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Dana Holgorsen Media Conference: Texas Tech
November 03, 2015 12:52 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Coach Dana Holgorsen addressed members of the media on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Opening Statement
We are moving on to Texas Tech. Obviously, we have a lot of familiarity with these guys for a lot of different reasons. With (Texas Tech head coach) Kliff (Kingsbury) and his offensive pedigree, and when you look at where he’s been and what he has always been about, they are pretty good on offense. They are another top-three team in college football when it comes to offense. (Defensive coordinator/linebackers Tony Gibson) Gibby is back there pulling his hair out, because he has to prepare for another top-three team in the country, when it comes to total yards, passing attack and points scored. I can go on and on about what they are doing offensively. These three teams that we face are doing things in college football that haven’t been done before, and to have three teams in the same conference be able to do it, three teams that the Mountaineers face three weeks in a row, is something that hasn’t been seen before.
Everything starts with their quarterback. (Sophomore quarterback Patrick) Mahomes is big, tall and athletic. He is dual threat guy. He does a great job of extending the play, running around, keeping his eyes down field and throwing it down field to create plays. I never seen it happen at this rate. They are really good at extending plays. The receivers keep the plays alive and the quarterback is accurate on the run. They are averaging a bunch of yards in the pass game. They are trying to run the ball a little bit more than they have in the past. I really think that (senior running back) DeAndre Washington is a very capable back. He is one of the better backs that we have seen all year. He’s averaging more than a 100 yards a game, and he is capable of some big plays. They have been giving it to him more than I have seen (Texas Tech head coach) Kliff (Kingsbury) give it to a back. They are going to try and run the ball. You can’t just drop nine and expect to be successful against them. You have to stop the run, and you have to contain the quarterback.
The biggest thing that we have to do is play to the whistle on defense, because they will keep it alive and swing the ball all over the place. It is a big challenge for our defense, and it is a big challenge for our defensive coaches to get a plan together to be able to slow them down. You are not going to stop them, you just have to be able to slow them down and create some stops when you can. A lot of this is going to fall on us offensively. I brought this up last week, you have to match some scores when you play teams like Baylor and TCU. I thought we did a decent job of that against Baylor in the first half, not the second half. We didn’t do a good job of that against TCU at all. We have to get the ball in the end zone when we have opportunities to make plays. We have to improve our execution to the point where we can get first downs, sustain drives and punch the ball in. In addition, we have to make plays. When we have the opportunity to make plays, we have to make plays. We have to match scores. I would love to be able to control the clock. That is a question that I have been asked three or four times this week. I would love to be able to control the clock and keep that high-power offense off the field. In order to that, you have to execute and get first downs, and we haven’t done as good of a job with that as we need too. We will keep working on that to get better.
The Texas Tech defense is going to get better. (Defensive coordinator/safeties) David Gibbs is a good football coach. He is in his first year there coordinating the defense. They have given up some points. They have given up some yards. He is going to coach them up. His players are young and inexperienced, and they will continue to get better and better.
Special teams wise, you are going to see one of the best returners in college football: (senior wide receiver) Jakeem Grant. Not only is he a talented wide receiver, I think he is close to a 1,000 yards already, but he is also a dynamic kick returner. He has taken two back to the house. He averages almost 30 yards a return. Hopefully, we give him a lot of opportunities. If you score, you kickoff. If that is the case, then we will see if we can contain him. We contained guys so far this year, and we expect to do the same thing with him.
It should be fun being back home. I know our guys are excited about it. We got back late Thursday night. They went to class, and we gave them the day off on Friday. We practiced Saturday and Sunday with two good days of work to get ahead on Texas Tech. Monday was their day off, and we are back to work here this afternoon. We will be ready to go at noon this Saturday. I am looking forward to a good week of practice and getting back out there to play. With that said, I will take some questions.
On the chemistry development between junior quarterback Skyler Howard and the receivers
It’s good. It’s getting better. It’s good, and it’s getting better. I anticipate it to continue to get better here over the next few weeks.
On if he talked to Kliff Kingsbury about adding the run offense at Texas Tech
No, we don’t talk like that anymore. That’s just the nature of the business. We used to talk about anything and everything. We would bounce a lot of ideas off of each other, but with the nature of being in conference, we are not friends like that anymore. It’s the same with (co-offensive coordinator/inside wide receivers Doug) Meacham, (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Lincoln Riley. It’s all the same. We all come from the same background, but we don’t exchange ideas anymore. I think a lot of it has to do with the back they have. He’s always been the same. If you do a specific thing, and it’s positive, then you keep doing it. We have always been about first downs and getting the ball in the end zone. If you hand it to No. 21 and he gets yards and scores, then he is going to hand it to him again. They have a big, senior-oriented offensive line as well, that has been developing over the last three years. Those guys have played a lot of football now. The more continuity he has with his coaching staff and the o-line, then it makes it easier to do that stuff.
