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Assistant Coaches and Players Media Session
November 29, 2016 04:37 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University football coaching staff and members of the WVU football team met with the media on Tuesday, November 29, 2016, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
On redshirt senior defensive lineman Noble Nwachukwu and what he means to the program
Well, I’ve been here with Noble for the last three years as the coordinator and when I took over obviously we knew he was a great player for us and was a big part of what we wanted to do. Last year, his numbers were better as far as productivity but everybody knows about him now so his productivity is down a little bit but just the effort that he plays with and everything he brings to the table. He’s a tremendous kid and I hate to lose him.
On everything redshirt senior defensive lineman Noble Nwachukwu has been through
You know Noble, as you guys know, is not a man of many words so he just kind of stays to himself and just prepares and goes out and plays hard every week. His motor never stops and I never hear him complain. He just does what he does and is just a great young man.
On redshirt senior defensive lineman Noble Nwachukwu’s sacks being down
Well it’s more double teams and people know who he is and they keep an eye on him. The other thing too is, offenses against us, for whatever reason, you can get rid of the ball quick so not many people hold onto the ball against us and when they do, he’s an impact on the game.
On redshirt senior linebacker Justin Arndt’s progression
Yeah, Justin is a tremendous kid and I know (head coach) Dana (Holgorsen) told you guys about the captains. There is no doubt in our mind that he exemplifies what a Mountaineer is. This kid walked on, just kept fighting. Was a special teams guy, got bigger, stronger, and faster every
offseason and last spring when he took the field he won the job. He hasn’t given it up yet and he’s played his best football as a senior, which I’m really happy for, and just a kid that we wouldn’t have been able to get by with without this year. I can’t say enough good stuff about him.
Assistant Coach (Defensive Line) Bruce Tall
On the progression of the younger players
It’s been nice watching them develop. I think we’ve been able to bring them along and keep adding to their playing time as time has gone on. They play with great energy and that’s the one thing that really stands out.
On Freshman Defensive Lineman Reese Donahue’s forced fumble
That’s going the extra mile right there. When you have a big D-lineman running downfield like that, going to hunt the guy down, that’s pretty special. If you have that, you’re going to be pretty good.
On how teams are getting rid of the ball faster and limiting defensive stats
The key is that you can’t get frustrated. You have to understand what you’re accomplishing because you are forcing that issue. Everybody wants (the quarterback) to sit back in the pocket and take his time throwing, and when (Associate Head Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Coach (Tony) Gibson calls so much pressure, teams have to adjust to that, you have to protect your quarterback.
Assistant Coach (Safeties) Matt Caponi
On the backup plan if Junior Safety Kyzir White can’t play against Baylor
(Redshirt junior safety) Marvin (Gross Jr.) will go. He’s been around long enough, he played well when he got in on Saturday. He’ll get the nod and we can plug some guys in and out depending on that situation.
On if there is enough stamina left to have some guys play on special teams as well
They better. They haven’t done that, that much this year. Our guys know the situation, special teams is just as important as defense. If we give them a break on anything, we’ll give them a break on defense before special teams. They’ll stay on their special teams and get those reps. We’ll see how the game goes and see who’s playing, but we’ve got plenty of bodies
On the toll playing eight straight games takes
It does a take a toll. We had two bye weeks early on in the season, we could have used them then, obviously we could use one now. It goes with the season, the guys know it. We harp on recovery a lot. This point in the season it’s not so much getting out there and practicing two and a half hours, it’s getting a lot of film work done and preparation that way and getting their bodies ready to go from that standpoint.
Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Fullbacks-Tight Ends) Joe Wickline
On if he has seen a defensive fall off from Baylor in their last five games
What I see is a different set of guys. They have young guys, new guys in new places. They have had some guys in different places, but other than personnel, I think they’re doing the same things. I don’t have the stats in front of me, and I don’t really pay attention to all that. I pay attention to what they do from a configuration standpoint, coverage standpoint, and pressure standpoint. They’re doing all the same things and they’ve been good. They’re a good football team, I think they’re a good defense.
On if he’s ever been around anyone else like Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Tyler Orlosky
There’s been a few. I think every one of them had their own twist. There have been guys who say what they mean, mean what they say, and they’re real. He’s a special guy, and he’s got his own personality. Everybody understands where everybody is at and does a leadership role and gets it, and he knows his role, and comes out works and gets it done.
