Here's the video and the first few questions. I will edit every few minutes with more of the transcription. At the beginning, Manny tries to present GOL with a special "Double Duty" t-shirt. There's more of it at the end.
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Opening statement:
"We're finished with preseason, into the season. I think the big thing is there's a lot of young kids anxious to get on the field on Thursday night. The one thing I did think that the older guys back from last year really understood the culture of what we had to get done this season. They've really helped the young players that we have. There's not a lot of them out there. I think the big thing is they understand what we have to get done and what the expectation level is in this program. With that, I'll open it up to your many questions."
On the overall depth on the team:
"We have more players than we've had. I think the key is we'd like to have more experience at some positions. Obviously when you graduate your secondary and your receiver corps. The young players I think are very athletic. But again, so many sunrises and sunsets. You'd like to have more practice time with them. I think they've handled practice very well. I think they've worked at the game as far as the off the field, studying, getting things done that way. Again, we'll find out Thursday. I'm anxious to see how they perform when the coaches aren't on the field."
On the receiver position:
"I think that remains to be seen. I think there's two or three that have looked good in practices and have had ups and downs as far as what they're supposed to do each and every day from a consistency standpoint. I'm anxious to see them. Again, we've been banging each other for a while now. I think everybody knows what the offense is, what the defense is, so it's hard to really judge some things. I think there's athletes at the receiver corps that we get to the ball to them on time there's a lot of YAC that they can have as far as athletically. I think that's the big thing is getting the ball on time to them and seeing what they do once they get it."
On Jordan Akins' role at receiver and the return game:
"He's not really a sophomore. I think he's 23 or 24. Just a little bit younger than myself. I think the big thing is that he's an athlete. I think you've got to treat him like he's a junior or senior from an age standpoint. I think he accepts things very well as far as getting things done that way. I guess he's a very versatile guy that can do a lot of different things. You don't want to do too many things. I think sometimes you get caught in that as an offense. That you've got a couple guys that really jump out at you and you try to make them do everything. That's a long season. Long games. 60 minutes. But he's a guy that's going to be featured in a lot of different things offensively."
On the returners:
"One will be Manny Messeguer with his new shirt. He came dressed as a player. The guy is 73 and he comes looking like that to a press conference. Isn't that amazing? Pat, you've been around for a while. He jumped into those shorts and stuff and go from there... I think there's a couple guys. I think Tristan Payton is a young freshman that has had his ups and downs in preseason, but you can see he's a very talented kid that just needs to understand the speed of the game at this level. I think that's what I'm more concerned about than anything else is the speed of the game with the young secondary, the guys who are playing, and the receivers as far as, I think they're going against some very good corners from FIU. (Jeremiah) McKinnon been a kid that's been a very, very good corner."
On FIU's front seven and the challenge that presents for UCF's running game:
"They're all back so we'll find out I guess. We're not going to change because of what people have back. I think we have some new things in with Coach Key and I'm anxious to see how they work. I'm sure he is too. I think that we have probably from an athleticism standpoint kids that can do a little bit more than some kids could do last year, whether it's running back or at tight end, receiver type situations. I game plan and we do what we have to get done. I think the first game is always a game of adjustments. I think you've got to go out and make adjustments. No one ever comes back, or they're in the same defense or offense you think they're going to be in. That's my concern for both sides is that once you're on film, I think it's a lot easier to set a game plan. They have a new coordinator on defense there. They have offensively people back and they've got some very good skill kids that I've been impressed with from last year watching them on tape. It's just how much they change and how much they're not doing the things we practiced against. That's where experience shows. That's my concern with the receivers. That's my concern, basically how quick can we make adjustments and attack what they're doing, not what we thought they were going to do."
On starting a season on a Thursday night:
"Just two days earlier. Thursday is Saturday to me. Like today is Thursday. I just kick it back from Thursday night. I don't mind because the way the schedule reads this year we got like 10 straight. That's tough on some young kids without a bye date in there. That's the reason I jumped the game to Thursday. A little Saturday bye date before we start nine straight. I like playing on Thursday night. I think any time you can get exposure nationally, it's not a national game obviously, but I think we have a couple national games on TV. I think that's what you've got to do as a Group of Five school to get all the recognition you can get out there. I think you've got to get on TV. Really when you ask recruits last year when we recruited kids from seven different states, what's the one thing that drew them to UCF and it was national TV. We were on TV an awful lot last year. You can't buy that exposure. That's what's really important. Some of our administrators didn't understand that. They're not here anymore. I do. I do."
On FIU being an in-state game:
"They've all got friends on the team. I think they'll be nervous nellies anyway. You've got to watch pregame warmups. Some of these first-year guys, they're done. You come back in the locker room and they look like they've played two games already. That's what you've got to watch with the young kids being hyped and all that stuff. You've got to temper those things a little bit. Like everything else, I think it's a long game. I think they understand what they have to get done. There's no special message. I think they know every conference game is important. That's what separates the American Conference this year. I think it's going to be very competitive with the teams. To get the recognition you need to get nationally, you've got to beat these non-conference teams, each one."
On Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville saying he'd like to play preseason games against other teams:
"I don't think it'll ever happen. I said that in the spring. They need to give us more days. Give us 20 days. In the 15 days they're giving you, I see blocking getting worse, I see tackling getting worse. Across the country. Not just individual squads. You're not spending enough time on the fundamentals of the game. I think that's where you can spend time on those things that are so important to winning. It would be interesting if you could do that. I think the State of Florida, we could play, no planes, buses, keep the costs down, no kicking game, put it on the 20 and let's go to work. I think it'd be interesting. They worry about injuries, but spring time you're going 22 against 22, everybody on the field, I think you'd have less and more interest in spring ball and other source of revenue. Even if you took the game receipts and gave it to a charity. It would be interesting to see how the coaches would like it. Probably the schools that don't have a lot of teams in their state wouldn't like it. Look at this state, we wouldn't play USF, but pretty much everybody else is available we'd want to play. I don't think it'll ever go through.
"The one thing everybody is always careful about is football. Every other sport can go out and practice all the time. Football, as soon as you bring a football out everybody goes haywire and stuff. Basketball can go four on four. It's ridiculous. It really is. That's why the passing game is taking so long to come on is they don't have enough time to get out there and do the things they should do with the ball in their hand. I think those are things that we hurt the sport by. I think that' ssomething that should be brought up nationally as far as doing things when the coaches are available and make sure you do it right, so people aren't doing things they shouldn't be doing. I think that would aid the game tremendously as far as the skill set of the game."
On the running game:
"Everybody thinks we run the ball all the time here. We go into a game 60-40, run pass or pass run based on what the defense is giving us. I've said it many times and you're probably sick of hearing it, but I think you've got to run the ball and stop the run to win championships. You can throw for 500 yards, and even in the pros, they throw for 400, but lost the game. Who cares. The whole purpose is to win. To win and do what you have to do to win the game. Not worry about stats. I did the one stat. When we rush for 150 yards or more a game, I think we're 60-8. I think even better. I didn't count last year. When we rush for 150 or more a game we're 60-8. That's pretty good odds. I'd take that. Obviously if we're rushing we're controlling the clock. That's what the game is about, field position."
On concerns about a season opener:
"Worried about who's coming to the game and all the relatives, inlaws and outlaws and everybody else. That's why I try to get the tickets out of the way early. Again, get their mind on where it should be at. On the game. Again, we have so many new players, teaching them how to study tape. They think they're watching TV when you put a tape on. They've got to watch their position. That's all part of the teaching curve. Really nothing. I think basically the one thing is go out, and as I tell them all the time, 'You can have a bad play, you can't have a bad day.' That's what concerns me. A bad day is two things go on, either NGE, you're not good enough, or it's an attitude deal. Then you should be getting them off the field. I think the big thing with the first game is special teams comes into play and then turnovers. Turnovers are the No. 1 reason people win or lose when you look at the whole season. I think that's what's important."
On FIU coach Ron Turner:
"I've met Ron. I wouldn't call like Manny who is a good friend of mine. This guy's not. Right, Manny? (Yes, Sir!). Who else would buy somebody a shirt like that? I think the big thing is he's done a good job. I think it's hard. It's hard to go into a program and turn the whole thing around. It really is. You've got to understand that a lot of people go into programs, they change their philosophy, and you've got to have a philosophy. Go in, and don't be worried about the fans or anybody else, go in and do it your way. That's what you have to do. You're going to criticized by a lot of people. If you do it your way and you've got the opportunity to do it your way, if it doesn't work you've got nobody to blame but yourself. When you keep constantly changing your offense, your defense, everything else, that's not a good sign. It means you don't have a philosophy. You don't have a philosophy as a head coach, I think you're in trouble."
On Cost of Attendance:
"We're giving Cost of Attendance this year. Every athlete that's playing is getting Cost of Attendance. They're not all getting the same. We just don't have the budget for that. I did tell the administrators that I want to see everybody getting the same amount. It costs the same for a hamburger in St. Louis as it does in Boston. I think you treat them all the same. The big thing is getting the money. That's where the Power Five, I understand what they're doing with autonomy, I think it's going to hurt teams, but we're doing what everybody else is doing right now with the Power Five. We're going to sustain and do it the right way. Life would be a lot easier if you were getting a big check, those $30 Million checks they're getting, doing what they normally do, playing on TV. We're going to do what we have to do. I think you treat them all alike. I think the first year we just didn't have the budget to do it, so we took care of the revenue sports and gave everybody else a piece of the action as far as the Cost of Attendance. I think kids today have more money coming to them. It's unbelievable really. We're doing what everybody else is doing. I'm not a big Cost of Attendance guy. They get a full scholarship, room, board, tuition, books. If they show a need, they get a Pell Grant which is about $5,700. That's $600 a month. I think the kids who do need money are well taken care of. I think parents that can afford it need to be giving their kid some money. It's not a handout. I think the Cost of Attendance, you've got to montior what they're doing with the money now. All of a sudden they're walking around with jewelry and stuff they don't really need. You've got to educate them that way too."
