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Players Media Session
August 03, 2016 04:07 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Select members of the West Virginia University football team met with the media on Wednesday, August 3, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Senior quarterback Skyler Howard
On the first day of camp
It was good. Good speed from the guys. Right now it’s all about going out there and playing fast. Once we put the pads on we start really competing. We’re just working on the speed right now and getting that effort out there.
On the difference from last year and this year with making sure the timing is right
It’s night and day. I’ve said that before that it’s night and day. Having the experience out there allows us to just go out there and have fun, play and do it at a high speed this early.
On the comfort level with the receivers and if they’re perfected
I don’t think we’re ever perfected. There’s always a work in progress no matter what, but as far as where we were, I’d say we’re a lot closer to perfection.
On the communication with the receivers
Having that communication and having that relationship allows us to see things before it happens. See changes in defenses when they roll, see the holes before they’re there and make the throw before they make the cut. That allows us to gain that advantage, and that’s something we always strive for, but it’s always a work in progress.
On what he’s seen with pass protection from the beginning of spring to end and now with the line
Working as a unit. It’s a lot better when they’re working as one wall, protecting me up there rather than a bunch of individuals. Working as a unit, that unit becomes stronger. We’ll have to see when pads come on how strong it is, but I see them working as a unit.
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Tyler Orlosky
On what the offensive linemen are doing in practice right now
We are mostly just working on schemes and technique. What we can do without pads on. Just getting our right footwork done and stuff like that.
On the importance of repetition
Yeah, especially for young guys. You want them to get the repetition that they won’t necessarily get throughout the year. This is a good time to get them going. The other guys, we should have that repetition, but it’s always good to go through the basics and get a good foundation going.
On physical improvements since the spring
Nothing extreme. We might be a little more polished off than we were in the spring, but nothing extreme.
On pass protection improvements in the spring and throughout the summer
In pass protection all we can do is scheme and get communication down. (Assistant coach offensive coordinator/ fullbacks-tight ends) Coach (Joe) Wick (Wickline) and (assistant coach offensive line) coach (Ron) Crook do a really good job of technique. We have been working on our kick slides and stuff like that. We basically do what they tell us to do and hope it works.
On rotating seven players on the offensive line
I think so. I’m not a fan of that. I never have been a fan of rotating guys in. If that’s what he wants to do he is the coach. I think we are at a place where we have a legit seven people that could play a college football game right now. If we come to the point where we are rotating guys in, I guess we will be alright.
Redshirt senior running back Rushel Shell III
On the newcomers stepping up
One guy who sticks out the most to me is (freshman running back) Kennedy (McKoy). He’s learning really fast. He’s not even looking like a freshman anymore. I really like his progress and where he’s going. (Junior running back) (Justin) Crawford and (freshman running back) (Martell) Pettaway are still trying to figure out everything, get the plays down and stuff like that. Everyone goes through that transition, so we’re waiting on those two. I feel like as a group we really didn’t fall off anywhere.
On his role as a leader
Definitely. I’m a leader in my room. At times I may not want them too, but everyone looks at me and watches everything I do, so I just have to embrace that role and be the leader that they want me to be.
On if he sets any statistical marks to quantify success when heading into this season
It’s that 1,000-yard mark. I just haven’t broke it yet in my college career. That’s something I’m really trying to focus on, and that just starts with big plays, explicit plays, a lot of runs over 10 yards, stuff like that. I don’t worry too much about it because that’s when you get like a 300 yard season.
On if he needs to change things up if he wants to get more than 10 yards
Definitely. It’s something (assistant coach running backs) (Ja’Juan) coach Seider has been making a big thing about, being able to make the first guy miss. It’s good to start the game and run someone over but later on during the game you want to make them think that you’re going to run them over and then make a move and make them miss. It’s something that we’ve been focusing on.
Sophomore wide receiver Gary Jennings
On the importance of being physical at the receiver position
The coaches stress physicality, they stress route running, and they stress a lot of things other than physicality as well. It’s a very important part of being a receiver and part of my game as well. It helps out a lot.
On how being physical can be beneficial
When you have smaller, quicker corners it helps out with creating separation, and being able to get open.
