Football: Coach Holgorsen News Briefing
August 12, 2011 09:15 PM | General
2011 WVU Football Camp
Coach Dana Holgorsen
News Conference No. 8
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University football coach Dana Holgorsen's news conference following the Aug. 12 practice.
Opening Statement
I don’t think we got anybody hurt today, so that’s a good day. We practiced well and got a lot of good team reps. That is what camp is all about; get a bunch of snaps, get it on film and try to get better in the next week and a half.
On the guys in red
When you practice this much and hit this much, that group of guys will probably get bigger. The good news is we got five strength coaches over there that are really, really mean and work them hard, they really do. Those guys do a good job, I’d rather be practicing than be over there because they are there for about two hours and 15 minutes.
On where the team is compared to Oklahoma State last year
We’re probably pretty similar. It was probably about this time that we developed a starting unit and then trying to narrow it down as the days went on. I don’t know who is starting and who isn’t starting right now, but we’ve been looking for more competition at receiver, and I think we’re starting to accomplish that. Ivan (McCartney) had his best day today, Stedman (Bailey) had his best day today, Tavon (Austin) probably had his best day yesterday and second team guys like (Willie) Milhouse and Devon Brown are starting to do things. It’s all about competition, and Coach Lockwood has the same thing going at corner. Keith (Tandy) had a great pick today, he’s solid, but that other corner spot Pat Miller is starting to play pretty good and a couple of those other guys are pushing him. B.J. (Brodrick Jenkins) had some good plays today, and we just have to keep developing some depth, because it’s about competition more than anything.
On being happier about practice today than others
We gave up too many big plays on defense, that’s for certain, within our team period. The good news is that towards the end of the team period the defense made up for that. They had three or four pretty good stops. I told them that if it’s one-sided we’re not going to be very good. If we go through a whole day that the offense is good then defensively, we took a step back. If we go through a whole day where the defense is shutting us down offensively, then we took a step back offensively. For two weeks, we just need to play football and get better and from a personnel standpoint find the guys who are going to play, that’s an ongoing battle. After the first two weeks are up, we will start narrowing it down a little bit.
On the offensive line
(Don) Barclay is what we thought he was, we’re happy with him. He’s a good player. (Jeff) Braun was at tackle last year and is a better guard. Joe (Madsen) is a good center and is probably as good of a center as I’ve been around, he’s a good player. At right guard, Tyler Rader, who hasn’t played a whole lot, is a senior that is getting better. He’s filling in where Josh (Jenkins) would’ve been and doing a good job of replacing him. We need a right tackle and that’s the biggest concern. We have about four bodies, and we need one of them to step up. Those first four are doing good, they make plenty of mistakes, but the other six need to keep getting better.
On possibly scrimmaging another college
There would probably be some advantages to it, but I think I’d rather practice against them than have a full-blown game scrimmage. I’ve been at NFL scrimmages where they bring two camps together for a whole week, and they practice with each other, that is a pretty cool deal. As far as a game type situation, I don’t know.
On being an offensive coordinator and how it influences a head coach
It’s part of the balance. I’ve removed myself from the offense quite a bit, even during practice I’ll be with the offense 33 percent of the time and then the other 66 percent I’m bouncing around, talking, seeing and evaluating everybody. I’m going to call the plays, and I signal in the stuff, but for the last 12 plays tonight I let somebody else signal in the plays, because I have guys that I trust who can get it called correctly and make good decisions. That allows me to do other things, it’s balance more than anything.
On the type of defense he wants
Like we do here. The track record of what it’s been here with Jeff (Casteel) and what he’s done and accomplished here is pretty good. I’ve gone against a lot of defenses that were good that are different, and this one is brings multiple looks, which matches up to what we do offensively and creates problems for a lot of different offenses. I am completely 100 percent satisfied with what the scheme is, and I haven’t sat in one defensive meeting and gave him suggestions on what I feel they need to do based on the fact I feel that they do a really good job.
On the linebacker competition
Najee Goode is a really good football player. He’s a leader and is playing well and has proven to be pretty good. He is the ring leader and from here you have Casey Vance, who is an over-achiever and takes a lot of snaps. Doug Rigg is playing well, and Josh Francis has as much ability as anyone on our team, we’re just trying to get him pointed in the right direction right now. Jewone Snow is playing pretty good. We have six bodies there; it’s a lot like where we’re at with the receivers. We’re two-deep, it’s just about making the decisions on who the starters and backups are.
On whether he is scrimmaging and bringing in officials tomorrow
We’re going to bring them in, it’s not a full scrimmage. We’re going to have a normal practice day, and they’re going to be a part of some of the drills. Towards the end, we will have an extended team period. It’s not going to be a set scrimmage, it’s another practice. We’ll have a scrimmage next Saturday. I don’t like full day scrimmages. We’ll take situations daily and those aren’t different than a scrimmage.
Who Is someone who has caught his eye
(Tyler) Bitancurt was as good as he’s been today. He was either 6-for-6 or 5-for-5 in a live situation and from a time perspective it was fantastic. Today was his best day, which makes everybody in the State happy.
A guy on the d-line is Will Clarke. He’s a young guy who is long and rangy and is trying hard. He is athletic and starting to make a few plays. Eain Smith shows up and obviously you have guys like Terence Garvin who you take for granted.