On working with the Athletic Director:
"He's tough. He's tough to work for. It's like everything else, as I said to all the employees, that workers will flourish and those who don't work won't be here. That's what I believe in. Everybody has their own tune they sing to. I think workers will stay on top of the game and those that don't want to work, the one thing I did say to all the employees is they've got to start taking ownership of the athletic programs. Whatever team it is. We had three games this past weekend, volleyball and men's and women's soccer. We should have employees there. We complain about fans that have to buy tickets and we're giving these people free tickets. They need to be using them. I'm sending a note out today reminding everybody that I expect them to be... you're not working for BellSouth or General Electric. It's an athletics job and the kids are really the ones paying your salary if you look at it. They need to get more involved in athletics. Whatever the sport is. I don't care what it is. You go and adopt a team and support the teams because they all need that."
On playing well in season openers:
"I never bring up the past. I think this team is a new team, new chemistry, new leadership. They have to prove it on the field. I don't compare them to anybody else in the past. I've never done that. I think they've got to prove themselves on the field. It's their turn. They've got to go out and get things done on the field themselves. Don't compare them to last year we did this or two years ago we did this. It's not fair to them. Some of these kids weren't even here. I just talk about this team and what this team has to do to win. It doesn't change. They've got to take care of the ball. Ball security. They've got to tackle well in the first game and we've got to be errorless in the special teams game."
On the Carl Black & Gold Cabana:
"I was up there the other day. That's going to be a nice feature when it's done. I just get concerned about 50-yard-line seats. I'm anxious to see how that works out. It's something that we sold a number of tickets in there. I'm more interested in the rest of the stadium. The Carl Cabana Black & Gold Club is only 1/45 of the stadium. What about the other part of the stadium? That's what I'm interested in. I think we probably talked enough about the Cabana Club and should be spending more time putting people in the other seats. That's what really is important. It makes a difference when people look around and see what teams have great fan support that there's people in those seats."
On ticket sales this year:
"I have a 2 o'clock meeting today with the senior associates. I'm sure they're looking forward to it. That's one of the questions I want to know. Where we are there, where we are fundraising, where we are on a bunch of different things. That should be a very interesting meeting. I could probably answer that around 3:35."
On turnovers:
"I constantly talk about ball security, how to carry the ball. It's not just me. It's everybody on the field has to take ownership of that, including the players. Any time that ball is on the ground, the person who turned it over is doing up-downs. There's a punishment involved in it. I think the more you harp on fumbles, the more they occur too. I think that's going to be natural. Fumbles occur because I look at forced turnovers and technique turnovers. Forced are you've basically been hit. It's a shock of the hit. The technique turnovers you're carrying the ball wrong. It should be in the other arm, high and tight. Again it's a teaching thing you've got to do, especially with these young kids coming from high school. They're all out here with the ball and all that. They've got to learn it's going to end up on the ground at this level. You're constantly harping on it and talking about it. I think more important is not just the turnovers, fumbles, but it's the turnovers in the air. We can't be having interceptions and picks and all that stuff. I think that was a problem last year too. Again, we've got to get more takeaways ourselves on defense. I think that's what's been stressed with the team."
On Nick Patti at WR:
"We moved him to receiver. He's playing slot receiver. He's a good athlete. I thought he'd be a little bit like Rob Calabrese. He's not. But I think he's an athlete that can make you miss in the open field and do some things there. He'll have a purpose in the game plan as far as what's going on. I think he's a guy that made the move because I didn't see where he was going to help us at quarterback from a standpoint of what I was lookig for as far as being able to see and throw the ball."
On his "gut feeling" regarding this year's team:
"I'm not telling you what's in the envelope. You know who can tell you that? Ping. Or Bianchi... I'd love to say we're going to be 14-0. That's how we play every game. We go out to win every game. That's what our goal is and that's what our game plan is. I think with the youth we have, there's going to be some ups and downs unless they play a little bit above where I think they need to play. I think we'll be a solid football team. A team that has the opportunity to contest for the conference championship. Again, I put a stress to the team on these non-conference games. That's where I think we need to make hay. I think we scheduled teams are well-rounded teams for a reason. I think we've got to get out of the chute well there. Again, and play one at a time. The goal is to win every game. That's our goal. Again, if we play like we're supposed to play, we'll have an opportunity each game to go out and win. Again, we have to play well each game. Some of the young kids we're counting on have to play a little bit above their heads from what I can see."
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