Player/Coaches Media Session: Texas Tech
October 07, 2014 04:56 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Select members of the West Virginia University football team met with the media on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Assistant coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
On Kansas game
We played really well. I thought we did a great job stopping the run again. I kind of thought they would look pretty good after watching it live and going back. We still had a few mistakes. We are not anywhere close to perfect by any means, but the kids played with great effort. We covered up some mistakes with our effort. We had a couple misfits on some runs, but overall I thought we played really well. Our kids got after it, and they weren’t in rhythm. Obviously, we made them punt 14 times. We had them out of rhythm, and then they started switching up quarterbacks. I felt good about it, and the kids should have confidence after that game moving on. This is a whole different animal we are about to face now, so hopefully we go into this week with confidence.
On the challenges of the Texas Tech game
They are going to spread you out four or five wide, and throw it all over the place. It’s going to look like skelly (skeleton) out there, but we have to make sure that our guys are in the right spots. They are going to play fast and up-tempo, so we have to be able to do a good job. It’s going to be hard to get to the quarterback, considering they only gave up four sacks all year, and I think two of those are from the backup quarterback No. 5 (. (Quarterback Davis) Webb gets rid of the ball quickly. He does a great job. He has great wide-outs.
On Daryl Worley being rusty coming back to practice
Yeah, but that’s why we practice. Hopefully, we will get out there today and get some mileage out of him. We will kind of see where he is at, and then whatever decision is made by the higher ups we will go from there with.
Assistant coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) Shannon Dawson
On anticipating this kind of season from wide receiver Kevin White
Yeah. We knew he was a talented kid. The chemistry between the group has improved. Kevin has always been talented, it just needed to connect between the ears in my opinion. He needed to believe in himself. I expected him to have a big year.
On the blitz packages that stick out with Texas Tech
They really haven’t blitzed a whole lot. I think since the changes they tried to settle on getting their best players close to the ball, so there has been some changes personnel-wise for those guys. Trying to create a little bit more pass rush, but not blitzing. That’s what I see. I just think the overall effort of those guys, rushing the passer is better now.
On the progression of the offensive line
I think they have been extremely consistent week in and week out this year. Last week was obviously a game that we felt we needed to run the ball verses the way they played defensively. I think they obviously took the challenge. They were extremely physical that game, and we need to keep challenging to be that way. They have been playing well, but I don’t think that they have been playing at that level.
Redshirt senior quarterback Clint Trickett
On how the best football is yet to be played on all sides of the football
We are still working out little things, and finding out things about ourselves each game. You always just want to continue to get better, and I think we have the mindset to keep pushing forward.
On the storyline of going back to Lubbock, Texas
I wasn’t here the last time we went, but I heard about it. We just need to control what we can control, and we need to play our best. There is nothing really I can say about that.
On how the wind can affect what you do during the game
It can affect it on certain throws. It just depends on its thrown at that moment. There are so many variables that can go into it, from not only the distance of the throw or the angle, but from what the defense is doing. There are so many variables that go into it that you just have to go out there and play. You can’t really think about it.
Redshirt sophomore running back Rushel Shell
On waiting for his breakout game
I’m still scratching the surface right now. I feel like a can have a bigger breakout game than that (topping 100 yards). I have to work on the things that I need to improve on.
On having a big run
I feel like that is part of my game that I have to display to everyone, and show that I can break a 50 or 60 yarder.
On how the running backs make life easier for wide receivers Kevin White and Mario Alford –
We (the running backs) bring down the safeties, so you have to play five and 11, one-on-one.
Redshirt sophomore offensive line Adam Pankey
On the running game complementing the passing game – contributed by the offensive line
I know that I like to run the ball, so anytime we get a run play we try to get after it. We know that it might get kicked out and get a pass. It’s probably best that we run the ball, because it’s going to open up everything for the offense. Running is a big part of our game.
On the ability to break loose during the Kansas game
Yes, definitely. We had some outside zone and inside zone. We really kept them off-balance on the attacking point, so they had to adjust to us.
On the different system with assistant coach (offensive line) Ron Crook
It’s two different techniques with two different coaches. One guy likes it one way, and then coach (Ron) Crook likes it his way. The steps are a little different, and the hand placement is a different technique. We are learning coach Crook’s style though, and we are comfortable with it.
Junior safety Karl Joseph
On the 2012 game against Texas Tech
We don’t like to think about that. It’s a new year, and it’s a new opportunity for us to go down there and get a win against them. That is all we are focused on.
On a different Texas Tech team from the past
There also are facing a different WVU football team, so it’s going to be a challenge for them and a challenge for us. It is going to be a good game.
On the difference in Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb ability since the shoulder injury
I haven’t really been watching them until this week. I try to take one game at a time. Whatever game we are playing, that is the team I am going to focus on. Next week I will get my mind focused for the next team. I haven’t really watched them until this week’s game tape.
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