Coach Dana Holgorsen
News Conference No. 8
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University football coach Dana Holgorsen's news conference following the Aug. 12 practice.
Opening Statement
I don’t think we got anybody hurt today, so that’s a good day. We practiced well and got a lot of good team reps. That is what camp is all about; get a bunch of snaps, get it on film and try to get better in the next week and a half.
On the guys in red
When you practice this much and hit this much, that group of guys will probably get bigger. The good news is we got five strength coaches over there that are really, really mean and work them hard, they really do. Those guys do a good job, I’d rather be practicing than be over there because they are there for about two hours and 15 minutes.
On where the team is compared to Oklahoma State last year
We’re probably pretty similar. It was probably about this time that we developed a starting unit and then trying to narrow it down as the days went on. I don’t know who is starting and who isn’t starting right now, but we’ve been looking for more competition at receiver, and I think we’re starting to accomplish that. Ivan (McCartney) had his best day today, Stedman (Bailey) had his best day today, Tavon (Austin) probably had his best day yesterday and second team guys like (Willie) Milhouse and Devon Brown are starting to do things. It’s all about competition, and Coach Lockwood has the same thing going at corner. Keith (Tandy) had a great pick today, he’s solid, but that other corner spot Pat Miller is starting to play pretty good and a couple of those other guys are pushing him. B.J. (Brodrick Jenkins) had some good plays today, and we just have to keep developing some depth, because it’s about competition more than anything.
On being happier about practice today than others
We gave up too many big plays on defense, that’s for certain, within our team period. The good news is that towards the end of the team period the defense made up for that. They had three or four pretty good stops. I told them that if it’s one-sided we’re not going to be very good. If we go through a whole day that the offense is good then defensively, we took a step back. If we go through a whole day where the defense is shutting us down offensively, then we took a step back offensively. For two weeks, we just need to play football and get better and from a personnel standpoint find the guys who are going to play, that’s an ongoing battle. After the first two weeks are up, we will start narrowing it down a little bit.
On the offensive line
(Don) Barclay is what we thought he was, we’re happy with him. He’s a good player. (Jeff) Braun was at tackle last year and is a better guard. Joe (Madsen) is a good center and is probably as good of a center as I’ve been around, he’s a good player. At right guard, Tyler Rader, who hasn’t played a whole lot, is a senior that is getting better. He’s filling in where Josh (Jenkins) would’ve been and doing a good job of replacing him. We need a right tackle and that’s the biggest concern. We have about four bodies, and we need one of them to step up. Those first four are doing good, they make plenty of mistakes, but the other six need to keep getting better.
On possibly scrimmaging another college
There would probably be some advantages to it, but I think I’d rather practice against them than have a full-blown game scrimmage. I’ve been at NFL scrimmages where they bring two camps together for a whole week, and they practice with each other, that is a pretty cool deal. As far as a game type situation, I don’t know.
On being an offensive coordinator and how it influences a head coach
It’s part of the balance. I’ve removed myself from the offense quite a bit, even during practice I’ll be with the offense 33 percent of the time and then the other 66 percent I’m bouncing around, talking, seeing and evaluating everybody. I’m going to call the plays, and I signal in the stuff, but for the last 12 plays tonight I let somebody else signal in the plays, because I have guys that I trust who can get it called correctly and make good decisions. That allows me to do other things, it’s balance more than anything.
On the type of defense he wants
Like we do here. The track record of what it’s been here with Jeff (Casteel) and what he’s done and accomplished here is pretty good. I’ve gone against a lot of defenses that were good that are different, and this one is brings multiple looks, which matches up to what we do offensively and creates problems for a lot of different offenses. I am completely 100 percent satisfied with what the scheme is, and I haven’t sat in one defensive meeting and gave him suggestions on what I feel they need to do based on the fact I feel that they do a really good job.
On the linebacker competition
Najee Goode is a really good football player. He’s a leader and is playing well and has proven to be pretty good. He is the ring leader and from here you have Casey Vance, who is an over-achiever and takes a lot of snaps. Doug Rigg is playing well, and Josh Francis has as much ability as anyone on our team, we’re just trying to get him pointed in the right direction right now. Jewone Snow is playing pretty good. We have six bodies there; it’s a lot like where we’re at with the receivers. We’re two-deep, it’s just about making the decisions on who the starters and backups are.
On whether he is scrimmaging and bringing in officials tomorrow
We’re going to bring them in, it’s not a full scrimmage. We’re going to have a normal practice day, and they’re going to be a part of some of the drills. Towards the end, we will have an extended team period. It’s not going to be a set scrimmage, it’s another practice. We’ll have a scrimmage next Saturday. I don’t like full day scrimmages. We’ll take situations daily and those aren’t different than a scrimmage.
Who Is someone who has caught his eye
(Tyler) Bitancurt was as good as he’s been today. He was either 6-for-6 or 5-for-5 in a live situation and from a time perspective it was fantastic. Today was his best day, which makes everybody in the State happy.
A guy on the d-line is Will Clarke. He’s a young guy who is long and rangy and is trying hard. He is athletic and starting to make a few plays. Eain Smith shows up and obviously you have guys like Terence Garvin who you take for granted.
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