Football: Coach Stewart Quotes
August 17, 2009 06:59 PM | General
August 17, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Quotes from coach Bill Stewart after practice 11 of fall training camp.
Opening Remarks
We talk about physical football, and we hit that very hard. We were very demanding. We talked among our team and staff, and that to be a championship-caliber team, you have to play physical football. We worked on short-yardage and goal-line situations. Much like we did Saturday, it was a full-padded practice and we hit.
The defense did a good job against the offense and stopped them in third-and-two, third-and-three situations. Yet, in goal line, the offense can't be stopped.
The physicalness - how you need to play if you want to be a champion. We covered that over and over again. We can't be physical enough.
We emphasized some of what we did Saturday: red zone pass defense and red zone scoring offense. That's been a really good battle, and I'm pleased how it is going.
We gave the young guys that did not get many snaps on Saturday more opportunities. We cranked them up and had some fun. We had about a 25-play scrimmage and the young guys kicked some pressure-situation field goals at the end of practice. They looked pretty good.
I plan to scrimmage on Wednesday. We're going to hit. It's all about being physical. If you want to be a champion, you better be tough. You practice tough, you'll live tough. I've seen a lot of tough guys without pads, I want to see them in pads. We've got tough guys here at West Virginia.
(on short yardage work and importance this season)
I think that's standard football. It's what we have to do. We have to get after it. We were very good last year - 43-percent. Where we weren't great was down in the lower numbers - third-and-one situations. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't near where a championship team is supposed to be. We won nine football games. You have to win more - we want to win more. You have to work at it. We are going to get more tough and better in short-yard situations. That is our goal.
(thoughts on last Saturday's scrimmage)
We have some talent on this football team, but we have a long way to go. I was pleased, but I wasn't excited. I was happy the defense kept the offense on the ropes, but they didn't knock them out. We had them on the ropes, and we could have. That frustrated me. Offensively, that tells you that we came back and fought. We have enough talent on this football team to do that against some opponents, but we play some pretty talented teams. If you don't do it week-in, week-out, it's just not going to happen on Saturdays. Therefore, what I saw Saturday was we had some nice individual efforts, and we had some playmakers, but I want someone to step up so I know what we can hang our hat on. What is going to carry us when it comes to crunch time? Right now, I don't know that. For three quarters, I thought I knew that, but then the offense came back.
I'm pleased that we fought back, but I'm not ready to say we're a good football team just yet. I promise we're working on it.
(on team's concentration for second week of camp)
We need more offense in the red zone. I keep going over it, and I script it every day. Our coaches do it, and they implement it. Our players know it. We used to call inside the 30 the red zone. Now, our guys are calling in the "score zone" once you get down to the goal line. They know what the mission is. It's blinders on, let's go.
You know how good we were on defense in the red zone last year; what frustrates me is that we let the offenses get down there. We need to stop them on third down up near the 50-yard line. I want to keep them from getting down in the red zone.
(on rule changes regarding punter protection)
We role-punt better than anyone in the country. We were second in the country in net punting. This year, If you break the tackle box, you are going to get hit. We'll be okay there; I'm not going to change anything.
(on pre-game handshake)
We have to stay at the 45 and the opponent has to stay at their 45. No more 50-yard line, where you can run right up to the other team and chest-bump each other. That's a 10-yard buffer; you must stop. That stops chest-bumping and stepping on the logos. That's a good rule. We can go out and high-five, but if they stop at the 45, that would be good enough. It's still a game. I don't like all of that talk before a game. I just want to play; let your pads do the talking. Be physical. Be tough. Play Mountaineer football. Keep your mouth shut. Go hit your oppenent. Hit him hard as you can, over and over again, and you'll win the football game.
(on naming a backup quarterback)
I am not close in naming anyone. This Saturday we'll be ready. I am not ready just yet, but we're close.
(on practices being closed the last week of camp and fear of information getting out)
This IT world has taken football to a different level. The IT world is great, it's new America. But, some things are meant to stay private. I don't want practice to be filmed. Let us show our repertoire to the fans on Day 1. That's my protocol, and that's how we're going to do it. This is what we do, and we'll wait to Sept. 5 to show what we do.
We use the internet though! I love locker room material. Put that microphone in front of a young person long enough, and you'll have all of the locker room material that you need. Someone is going to say something dumb. I try very hard not to let information out or excite anyone. You still need to be a gentleman; let the pads do the talking. But, we get online. They'll talk if you let them.
