Football: Dana Holgorsen Press Conference
August 20, 2011 02:30 PM | General
2011 Football Camp
Coach Dana Holgorsen
News Conference
Opening Statement ...
It was the hottest day we have had. We put them into a bunch of situations and got a bunch of snaps. Guys started getting tired. This is the first scrimmage situation where we were able to drive the field. We noticed a few guys that aren’t tough enough physically that are able to maintain focus and be in the right place. That is why you do it, so you can film it and see who the guys that are mentally weak and who the guys are that can push themselves and continue to function when it s hot, and they are tired. It is a football game, and there is going to be adversity.
On the conditioning of the team…
It has nothing to do with what their conditioning was during the summer. There is a difference between being in good shape and good football shape. Being in good football shape is totally different that being able to lineup and run 10 100’s and meeting your time. It is different because you are getting smacked in the mouth, and you have to think. Mentally weak people tend to shut it down a little bit.
On the depth chart…
Not yet, but we are getting closer. A few of them have established themselves as starters, but we still have another week, where we will practice the heck out of them and make our minds up prior to game week.
On standouts during the scrimmage…
Jeff Braun had some energy out there, and Stedman Bailey made some really good plays. Najee Goode is a guy that is as mentally tough as they come Terence Garvin is a guy that has been in those wars and battles. The guys that have been there and done it are the guys that typically rise up and are able to handle a situation like this. This is the closest we have come to what it is going to be like two weeks from now, which is the way we wanted it. You can’t just put them in this situation all the time. You have to practice. You go in and watch the film and correct it. You try to put them in more situations before the first game.
On Najee Goode…
He is moving around. He is a smart guy. He can play all three of those spots if we need him. We would like to move him to the outside,but we have to figure out who our best three guys are. He is a guy that based off the other two guys strengths and weaknesses we can move him around.
On the number of plays run…
I think it was about 40 plays with the No. 1's and 40 plays with the No. 2's. It is tough to get as many snaps as you want to based on the offensive line and defensive line. You don’t want to totally wear them out.
On hitting over the next two weeks…
Naturally it is going to taper off next week because of school. These guys have to be students for three or four hours a day then come be football players for four hours. Next week, we will have Monday off, so they can go be students and get their schedules set. Tuesday through Friday we will continue to have really good practices. The next week is when you really have to watch it.
On mental issues…
It was all of the above. When you are tired, you bust calls or assignments. You forget to communicate and that sort of thing. You have to train them to be mentally tough. If guys aren’t mentally tough, you don’t put them out there.
On balance of the scrimmage…
The offense did a decent job of moving the ball, but once we got in the red zone, we couldn’t score. That is why you practice though. That is why we put them in those situations to get better at that. Just making routine plays and moving down the field isn’t enough. We converted a bunch of third downs and got into the red zone. We did a good job with the field goal unit,but didn’t do a good job of putting it in the end zone. When you flip to the side defensively, they did a good job of putting up the wall and did a good job.
On Tyler Bitancurt…
He is getting better. A lot of that has to do with the blocking scheme up front. He has gotten more confidence because he doesn’t have to worry about the blocking.
On the right tackle battle…
It is going terrible. Both of them still have a long ways to go.
On the third and fourth quarterbacks…
They are both right handed, but that is all I can tell you right now. We are worried about the first stringers. Third team guys rarely get reps, and if you get to them, you just hold on to it.
Coach Dana Holgorsen
News Conference
Opening Statement ...
It was the hottest day we have had. We put them into a bunch of situations and got a bunch of snaps. Guys started getting tired. This is the first scrimmage situation where we were able to drive the field. We noticed a few guys that aren’t tough enough physically that are able to maintain focus and be in the right place. That is why you do it, so you can film it and see who the guys that are mentally weak and who the guys are that can push themselves and continue to function when it s hot, and they are tired. It is a football game, and there is going to be adversity.
On the conditioning of the team…
It has nothing to do with what their conditioning was during the summer. There is a difference between being in good shape and good football shape. Being in good football shape is totally different that being able to lineup and run 10 100’s and meeting your time. It is different because you are getting smacked in the mouth, and you have to think. Mentally weak people tend to shut it down a little bit.
On the depth chart…
Not yet, but we are getting closer. A few of them have established themselves as starters, but we still have another week, where we will practice the heck out of them and make our minds up prior to game week.
On standouts during the scrimmage…
Jeff Braun had some energy out there, and Stedman Bailey made some really good plays. Najee Goode is a guy that is as mentally tough as they come Terence Garvin is a guy that has been in those wars and battles. The guys that have been there and done it are the guys that typically rise up and are able to handle a situation like this. This is the closest we have come to what it is going to be like two weeks from now, which is the way we wanted it. You can’t just put them in this situation all the time. You have to practice. You go in and watch the film and correct it. You try to put them in more situations before the first game.
On Najee Goode…
He is moving around. He is a smart guy. He can play all three of those spots if we need him. We would like to move him to the outside,but we have to figure out who our best three guys are. He is a guy that based off the other two guys strengths and weaknesses we can move him around.
On the number of plays run…
I think it was about 40 plays with the No. 1's and 40 plays with the No. 2's. It is tough to get as many snaps as you want to based on the offensive line and defensive line. You don’t want to totally wear them out.
On hitting over the next two weeks…
Naturally it is going to taper off next week because of school. These guys have to be students for three or four hours a day then come be football players for four hours. Next week, we will have Monday off, so they can go be students and get their schedules set. Tuesday through Friday we will continue to have really good practices. The next week is when you really have to watch it.
On mental issues…
It was all of the above. When you are tired, you bust calls or assignments. You forget to communicate and that sort of thing. You have to train them to be mentally tough. If guys aren’t mentally tough, you don’t put them out there.
On balance of the scrimmage…
The offense did a decent job of moving the ball, but once we got in the red zone, we couldn’t score. That is why you practice though. That is why we put them in those situations to get better at that. Just making routine plays and moving down the field isn’t enough. We converted a bunch of third downs and got into the red zone. We did a good job with the field goal unit,but didn’t do a good job of putting it in the end zone. When you flip to the side defensively, they did a good job of putting up the wall and did a good job.
On Tyler Bitancurt…
He is getting better. A lot of that has to do with the blocking scheme up front. He has gotten more confidence because he doesn’t have to worry about the blocking.
On the right tackle battle…
It is going terrible. Both of them still have a long ways to go.
On the third and fourth quarterbacks…
They are both right handed, but that is all I can tell you right now. We are worried about the first stringers. Third team guys rarely get reps, and if you get to them, you just hold on to it.
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