Football: Coach Holgorsen Press Conference
August 06, 2011 08:35 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Coach Dana Holgorsen's press conference following the second day of the 2011 WVU football camp.
2011 WVU Football Camp
Coach Dana Holgorsen Press Conference
Practice No. 2
Opening Statement
There isn't much difference between yesterday and today. It's non-padded, and we aren't able to hit yet. We haven't been able to study film. I know that isn't what you what to hear, but that's where we are at.
On his arm after throwing with quarterbacks…
It is fine now tomorrow is where it is going to hurt a little. I got caught off guard during that drill. Shannon did it yesterday, and he couldn't lift his arm today. Paul said are you going to help me out here? I didn't have much of a choice, but without warming up, I was throwing some dimes.
On former quarterbacks as coaches…
Ex-quarterbacks are pretty good coaches. Jake (Spavital) was a quarterback, and he is pretty good. Shannon was a quarterback and he's pretty good. Cliff Kingsbury is a heck of a coach. Graham Harrell helped out at Oklahoma State for a year before he went to the Packers, and he is a pretty good coach. Sonny Cumbie is another guy I had at Texas Tech. He is a full-time guy at Texas Tech now. It is pretty interesting when you think about it. Case Keenum is going to be a heck of a coach.
On installation of the offense…
We break it up into 33 percent of the offense whether it is a third of the runs, or it is a third of the passes. We just break it up that way and there is a rhyme and reason for that. You just move on to the next one, then the next one, then the next one and repeat it. We wont worry too much about mistakes until we come back to those plays again. We will watch the film, address the mistakes and get better at it. There is a lot of bad stuff. I don't get upset about that. I get upset over the bonehead stuff. Mistakes when they are going full speed is not something I worry about.
On any concern about using Tavon Austin as a kick/punt returner…
Not really. Especially with punt return because it can change a game. It is just another play in the game and every play is important. We try to protect starters to a certain extent, like being on too many special teams units. Two is not too many. If Tavon is returning kicks and punts then he probably won't be doing anything else on special teams.
On using a defensive players as a returner…
Whoever is the best will be back there. The best one I have coached is Wes Welker. He had seven or eight returns for touchdowns, which I think was NCAA record at one point. There was a guy at Houston that was the same position as Welker, and Tavon is the same position. It is all the same position of slot or scatback. Those guys have all been pretty good.
On what makes a good punt returner…
Catching the ball is one, making the first guy miss is two, and quickness and speed is third.
On the atmosphere and music at practice…
If you listen real closely, you can hear some stuff going on below us. We worry about stuff that matters. We want them loose because that creates energy. Obviously, you want to create energy. We talk to them a bunch about being loose and having fun, but if you cant distinguish between the time to that and the time to buckle in, then you have problems. A lot of that stuff can be taken away from them if we are not getting what we want out of them.
On keeping guys fresh…
It is a different time. A lot of time, the way camp use to be run, was to get these guys in here and get them in shape. You tried to play a lot of football and get them in shape. It is a little different now because 90 percent of these guys have been here all summer. Now, it is time to get better at football. We are going to play a lot of football. When it is time to play football, we will play football. When it is not time to play football,lets not wear them out physically and mentally.
On him walking around at practice…
Do I look lost? I am just watching. I have guy offensively.When we are in the team settings, I am going to signal to Geno. When we are doing drill work, which is about 45 minutes a day, then that is the time when I can walk around and spend time with other members of the football team.
On the trust with his offensive assistants…
These guys have been doing it for a long time. Shannon has been doing it as long as I have. They can probably do my job from an offensive standpoint that is why I hired them. They have been doing it for a while, and they know how we work. I still have an eye on it though.
On communicating with his assistants…
It is very important. I am not in the meeting rooms as much as they are, so when I step out they keep going. When I step back in, they catch me up to speed. When you study it and study it, I can miss an hour and be caught back up to it in about five minutes. It is time efficiency I guess.
On practicing on grass versus turf…
I prefer the grass, plus there is more space up there. We might have been able to get away with going up there, but the grass looks so good right now that there is no need to get on there and tear it up on day two.It is a long season. We want to be up there as much as possible. It is a proven fact that grass is better than any of the artificial surfaces. We will be up on the grass periodically during the season. We will be on the turf on Thursday's and Friday's. We are on it enough. That is crown on the turf is crowned. It doesn't affect us, but we are going to be familiar with it.
On consistency of the younger players…
No it has been pretty much all the same because it is all skill oriented, which is only half of the game. When you can put pads on and be physical it is different. It was the same as it was yesterday a couple guys stood out. Nothing worth talking about. Next week, when we start hitting and start studying a lot more film, I will be able to fill you in a little bit better.
