Football: Coach Bill Stewart and Player Quotes
April 16, 2009 06:56 PM | General
April 16, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Football Coach Bill Stewart and player quotes following Thursday afternoon’s practice.
Head Coach Bill Stewart:
On today’s practice:
We had a teaching practice today. We had over a 75-play scrimmage yesterday which was good. I said that yesterday, and I still stick to what I said. The intensity was pretty special when we saw it on film today. The pads were poppin’ like we thought, and it was intense.
Today was a teaching practice. I wanted to work on plays and special teams. We did pooch-punt, and we did a good job on that. Against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Bowl, and this past year against North Carolina in the Car Care Bowl, we had nice pooch-punts. It’s something you have to work on.
Then we worked on punt block, and we got that on film-we gave every guy about four or five reps each trying to pin the ball in front of the punter. Anytime that you can slow down and teach, that is good. We always worked on the even front and the odd stack, just to show our guys an even front as compared to the odd stack that we’ve seen. We wanted to work on the even stuff, because it was a teaching practice.
We did do a red-zone skelly, because I wanted to see that. Wes Lyons made catch after catch, and I thought Jarrett Brown did some nice stuff. Again, Bradley Starks made some good plays.
We wanted to take what we thought were some of our best red-zone plays from the spring, get them on film and teach from that through the course of camp. Then we did a two-minute drill, because I wanted to put the offense under stress, and I wanted to put the defense to work on things once the offense gets moving. Once it gets down in the score-zone then we can see blitzing, so No. 1 we can block the blitz, and No. 2 to see if our secondary can cover man-to-man. Everything was done with a purpose in mind today so I was pleased with what we got done.
On Saturday’s scrimmage:
I’m looking forward to the Gold-Blue scrimmage on Saturday. It’s for a great cause and every penny goes to the Children’s Hospital. It started with Coach Nehlen back in the 80’s and we’re very blessed to have been able to keep that tradition going.
On the defense:
Zac Cooper was back today, and it was good to see him. I wanted to see him in the two minute drill, and I thought he did a good job. Of course Reed Williams was flying around everywhere, and I was pleased with some plays I saw with Brandon Hogan. I saw Keith Tandy step up a little bit today. I thought our safeties covered the two today in the red zone and in the two-minute drill, so it was a really good teaching day.
On what the team has accomplished:
We’ve accomplished most things. We haven’t worked on kickoff, because we haven’t had a good kickoff man yet. With punting, I’m very pleased with Scott Kozlowski. Today, because we were in shells, I wanted to work on coverage, and I thought we did a good job with that. I’m very pleased with our punt game. The PT field goals have been good too.
On the development of the team:
Scheme-wise, we’ve cut back. I wanted to see the defense play base and then blitz so we were stemming around and working on disguises, and we were trying to echo some of the things that the Steelers have done. We’re trying to get better at that, because the secondary was so young last year, so we got better at that this spring.
Offensively, we threw some schemes at them, but I don’t know if we’re tough enough, but we’ll see. We have to work on our toughness more in camp and get the ball out there and spread the wealth, so to speak, to the wide receivers. No. 16 (Jarrett Brown) and No. 7 (Noel Devine) just can’t win the game, just like No. 5 and 7 couldn’t win the game-they need help.
I’m pleased with the power running game. That has developed a little more than where it was last year, because we have bigger backs. We’re going to have some great competition when camp comes in here with Shawne Alston and Chris Snook coming. Those are two big backs. It’s going to be really fun to watch those guys develop. Tavon Austin will bring a lot to the table with his skill set.
On the Gold-Blue Game:
The gold team will be coached by the grey-beards, and the blue team will be coached by the pups. I hope they don’t beat us. If they beat us, you’ll see me, and I’ll be on the blue side. I hope they don’t beat us. We’re going to stay on one sideline because in case there is an injury, you don’t want to be yelling across the field.
On the kicking game:
They’ve improved a lot. They have to take the pressure that is in the competition. I think our punters have had a good spring, and I don’t think our kickers have. Our snappers have been on the money, which has really pleased me a bunch. I do not think that the holding game is any jeopardy, so I feel good about that. The kicking game just isn’t there yet. Maybe we’ll put a little pressure on these guys Saturday because we have to get better at kicking. Our placement kicks and field goal kicks have to get better.
Najee Goode
Right now as a defense, we’re stepping up and playing. We have to play with consistency and even though we still give up some plays, we keep working.
Coley White
On the spring game:
I expect for us to do pretty well, and to show what kind of team we have as a whole. I have to go out there and compete and have fun. I think I’ve progressed pretty well. Coach helps me every day and corrects me, while we’re watching film. I can see on film that I’ve gotten better since day one.