On what kind of chore the last four games have been to West Virginia
We are not going to worry about where we have been. We haven’t thought about it. There is nothing we can do about the schedule. Things were lined up that way. There is nothing we can do about it. We are not going to focus on it. We are not going to use it as an excuse. We put the TCU game to rest on Saturday morning, and it’s been all about Texas Tech moving forward. The one thing that I warned my team is that we are not going to get caught up in the notion that the hard part is over. We are not saying that. You will not here any of our guys say that. It’s not reality. The hard part is not over. There are five games ahead of us that is challenging. We are in a power five conference. There are good teams in power five conferences, so you better not get caught up in who’s at the top and who’s at the bottom. You have to worry about yourself, and what you have to do as a team to improve. You have to prepare for the next game and go out there with your best effort. That’s what we are doing, so you won’t hear us talk about October anymore.
On if he recruited Texas Tech’s senior defensive lineman Branden Jackson
That was right on the front end when I got here. He was a highly recruited kid. He had a lot of offers. He had a teammate, and I can’t remember the teammate’s name that went with him to Texas Tech as well. That was about four or five years ago, so that was right when I first got here. We were in some transition at that point, but he was a highly recruited kid. He’s a good football player. He’s played a lot of ball for them. I’m sure it will be neat for him to come back home.
On his impressions of the early rushing attempts
It’s not good. I didn’t like that last week. It was an emphasis to try and get the run game going, and for the last two weeks, we did a poor job of that in the first quarter. (Junior defensive tackle Andrew Billings) No. 75 for Baylor had something to do with that. That dude is a good player. With that said, we tried to get the run game going early. It wasn’t good in the first quarter. I thought we rebounded, and it was better in the second quarter and then it progressed in the second half. We have to keep doing some things whether its play calls, schemes or early motivation in order to play better up front in the run game. That definitely has to happen.
On if the poor run game has to do with mistakes in blocking
It’s a little bit of everything.
On the injuries with the offensive line
(Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste) He is still day-to-day. We are going to change some things again this week. We have to play a little bit better up front. I thought (redshirt junior offensive lineman Tyler Orlosky) T.O. came back and was better. (Redshirt junior offensive lineman Tyler Orlosky) T.O., in his defense, he was really hurt against Baylor. He did not look good. The week off was good for him. He played well against TCU. With that said, we will keep juggling some things around to get guys into position where they can be successful. I don’t know what that is going to be exactly. We will experiment with it today and tomorrow to get to that point. That will definitely mean personnel changes. We have (redshirt senior offensive lineman) Stone Underwood who hasn’t played a ton. We have (redshirt freshman offensive lineman) Marcell Lazard and (redshirt senior offensive lineman) Grant Lingafelter. Those two guys will get looks today to see where they fit in.
On what he remembers about Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury as a roommate
Nothing really. I never saw him. I stayed up late, and he went to bed early. He always got up real early, and I always pushed the limit on when I had to get up. He actually had a room. There was no couch. I would go in one way, and he would go in the other way. We never saw each other. He’s a hard worker and a good football coach. He’s a good guy.
On how his relationship started with Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury
He was a great player, and this story has been told multiple times. He was at that transition where he was deciding if he wanted to keep playing, or if he wanted to try and coach. He was at that point where he would have liked to kept playing, but his options were starting to run out. I always knew he was going to be a good coach. His dad was a coach. He was a quarterback, so he’s a smart guy. He was searching for something to do, and I told him to come on down to Houston. He was able to go up to UH and work out every day, and he was able to see if the coaching thing was something he wanted to do. Coach (Kevin) Sumlin really liked him, so he hired him as a quality control guy. Then when I left, he pretty much took over.
On Texas Tech playing 10 straight games without a bye week
You would have to ask them. I don’t know if that is good or bad for them. I know we have enjoyed our bye weeks. It’s allowed us to regroup. Again, I’m sure (Texas Tech head coach) Kliff (Kingsbury) would say the same thing. There is nothing you can do about it. We don’t make the schedule, so deal with it. Nobody wants to make excuses. We are not telling our kids that that is going to be any kind of advantage whatsoever. You can argue the fact that they have played two more games could be an advantage for them. We are going to worry about us and what we have to do to be prepared and what we have to execute to be successful on Saturday regardless of who they are and what frame of mind they are in.
