Football: Jeff Casteel and Selected Player Quotes
August 20, 2009 01:01 PM | General
by MSNsportsNET.com
August 20, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and selected player quotes.
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel
Opening Statements
We have kids that have given good effort. They are banged up. This has been a physical camp and they have responded. But we are working on trying to be a consistent group play in and play out.
We are getting better everyday. We have good leadership and if we continue to progress the way we are, we will be ok.
On Kent Richardson
He has done a good job. He is a guy that has been around, he is hungry and I think he knows that this is his last go around. We are happy with the way that he has been working. Coach (Dave) Lockwood has done a good job with him. We need him to be able to help us.
Some of the problems that we had last year with third downs was that we just didn’t have enough guys to get on the field to play at a high level for us, but Kent stepped up for us. He has had a really good summer and a really good camp.
On the depth of the defense
I think when you are talking about the linebackers, the only thing that is settled right now is that number 47 is in the middle. We are still competing there. We have a little bit of depth in the backer position.
Zac Cooper has done a good job as a Sam linebacker, which has been a good surprise for us, not that we didn’t think he could do it. He has become very consistent for us, and has done a good job up front.
We are developing depth with coach Kirelawich’s guys. We have just about all of those guys back. Julian Miller has had a good camp. He is a little bit bigger and stronger. Josh Taylor is pushing.
From our stand point, the more kids that we can have an opportunity to play, and we would like to play with a core of about 20 or 21 guys, the better off we will be. The kids will dictate that, in their ability to make plays in practice and do what we ask of them. Each day will determine how many guys we will play in the rotation.
On the safety position
Right now we are still looking to find who the starter will be. We are competing every day because kids may have started last year, our whole deal is to try to be a year better. We are not trying to be where we were at last year, since we are a little older and a year better, nothing has been set.
On Josh Taylor
Josh Taylor has really done a great job for us the last couple of years working himself into a good football player. Coach Kirelawich has done a good job with him. He is a guy that stands out and I am noticing him everyday. We knew that he was a good player in the spring and he is better now than he was in the spring. He is going to get some playing time, which gives us a chance to rest Chris Neild, who is a very good player, but that is a tough spot to play.
When you start getting into the early November, late November games, these kids have been going since the beginning of August and in his (Chris Neild) position, it is like taking a baseball bat to him everyday. We would like to save him a little bit so that we can be strong in the later part of the year.
On Jorge Wright taking some snaps
That is still to be determined. Jorge shows flashes and he is a talented kid. He is still very young and he is still adjusting to having to play with your hands and do some things technique wise that you have to do at this level. You guys know Kirelawich, and sometimes its tough love.
On Branko Busick
Branko Busick is a good football player. He is getting reps with the two’s with certain packages and then he is running with the three’s. He has a nose for the football and he is a down and go player and he is tough.
Everything is live and everybody is competing for a spot right now from freshmen to seniors. We will probably decided that the first game or so.
On working on Liberty
We will start working on Liberty next. Right now we haven’t installed anything here defensively for the past two days and there still is a package we want the kids to learn. They have a lot on their plate right now, and we are getting a little more consistent since we haven’t been installing one or two things in every practice. That is where the young kids like Branko get scrambled.
On the defense’s start last season
We tried to look at some of the things that we struggled with early in the year. Whether that be assignment football, paying attention to detail or being able to be consistent on a third down, we had to do a better job. Those are the things that we had some trouble with. I liked the way the kids responded as the year went on, but what we want from them now is to be a year better and start being consistent from the first snap.
Things change when people are in the stands and that group of kids, especially in the Villanova game, did things that we hadn’t seen in practice in terms of mistakes. That opened our eyes that we needed to do some work.
You take a kid like Reed (Williams) out of the defense, which is like taking a great player out of an offense or defense. He is the heart and soul of the group and he has a knack for being able to make great plays. That is why we have two’s and that is why they have to be ready to step up with out any drop-off and that is what we are working on now.
On Pat Lazear
Pat really had an outstanding spring and he is having a good camp. He is a really good football player. I think the light came on for him in the spring and we are happy with where he is at. He knows that he has to continue to work to be a player that allows us to execute at a high level. He is very strong, he is doing a better job and I think he understands that being a 5-foot-11 kid is an advantage and he doesn’t try to play taller than he is, he is getting under people.
On Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott is a good looking athlete. He is going to be a big kid. But again those young guys are just swimming right now. Scott is going to be a good football player here, but it is a big jump to come in and do some of the things that we ask them to do.
On making decisions with the lineup
Right now that clock is still ticking. We are still a ways until that first ball game. Those kids are still being evaluated and being coached. We have some talented young players and a nice group of kids. It is just our job to get them running in the right direction.
Joey Madsen
On playing the center position
I think that it is just one of the greatest opportunities I could have coming here as a redshirt freshman. I am happy that (Eric) Jobe is coming in at the right guard, it completes our line. I think with his brains and everyone’s toughness, we are going to get the job done this year.
I think I have good movement off the ball. I come from a town where you are tough off the ball and you just slap people in the face and don’t stop your feet.
I came to junior camp before my senior year. My dream school was West Virginia and I came to the camp and did what I had to do. We played coach (Rich) Rodriguez ball and I just sweated and showed leadership that week. I ended up as MVP of the camp and he told me to come back for a visit.
Kent Richardson
On the progress of this season
We are getting better everyday, but we are still not there. We have a few wrinkles adjusting to some of the formations, but we are better since the first day.
We have a lot of guys that played a lot last season, so that is another big step that everyone has a year under their belt. Everyone understands more and that helps.
On his position
I am still bouncing around just in case. I am going from spur to bandit, but I am originally a bandit. It is good in the long run that I can play more positions in case someone happens to get hurt.
Scooter Berry
On the defense
I think we have a chance to be really good this year, not just on defense, but on offense as well. During the spring we were rolling, and we working hard in the summer. I think on Sept. 5 we will be ready to go.
If everyone does what they are supposed to do and hustles, I think postseason we could be a top defense.
I think everyone was tired of getting scored on so soon last season. It happened this camp. It would take the offense scoring a touchdown for the light to turn on for us, but we are going to get rid of that this year. If the offense can’t score than they can’t win games.
