chance to tackle. So that was good to do that. And a lot of times it's just good to go old school against each other. Being able to run the football, fit the run on base offense, base defense. Same thing against each other. It was really good and we got after it. If you ask the players, I'm going to bet they felt really good about last week about just kind of going old school back to the basics and that really will help us moving forward I believe."
What's your personal history with Oklahoma? I know you were at Tulsa. Did you play Oklahoma at that time? Any back and forth with Brent Venables?
"When I was at Tulsa I guess in 2007 we played Oklahoma at Tulsa and Venables was the defensive coordinator. I got family in Tulsa. Went to first and second grade in Tulsa. My mom's family's all from there. Grew up probably going to a game a year watching OU play back in the day so very familiar. My stepdad was a big Boomer Sooner fan. He's from Oklahoma City, so I dealt with that growing up but I know a lot about it.
"I've been there, never as an opposing coach but as a spectator. I took some of my high school players there for recruiting. As a matter of fact, I took Rhett Lashlee to a recruiting visit one time at Oklahoma. Always impressed with their atmosphere and everything that goes with it, their tradition. So it's good to be a head coach on the opposing sideline."
Were you an OU fan growing up, going to games?
"I was more of a Razorback fan growing up, but Marcus Dupree, some of the great players, I was probably more fans of some of those great players, but nah, I was a Razorback through and through growing up."
John Rhys was said to be about 90 percent going into the last game. How do you kind of get him to trust his body mentally?
"Yeah, that's a good question. I don't know if it was 90 percent, I think that's kind of what I was hoping. It is a matter of him going through practice every day and getting that trust, and I think he'll talk to you here in just a minute, but he's really close to 100 percent now, and it's been a process.
"I mean, when it first happened, there was questions that night, whether is he going to be back to play at all? Then it was six to eight (weeks), and then also he was doing well, and then it was four to six (weeks). It's been a process. And he's a great competitor. He's worked extremely hard to get back, and I'll say this, he was really excited after last night's practice, and I was too."
Coach, you mentioned in the fall about going over situational football, you put a huge emphasis on that because you anticipated being in close games. Has there been a tweak to that?
"There's a couple areas that obviously, end of game scenarios, we won the first one, and then of course we didn't win a close one, and so we just evaluated that. We worked specifically on some things that will help moving forward."
You had Dillon Gabriel for a season. Is there any advantage that you have knowing a little bit of some of his ins and outs that maybe you can study this week?
"He was with us for three games. We were one of the top offenses in the country at the time and then he got hurt. I really don't think so. I think he's an outstanding quarterback, one of the best in the country. Every week you can turn on the film and you can see why."
UCF people are familiar with Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma's offensive coordinator. What stands out about what they do?
"They've got good players. They've got good scheme. I think Jeff is an oustanding coach with the quarterback. They play fast. They run the football and they throw it. They can do both well. They've got really good players. I think it's a combination of all those things."
As you look back on the first half of the season, how did those self-inflicted wounds play a role game after game?
"Too many. Too many for my liking. When we're watching it, going through, like okay, this will be addressed. That will be addressed. We'll be better in the second half in this area and that area. That's the way I approached it."
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