On if guys like Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Tyler Orlosky are helpful or frustrating from a coach’s perspective
My only issue is, as long as it’s not disruptive, and as long as you’re productive. If you’re productive and you have results, then that’s what you have to do. As long as it’s not disruptive based on what we’re trying to get done.
Assistant Coach (Offensive Line) Ron Crook
On what makes redshirt senior offensive lineman Tyler Orlosky special
His understanding, knowledge of football. I’ve said this a bunch of times, he’s the guy on our offense that gets everyone on the same page, communicates the calls, gets everything started. Then, he’s playing on a really high level right now. I’m not prepared to say he’s the best in the country, I’m just saying he’s playing really well. That’s for other people to decide but he’s the guy that starts everything for us. In the weight room, in the meeting room, at the line of scrimmage, everything. He sees things really well, it’s surprising some of the stuff he sees. I’m excited for him and excited to see him go and play in his last regular season game. To see how he handles himself is going to be fun.
On rotation of the offensive line
Yeah, when we can do what we want to keep a good rotation going. Sometimes you do something and it works and you stick with it. We moved (redshirt senior offensive lineman) Adam (Pankey) out to tackle at some point in the game, and it was going well so we kept it that way. We’ll figure it out again this week. We’re going to have the rotation ready again this week. Again, I’m looking forward to this whole week, it’s going to be a fun week.
On how the offensive line’s legs are feeling
I feel like they’re in a pretty good place right now and I think that being able to take plays off of guys helps. That’s part of the idea behind it, is to keep guys rested so down the stretch here we can be fresh. We can come out and play at a high level. So I feel like right now they are in a pretty good spot. All seven of them have really been playing.
On running back performance being a compliment to offensive line
It is. I think part of his comment too is because they’re all good and they all play hard, and they all understand our offense. So it doesn’t really matter to us which guy is in there. We know they’re going to be pushing it, they’re going to run through arm tackles, they’re going to play at a high level, they’re going to hit the seams. You know I think our standpoint is we don’t care because all of them are good, all of them can run the ball well which they’ve shown.
Assistant Coach (Running Backs) Ja’Juan Seider
On if he sees any young players contributing that haven’t already
No, not right now. Most of those guys are so young, most of those guys have been taking a lot of reps. One kid who was here in the spring, he’s not here anymore, he’s a kid that potentially could’ve played this year and helped us but he decided to go somewhere else that would put him on a scholarship. You can’t fault a kid for that. You know we have two other kids, (redshirt freshman running back) Jashawn Banks and (redshirt freshman running back) Brady Watson, who do a good job of doing everything they can out on the scout team area.
On if he was surprised by freshman running back Martell Pettaway’s game against Iowa State
That’s a tough one, because I believe in the kid’s ability. If you were over here watching us on Thursday when we have our Thursday scrimmage with the young guys, he breaks long runs every week. To say I expect him to go in there and preform as well, I didn’t think he would do what he did, but I thought he would go in there and play well because every time he gets in he makes plays. We brought him along. He’s been practicing with us for the past five or six weeks. We go good on good with the defense to keep those guys fresh and he was rotating in taking the two reps. A lot of times, going against the first team defense, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to the speed of the game.
On how he graded freshman running back Martell Pettaway’s game against Iowa State
High. Right at like 90 percent. He didn’t have a lot of mistakes. Just a couple things here and there but you know it was a pretty clean game for the kid. He was locked in, he knew exactly what he needed to be doing. I thought he missed a couple runs early where he didn’t press it, but one time he didn’t press and reversed the whole field and still got 11 yards so I gave him a minus but he made a play so he got a playmaking grade. He did well. I mean he exceeded my expectations for the first game.
On other backs returning this week
I feel confident. You don’t know until you get out there and practice. I feel comfortable we should have everyone this week for the first time in a while.
Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Tyler Orlosky
On his time at West Virginia
It went by fast. It seems like just yesterday I was just a freshman and didn’t know what the hell to do. Obviously, I think that I have had a great five years here. I have met a lot of people, built some great relationships here, its five years that I will never forget.
On what there is left to say
We have two more games that is what is left to say. We want to finish the season at 11-2 and go to a good bowl game and put this team in a good position going into next year. That’s what just about anyone would say right now.