On what he understands now that he didn’t a year ago
A lot of things. I learned a lot of things over the course of the year. It is quite amazing. I learned how to run routes differently, and I learned how to just do a bunch of different things that have built me up as a receiver. You don’t know, what you don’t know, until you learn something else.
On Stedman Bailey returning as a student assistant coach
I think he is going to add a lot of experience and a lot of technique stuff to the room. I can’t wait for it honestly. When West Virginia was recruiting me, we looked back at Tavon (Austin), Stedman (Bailey), all the guys’ film and how we can incorporate it into our game.
Senior safety Jeremy Tyler
On fall camp thus far
It is going well right now. We still have a lot of stuff to improve on. Right now we are just getting back into the groove of things, but I feel like we are heading in the right direction.
On his improvements made in spring practices
Just having the opportunity to showcase my talents. Being out there more, gave me the ability to show what I can do and how we can win games, and trying to build more chemistry on the team.
On difference between the ‘bandit’ position and the ‘spur’ position
The difference between the bandit and the spur is as a spur you are more likely to be around the box area and you don’t go to the post. As a bandit, you are rolling to the post and you are in the box area. It’s a mixture of being able to roll to the post and playing in the box, playing run and playing pass in the post.
On comfortability at bandit position
Yes, Sir. I feel like the bandit is the best place for me right now because I have been getting more reps at the moment. I am interchangeable at any position, but I like the bandit spot.
On when he became comfortable playing college football
I say the first game that I started my freshman year I felt like the game speed didn’t really change as much from where I was from in high school. Georgia ball, we played high-tempo so it really didn’t change that much, so I felt right that I could do this.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Noble Nwachukwu
On fall practices thus far
They are going good. Just getting back into it, getting used to everything, getting back on the field and going through stuff.
On the defensive line as a whole
We are getting better every day. We are a veteran starting three, so I mean it’s nothing new for us. We are getting in the groove and stuff like that.
On losing so many starters on defense
I mean the guys that left, the guys that were behind them, they’ve learned a lot from them, so it’s not going to be hard. It’s going to take practice and repetition. I think by September 3 we should be there.
On experience of defensive line
Yeah, definitely. We are experienced coming back and we know that. All of the guys are going to feed off of us and how we play so we definitely have to set a tone. That is one of the keys for us.
Redshirt junior linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton
On what the linebackers are trying to develop this early in camp
Right now we just want to get the mental aspect down. Like you said before, we have a lot of guys who may not have as much experience, so what we’re trying to get down now is eliminating those mental breakdowns. I feel as though, once we get that down, the athletic ability will take over, and I feel as though we have a lot of athletic ability in the room. Once we put those two key components together, I don’t think we’ll have any problems.
On player development from spring to fall
In the spring what we try to do is just install a lot of the plays. That was the biggest thing about the spring. We wanted to make sure everyone knew exactly what each play entailed and what it meant. I think one thing that we worked on this offseason that we may not have focused as much on in previous offseason, is making sure you understand what everyone on the field is doing. As opposed to knowing, on this play I had this gap or on that play I had this gap. If you understand what everyone is d
oing on the defense, than you’ll understand why you need to be in this position and why you need to be here. I think that’s the biggest thing. That just goes back to the mental aspect like I said, and that will help us decrease the mental mistakes.
On his experience and his mental aspect
I’ll start by saying I’m not there yet. I don’t want anyone to get the assumption that I feel like I’m perfect or that I don’t have much to work on. I still work on those things as well. We sit in meetings with those guys and go over film and I’m learning just as well as they are. Those guys have come a long way and you have guys like (redshirt freshman linebacker) David Long who’s just a freak athlete. Once he fully understands what’s going on with the defense, I don’t think there’s many that can stop him. Sean has come a long way. He’s actually the oldest guy. I look to him at times for advice because he’s been here longer than I have, and (redshirt senior linebacker) (Justin) Ardnt as well. Getting in and understanding what this defense is about and how this defense is supposed to be played, I think we’re coming along with that. I think we have a long way to go, but we have a couple more practices, and I’m anxious to see how it goes.
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Coach Rod West | April 8
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Coach Rich Rodriguez | April 8
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Ryan Ward | April 6
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