The biggest revelation was that he'd have an "announcement" tomorrow about RB Will Stanback and why he hasn't been playing. He also admitted he thought about putting Bo Schneider back in at QB in the fourth quarter. Justin Holman is doubtful and Bo will start this weekend.
Opening statement:
"Two things obviously we have to improve on. One is learning how to finish a game and second is find ways to get more points on the board. Obviously it's an issue that concerns me. Some injuries of course are hurting us from an offensive standpoint. I think that's the issue right there. Obviously the game this week is a typical SEC team. Again, we're going to have to play a lot better than we've played the first three games to compete in this game."
Update on WR Jordan Akins:
"Jordan Akins is out indefinitely. First play of the game goes down. We've just been snake bit there. Someone else has to step up. That's the nature of the game. It's not always the key guys that are getting injured like that and that's what's happening right now. The younger guy has to step up right now and take his place."
On whether he was concerned Akins was doing too much:
"We took him off some offensive areas. He was doing a really good job in returns. Actually if he makes a cut to the left it's probably going for a touchdown. The kid came through and hit him. It was a clean hit. It's the nature of the game. It's so swollen right now. They haven't ascertained what kind of injury it is. Initial prognosis was an ACL."
On keeping the team from doubting themselves:
"I think young kids, that's one thing about being young, is they don't doubt themselves. It's older kids that really need to pick it up. I think we have three or four really good seniors that are driving the wagon right now regarding that. Practice today was probably one of the better Monday practices we've had. I think the key is that you lose games when you're ahead. Two games. You've got to learn to put people away. That's part of the learning process. That's something we haven't done. You've got to be able to do that. You can't let people hang around. That's what we've done. Finish the game."
On UCF's national credibility:
"Obviously you've got to perform better than we're performing right now. It's unacceptable losses to some of the teams we've lost to in my opinion. That's what we dealt ourselves. Nothing but to look in the mirror and stuff. You can harp on it all day as far as what-ifs, but the what-ifs aren't there. We've just got to get better. We've got to execute better. We've got to be more productive in certain areas. If you break it down from game to game, there's four areas that I see where we had to replace half the field. The defensive backs, the wide receivers. Those are the two areas that we have to be more productive in as far as giving up cheap coverage yardage. You can't do that. And missed plays. Big plays on coverage end of it. And offensively, you can't drop balls. That's really what's causing some problems as far as stalling things out. Obviously the quarterbacks I think had some good plays, but had a lot more bad plays. It's part of a learning process with them. Again, I think you've got to do what they can do. Try to build stuff around what they can handle. That's tough, especially when you're trying to get a lot of things in. You can only do what they can handle mentally as far as what's going on."
On whether NCAA scholarship limitations have caught up to them from a depth standpoint:
"We're shy 5-5-5. I never speak about that. No. We've always brought three quarterbacks in. That's what we have. I try to have four on scholly, I never bring five in. We've just had a rash of injuries. Hopefully some are starting to come back. If not this week, they'll be back for the conference schedule. Oldham, Puopolo, guys who have been out. Holman will be back. We've got to do what you have right now. Make sure that you're very detailed in what you're doing with these kids. That's where I see us missing the point out there a little bit. They understand the concept, but they don't understand the details of the concept. That takes time. There's only so much you can force feed them. It's the detail of what we're trying to get done conceptually wise that I think is missing in some situations from a coverage standpoint and basically a passing game standpoint."
On UCF being last in offense and Brent Key as offensive coordinator:
"He's fine. He's been around long enough. As I told him, I went through the game myself. The plays are there to be had. They really are. Quarterback is throwing the wrong direction which is on the coaches really. You've got to get guys doing the right things, detail. Some of the runs are there. Guys slipping blocks and not running their feet and stuff. I didn't see anything wrong with the concepts we went after them with. Probably should have used some of the wide stuff a little bit more in the game. It's the only correction I made with what was going on. Then to have the ability to get the ball down field with those young kids. They were playing a lot of two-deep coverage, made it tougher to get down there. But the routes that we threw, they've got to be accurate on. When the ball is thrown, there's three right in the chest. They've got to come up with those throws. It's a learning process. The two halves of the field are the ones that concern me. That's where we're not making plays and we're giving up big plays. You can't do that. That's a formula for losing."