On how to coach the receivers through all the dropped passes
You tell them to catch it. When the ball comes to you, catch it. You have to be careful about that (confidence). There wasn’t any yelling going on. You can shatter kids if they make mistakes by lack of concentration or missed opportunities. If it’s because of lack of focus or not being in the right spot then you can jump them to get their attention. However, I don’t think that was the case. There was about five dropped balls in the first half, both offensively and defensively. That would have obviously made a difference in the game. Those guys just have to get out there and work on it. They have to have confidence that they are going to make that play. I told each and every one of them that I have seen them make that play before. They have to have confidence in themselves that they can make it, then get in that position to make the play next time. We are going to give them more opportunities, and when that opportunity arises, they have to make that play. It wasn’t just one person either. It was four different people. Those four will have other opportunities, and they will execute that better.
On matching scores with these high-power offenses
We didn’t match a single score against TCU. Every time they scored, we punted. There were two points in the second period where we stopped them, and it was a great opportunity for our offense to score as well. When we have opportunities, we have to take advantage of the opportunities. If it gets into a situation where they scored and scored, like Baylor did in the third quarter, then offensively, we need to have the mentality that it does not matter what our defense does. We have to go out there and match those scores. These are three of the best offenses that we have played in a while. Texas Tech is going to score some points. We need to take advantage of the opportunities and execute appropriately. We need to make plays that we know how to make, but if you are in a situation where they score two in a row, you have to get out there and match the scores. Just like Texas Tech did to Oklahoma State. I believe it was 24-0 or 24-7 at one point. If that happens, then you have to get out there and match the scores. That’s the mentality that you need to have offensively.
On the run game with junior running back Wendell Smallwood
He’s playing well. There is no doubt. There is an element to that. He is playing well. He’s had more opportunities. (Redshirt junior running back) Rushel (Shell) has to get going. We challenged him before, and he has responded. He had a good game against Texas Tech a year ago. He’s used to being the dude. (Junior running back) Wendell (Smallwood) is playing really well right now, and he needs to be the compliment to that. He needs to get there and have the confidence in himself to take advantage of the opportunities presented to him. It’s the same people blocking.
On the slow start offensively the last couple of games
We scored against Baylor. That was a long pass, right? The running game against Oklahoma was decent early. I don’t want to sit here and point the finger at our o-line and running game for us not being where we need to be offensively or as a team right now. Last week, we just didn’t get it going. We missed a couple of passes that would have changed the outlook of quote on quote ‘not starting very well.’ We will keeping working at it.
On junior quarterback Skyler Howard
He’s doing a good job.
On where sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes ranks amongst the quarterbacks in the Big 12
I have to see him up close and personal to be able to make the assessment. We didn’t see him last year either. They went with the other guy. I think he was hurt when we played them, so I haven’t seen him up close and personal yet. You can watch all the film you want too, but there is something about seeing the kids up close and personal. I didn’t see (junior quarterback) Seth Russell up close and personal either until a couple weeks ago. Obviously, he is a really good player. (Senior quarterback Trevone) Boykin is a really good player. I have seen plenty of him, and I’m glad I don’t have to see him anymore. (Sophomore quarterback Patrick) Mahomes is good on tape. He makes plays on tape. What his demeanor is and all that, I don’t know. He’s a quality player. He has made lots and lots of plays this year, that’s for sure.
On if he is going to be able to patch a secondary together this week
I hope. I’m not playing out there. They are not going to suit me up to go out there and play. We have to get those guys ready to go, and we have talked about this a lot. When these backups have an opportunity to go out there and play, nobody cares if they are young and inexperienced. They have to get out there and play. I know (redshirt senior cornerback Terrell) Chestnut and (senior safety KJ) Dillon will give us everything they have. If they go down or if they are not at 100 percent, then that is not going to prevent them from practicing and going out there to play. It’s the same thing with (junior cornerback) Daryl Worley. I expect all those guys to be out there and playing today.
On the kick return cover units
Our kicks have been good. It always starts with the kicks. The kicks have been good. It’s the same people covering that have been covering. It’s the same schemes. The guys are doing their jobs and are getting down there. I think the kicks are a big part of that and then our guys are getting down the field, and we are doing a really good job of containing them. Let’s hope that keeps happening.
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