On if his career has been a blur
I think you are right with that. In offseason conditioning you are thinking ‘Wow when is this going to be over’ and now that you are at the end of the season you are thinking ‘where did the season go’. 12 weeks flew by, it’s crazy to think that five years went by so fast and that I am going to be leaving West Virginia. I will always come back, I feel that I will always have a place here. The people have been great to me and I hope things stay the same, but it is a great place and I am happy to have played five years here.
On if he actually watches the film
No, I don’t. I don’t watch the film, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t see the need for me to sit there and watch a defense. Someone asked me that the other day and I just said, “Once you start 40 games and have played close to 50, if someone throws something at me that I have never seen before than they have reinvented the game of football or something has to be wrong.” There is only so much you can do and odds are in my time here playing against the teams that we have, odds are I have seen it and I know what to expect. I think that takes away from having to watch film to sit there and study and study and study.
Senior Wide Receiver Daikiel Shorts Jr.
On what he has learned since freshman year
Just improving every year. There are a lot of things that go into it to get better, ways to get better. I’ve learned a lot from different coaches like Coach (Lonnie) Galloway, (Head) coach (Dana) Holgorsen and (Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers) Coach Carrier and different players coming in here like Kevin (White) and Mario (Alford), those kind of guys. Just learning and embracing it all.
On his “unselfishness” rubbing off on other teammates
Yeah, I would say so. I’m a team player. As long as we win I’m happy and I think that’s our team’s attitude this year. We’re 9-2 right now, sitting at a good place and everybody is coming in together. I feel like this is the most family atmosphere team since I’ve been here so that’s pretty good.
On the young players at the wide receiver position
Well (sophomore wide receiver) Gary (Jennings) has played a good amount, (freshman wide receiver) Marcus (Simms) not too much but they’re ready to step up and take that next step. They are both good players and I feel like we won’t miss a beat.
On his relationship with Devonte Mathis
Me and (redshirt senior wide receiver) (Devonte) Mathis are pretty close. We’ve both been here for a while. We play the same position and we hang out a lot off the field. It’s going to be a pretty exciting Saturday, senior night, for both of us. Our last home game, our last game as a Mountaineer, until the bowl game. It’ll be pretty fun.
Redshirt Senior Linebacker Justin Arndt
On the emotions going into senior day
It’s definitely going to be emotional ride, the last game on Mountaineer field. You think during the season you’ll never get to this point but now it’s here and now you have to look forward to playing it obviously but hopefully we’ll come out with a W at the end of the day. Just hopefully look back on this day and just reflect on how great of a day it was at the end.
On the college football playoff system
Obviously, our say doesn’t matter. Just let them decide who the best four teams are but it is what it is, who they choose is who they choose and as a team there is nothing wrong with it.
On his approach going into senior night
You want to look back on it later but just during the time that you’re out there just being able to take in everything and just have fun. You don’t want to be uptight or anything, just go out there and have fun just like you have every other game and just hope that at the end of the day you’ll come out with a win.
On his journey
Definitely, obviously I had doubts. I told people in the earlier years, coming from a walk on that I didn’t think that I would even still be on the team. As a freshman, I didn’t think I would want to keep doing this so definitely getting to this point now in my life, you look back and think just wow. It’s been an up and down road but you wouldn’t change anything for the better.
Redshirt Senior Defensive Lineman Noble Nwachukwu
On his time at West Virginia
So surreal, if you asked me four years ago if I would be in this position right now I would’ve been like no way. There’s no way possible. But it has been a long four and a half years and I’m just blessed that I had this opportunity, that West Virginia gave me this opportunity.
On what he thought this journey would be like compared to what it has been
Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect but it was definitely an eye opener. From coming here being a freshman it really taught me how to be a man, stand on my own two feet and really got me through some tough places. I met a lot of friends that I’m going to have forever so I really enjoyed it.
On what he had to put in to get where he is now
Well coming out of high school, I wasn’t the top recruit, you could say. They took a chance on me, I I did somewhat earn it but it takes a lot of people. A lot of people got me here and I owe it to my family, the coaching staff and I just owe it to them. I just couldn’t do it without them.
On moving so far from home
Oh yes, I definitely went through that stage. Just coming here, redshirting, it wasn’t the most fun time. I felt like I should’ve been out there but everything happens for a reason. I just kept grinding, kept moving forward and I was waiting for my turn and when I got my turn I never looked back.
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