2011 WVU Football Camp
Coach Dana Holgorsen Press Conference
Practice No. 2
Opening Statement
There isn't much difference between yesterday and today. It's non-padded, and we aren't able to hit yet. We haven't been able to study film. I know that isn't what you what to hear, but that's where we are at.
On his arm after throwing with quarterbacks…
It is fine now tomorrow is where it is going to hurt a little. I got caught off guard during that drill. Shannon did it yesterday, and he couldn't lift his arm today. Paul said are you going to help me out here? I didn't have much of a choice, but without warming up, I was throwing some dimes.
On former quarterbacks as coaches…
Ex-quarterbacks are pretty good coaches. Jake (Spavital) was a quarterback, and he is pretty good. Shannon was a quarterback and he's pretty good. Cliff Kingsbury is a heck of a coach. Graham Harrell helped out at Oklahoma State for a year before he went to the Packers, and he is a pretty good coach. Sonny Cumbie is another guy I had at Texas Tech. He is a full-time guy at Texas Tech now. It is pretty interesting when you think about it. Case Keenum is going to be a heck of a coach.
On installation of the offense…
We break it up into 33 percent of the offense whether it is a third of the runs, or it is a third of the passes. We just break it up that way and there is a rhyme and reason for that. You just move on to the next one, then the next one, then the next one and repeat it. We wont worry too much about mistakes until we come back to those plays again. We will watch the film, address the mistakes and get better at it. There is a lot of bad stuff. I don't get upset about that. I get upset over the bonehead stuff. Mistakes when they are going full speed is not something I worry about.
On any concern about using Tavon Austin as a kick/punt returner…
Not really. Especially with punt return because it can change a game. It is just another play in the game and every play is important. We try to protect starters to a certain extent, like being on too many special teams units. Two is not too many. If Tavon is returning kicks and punts then he probably won't be doing anything else on special teams.
On using a defensive players as a returner…
Whoever is the best will be back there. The best one I have coached is Wes Welker. He had seven or eight returns for touchdowns, which I think was NCAA record at one point. There was a guy at Houston that was the same position as Welker, and Tavon is the same position. It is all the same position of slot or scatback. Those guys have all been pretty good.
On what makes a good punt returner…
Catching the ball is one, making the first guy miss is two, and quickness and speed is third.
On the atmosphere and music at practice…
If you listen real closely, you can hear some stuff going on below us. We worry about stuff that matters. We want them loose because that creates energy. Obviously, you want to create energy. We talk to them a bunch about being loose and having fun, but if you cant distinguish between the time to that and the time to buckle in, then you have problems. A lot of that stuff can be taken away from them if we are not getting what we want out of them.
On keeping guys fresh…
It is a different time. A lot of time, the way camp use to be run, was to get these guys in here and get them in shape. You tried to play a lot of football and get them in shape. It is a little different now because 90 percent of these guys have been here all summer. Now, it is time to get better at football. We are going to play a lot of football. When it is time to play football, we will play football. When it is not time to play football,lets not wear them out physically and mentally.
On him walking around at practice…
Do I look lost? I am just watching. I have guy offensively.When we are in the team settings, I am going to signal to Geno. When we are doing drill work, which is about 45 minutes a day, then that is the time when I can walk around and spend time with other members of the football team.
On the trust with his offensive assistants…
These guys have been doing it for a long time. Shannon has been doing it as long as I have. They can probably do my job from an offensive standpoint that is why I hired them. They have been doing it for a while, and they know how we work. I still have an eye on it though.
On communicating with his assistants…
It is very important. I am not in the meeting rooms as much as they are, so when I step out they keep going. When I step back in, they catch me up to speed. When you study it and study it, I can miss an hour and be caught back up to it in about five minutes. It is time efficiency I guess.
On practicing on grass versus turf…
I prefer the grass, plus there is more space up there. We might have been able to get away with going up there, but the grass looks so good right now that there is no need to get on there and tear it up on day two.It is a long season. We want to be up there as much as possible. It is a proven fact that grass is better than any of the artificial surfaces. We will be up on the grass periodically during the season. We will be on the turf on Thursday's and Friday's. We are on it enough. That is crown on the turf is crowned. It doesn't affect us, but we are going to be familiar with it.
On consistency of the younger players…
No it has been pretty much all the same because it is all skill oriented, which is only half of the game. When you can put pads on and be physical it is different. It was the same as it was yesterday a couple guys stood out. Nothing worth talking about. Next week, when we start hitting and start studying a lot more film, I will be able to fill you in a little bit better.
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