On the differences or similarities from the 2013 team that played South Carolina:
"You had experience. You had those kids playing for two years together. There was experience in the quickness in coverage, the contact speed. That was the difference. Contact speed in blocking. Contact speed in tackling. Contact speed in getting to your coverage. All those type things, those kids weren't as tentative in some things. They had a little more experience in what was going on. They knew who was on the right and who was on the left of them and understood where their help was. That's the stuff I'm driving when I say detail."
On Will Stanback:
"I'll be making an announcement about him tomorrow."
On Justin Holman's status:
"He gets stitches out tomorrow, but I doubt he'd be ready. It's all on that soft skin tissue and that takes a while to come back. It all depends if he can grip the ball or not. I doubt it. The doctor said two to four weeks. They're usually accurate. If I can get him back in three, I think it's a happy medium."
More on Stanback:
"Stanback basically I'll be making an announcement tomorrow regarding his playing time and why he hasn't been playing."
On the practice today:
"They executed well. Show team gave them a good look. That's how you get better. As I told the coaches, you have to feel bad what's taken place but you've got to move on. That's the first thing the kids look at, the coaches. Those the ones that have to keep drilling them and coach the little things up. That's what you've got to do. Those are the things we aren't doing right now. The little things that are causing some big problems."
On Steve Spurrier at South Carolina:
"I like Steve. I've always liked Steve. I enjoy people that say what they want to say when they want to say it. Which I think he does just to egg people on a little bit, myself. I think he's a guy that loves the game of football obviously. I think he's been good for the college game. He really has been. He does things the right way as far as the programs are concerned. Obviously he has a very inventive mind as far as getting things done and scoring points. He runs a good program."
On the confidence of the team:
"They're working every day. That's one thing. If you have an older team that can react to things. Younger team you have to harp on them all the time. Do the right things and good things will happen. Hustle and luck go hand in hand. It's the same thing. That's what you've got to continue stressing with the kids. Forget the negative stuff. That's why I don't spend a lot of time on the last game. We make the corrections and move on. That's what you've got to do and hopefully get guys to understand concepts, understand why things aren't working. It's because this didn't happen. That's where I think you spend your time. Then basically move on from there. Kids today, first of all they're Division I football players. They know it's a long season. We haven't even started conference play yet. As a head coach and coaches, you can't let kids feel down about themselves because the first thing you notice about anybody is their attitude. The attitude has been good. The effort has been good. It's just been dumb effort at times. That's what you've got to correct."
On the QB starter:
"There's no open competition. Bo will start and Tyler will back him up."
On Nick Patti going in and out, whether that affected Bo from getting in a rhythm:
"I thought Bo was throwing into coverage a couple of times and just wasn't himself out there. I think sometimes you've got to look from the sidelines to see what's going on. I was tempted to put him back in in the fourth quarter. Then 8 completed a couple balls. I thought he had a hot hand and stayed with him. Again, the difference in the two is I think they both have good arms. I think Bo probably makes quicker decisions."
On a freshman QB playing on the road in the SEC:
"I'll put the noise in the fieldhouse on Wednesday and make sure he talks loud."
On sticking with one QB:
"It is my mindset. I've always been that way. I'm trying to get a couple guys work because they're young guys who haven't played. It's Bo's job unless there's something going on that I think needs to be replaced. It's his job. He'll be the quarterback out there."
On the offensive line:
"I tell you what, everybody is hitting the offensive line. The offensive line missed a couple blocks, but they're getting hats on people. We haven't gotten chunk plays in the run game. We're running the ball better, but the running back has to make somebody miss in the open field too. That's what I see. I think Taj is doing a good job hitting it, but you've got a guy in the open field. You've got to make that guy miss. That's what the good ones too."
On his preseason confidence and whether he thought being 0-3 could happen:
"Not really. Things happen for a reason. I think injuries play a part in it. Even before the season I think there's eight possible starters that are gone from this team that are injured or out. It's just when you're young you just don't have the depth to replace right away. Next batter up. That's the way I look at it. Next guy gotta be able to help. It takes time to get them ready."
On people second guessing GOL being AD and head coach:
"No. I'm a head football coach. I meet once a week as the AD with the senior staff. Make sure everything is running the way it's supposed to run. I'm spending my time and probably more and more time with what I love to do is coach football. When you're 0-3, you can't be worried about a lot of other things. You have to worry about your own team."
On WR Blake Tiralosi getting his first catch:
"Five catches. I was happy for him. The difference at quarterback, first game two guys had nine catches and the ball was being dispersed. A lot of the issues now are just getting those quarterbacks to read coverage and throw where they're not. That's the big issue. Spending extra time with them. Spending all the time we can spend with them. On the field and off the field. Hope the light bulb goes on. It's going to need to. South Carolina is a good football team. A tough game last game. They've got skill kids and they've got typical SEC line on both sides of the ball. We'll have our work cut out for us."
On adjusting goals and expectations:
"We have one goal which is to win the conference. They may have some individual goals themselves, but I don't ask them what they are. I'm more interested in team goals. I'm sure they all have individual goals. They would never come and tell me what they are. They know I don't like it, I like talking about one thing, and that's the conference championship. It's amazing. This year, more than any of the years, I really put an emphasis on the non-conference schedule and doing well. I probably spent too much time dwelling on that. The big thing is we've got to move ahead. Take one game at a time. It's the fourth season. We've got to correct the little things and the detail on some of the stuff we're doing. That's what I look at in all my years of experience."
On Blake Bortles' game vs. the Dolphins:
"No, I get home too late. My wife watches the games."
On whether playing South Carolina helps after a bad loss:
"South Carolina is a very good team. They're tough at home. You have to go in and play well. That's what I want to do as a head coach. Play well. Play well and play with great effort and let's see what happens in the fourth quarter. Right now the fourth quarter hasn't been good to us. We have to finish and we haven't finished. That's what I'm preaching with the team. Finish the game. Finish. It's never over. You can't jump ahead by 10, 12 points and then let people catch up. You've got to keep your foot on the pedal. That's what we're not doing and we have to get that done."
On Cedric Thompson's leadership:
"He's one I really think has taken charge. If I had to say there's one kid on the team that has a passion and understands what's going on, it's Cedric. He's been around for five years. He knows what's going on and what needs to get done. He's done a great job with the young kids. He needs help. As I told the seniors, they control the team off the field and on the field. I think basically they're doing a good job on the field, but off the field they've got to monitor things better. The locker room. Social behavior. They're in charge of that. I think Cedric has taken the role himself to be the guy. I respect that from him. He's playing much better. He just got the Hammer Award for Most Valuable Special Teams. Special teams is actually playing pretty well this year. Nobody is seeing it because offense and defense are out there all the time. Special teams has done a pretty good job this year in all the areas, kicking wise, except for the block in the first game. Other than that, they've been scoring pretty well in grades."
On the RBs, Taj McGowan and C.J. Jones:
"The difference, Taj, he has a burst. C.J. Jones is more of a changeup back. He ran well, but then you put the ball on the ground. I still thought with 33 seconds left, we turn it over. In fact it was dribbling right in front of me. I felt like falling on it. I'm watching it dribble. They fell on it. I really believed we'd throw another pass and have a chance to kick a field goal to win that game. That's the way I look at things. That ball is right there. Again, the elbow came out and the kid did a great job of punching the ball. You've got to keep that elbow tight, the ball high and all three points done right. I think they're a good combination. I think C.J. gave us a little bit spark in the run game, a little different style of runner."
What would have happened if he would have fell on the fumble:
"It would have been unsportsmanlike conduct, I'd probably be in the locker room and 15-yard penalty. It's like the guy tackling the guy from the sidelines. That one there, it was right in front of me... But hey, we'll get it going. Coaches are working hard. Believe me, no one is more disappointed as I am as far as the start of the season. I've been around long enough. You've just got to coach the little things, be more detailed in the concepts that we're teaching. Thank you."
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