Head Coach Greg Robinson, August 29, 2005
West Virginia Preview Press Conference
Robinson on his first impressions of Sunday:
Robinson on his first impressions of Sunday:
“We’re excited it’s a BIG EAST game. We’re excited that it’s West Virginia. Fifty years this game has been going on nonstop. These two teams know each other very well. I think it’s been great for our football team as far as the preparation. There is a lot of focus to everything and I think the football team is excited to get going.”
Robinson on the team’s strengths:
“You know what? I can say a lot of things, but it’s just talk. I think that will all be judged on Sunday, I really do. I’d like to believe that we’re good at a lot of things. Until we’re truly tested, I’d just be speculating.”
Robinson on naming a starting kicker:
“I’m going to wait for a couple more practices. Keep working it. I feel confident that we’re going to be solid in the kicking game. I think it’s just a matter of the whole group. I think Ricky’s (Krautman) fine. Ricky is kicking the ball. When he hits them good, they look really good. I don’t think there is any reason to do it right now. I’d rather just keep the pressure on these guys, have them keep kicking. Wednesday or Thursday we might decide. We’re not going to wait until game day to do it. But, I want to keep looking at these guys.
“I think we have two young freshmen in here, and I think the longer that they can continue to be acclimated I think I can get a better feel. They both have done a nice job. I don’t feel any pressure to do something right now.”
Robinson on rotating quarterbacks:
“The intent is not to rotate. The intent right now is to have a starting quarterback. That’s the way we’ve talked from day one and that’s the way we’re looking at it. You know what, I’ll never say never, but that’s the mindset. In my mind, if Perry’s (Patterson) the starting quarterback, we’re expecting him to do well.”
Robinson on West Virginia:
“I think that first of all, on both sides of the ball, structurally, they work to create situations for the defense and the offense that are unusual. Their offense starts off as a no-huddle offense. So that’s different. Secondly, it is quarterback coached on the sideline during the game. As you all know, you’ve watched how they do it. So that’s unusual and in their minds they’re gaining an edge that way. Then I think that their offense itself is one that is very well coached. Their offensive line is very well coached. You can tell that they demand the little things and they come after you. But at the same time they’ll throw the deep ball in a heartbeat and they will make you pay if you’re going to try to play the run to hard. They’ve made some people look bad in the past.
“On the defensive side, structurally, they also create some problems. They have what I call a 3-3 rover scheme. It’s basically eight-front football but in a different context than you normally see. It creates issues for the offense in ways that are unique. So, as I look at that, just structurally, the way that they set up, I give them credit. They try to put you on your heels. Our intent is to do just the opposite.”
Robinson on whether or not WVU was at a disadvantage because SU’s systems are new:
“Somebody asked me that last week and I said they’re watching what we did against Texas A & M and Kansas or what we did to teams that have similar things. They’re going to watch some of the (Kansas City) Chiefs blitz stuff. I don’t know what’s an advantage or a disadvantage. I think the moment you think you’re gaining an advantage on something like that you’re making a mistake. I think it’s just about preparation and focusing on what this team is doing. What are we doing right now to stop them. That’s the bottom line, and they’re trying to figure something out that they’re going to do. There will be some different things that we haven’t seen. I guarantee you that. Then it’s a matter of improvising and adjusting. So, that’s pretty much how I see it.”
Robinson on (true freshman wide receiver) Bruce Williams being No. 2 on the depth chart:
“He’s like clockwork. You can tell by what he did all spring. He came over on his own, watched every practice, sat in on almost every meeting he could, was here everyday in the summertime, and then his intent is so strong to try to be a player. He’s a guy who you can count on. You can count on him. He’s going to be doing the right things, and that’s the big thing.”
Robinson on redshirting and (true freshman wide receiver) Lavar Lobdell:
“Well I would say in regard to redshirting, we don’t have any plans for any specific guys right now. Some of the young kids are a little of concerned, ‘Maybe I should redshirt,’ but now is not the time. We’ll always be thoughtful in the way that we use people. In Lavar’s case, he was nicked up in preseason camp. First he banged up his shoulder, but he came back from that well. Then he had a hamstring problem. But the last two days of practice he’s looked pretty darn good. We’ll feel that out as the week goes on, but Lavar, give him credit too. He was here all the way. He put a lot of time in. We would like to reap the benefits just like he would.”
Robinson on (running back) Kareem Jones:
“I think that Kareem Jones really had a tremendous summer. He came back in so much better shape. But more importantly, he came back with a mindset different from spring ball. I think he was a little bit surprised with the way we were coaching him and what we were demanding of him. He was young, just a freshman and all. But, he came back to training camp much more prepared to compete. He has done a very good job. He’s had a good camp. So we elevated him to the No. 2 spot with Paul (Chiara) and Tim (Washington) back behind him. Will they find time? Probably somewhere. I’m not going to make predictions of when they’ll play or how they’ll play, but we had to make a decision on who’s going to get the second team reps right now. We wanted to get that done before today and we went with Kareem.”
Robinson on Jones’ running style compared to (senior) Damien Rhodes:
“Yeah, he’s a little different. He has really good vision, good acceleration. He can make a good cut and get up field. He has good balance and does a good job blocking. He’s a good blocker on pass protection. So, he’s stepped up.”
Robinson on SU adjusting to his schemes:
“Our intent from day one was that our football team is built on fundamentals. We have to be sound enough to win on Sunday, Sept. 4. But I firmly believe that on Nov. 26 we’ll be a much better football team then we are on Sept. 4 . That’s our intent. I think that’s what our coaches and players understand. We’re going out there everyday to improve our basic fundamentals and if we keep doing that, we’ll continue to improve.”
Robinson on giving the team a day off on Sunday and Tuesday:
“Well this is planned. We had planned this from day one, that they would have Sunday off and then have Tuesday off. Basically, our schedule will be that we will we practice on Sunday, have Monday off and come back and practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So, this in essence, since it is a Sunday game, this is a Sunday to us. They’ll be real fresh. They’ll be fast and furious on Sunday. But I think that we did plan, really, how we were going to taper. I think that our team is in very good shape. I think that they are well conditioned. I like to believe that their stamina is strong. Now it’s just a matter of replenishing the system a little bit, and I think that’s what the last couple of days are going to allow.”
Robinson on Jerry Mackey:
“They’ve been in touch with doctors. Jerry and his dad have been talking. Conclusion? No. But, we need to find out something here shortly and that’s what nice about having a day off tomorrow. We’ll be able to have some time to really discuss all of that.”
Robinson on what makes this year’s defense better that last year’s:
“I didn’t spend a lot of time watching last year’s defense. I really didn’t. I took out clips of individual players just to look and see what I could see athletically. But, by the time we got to the winter program I didn’t even watch much of that because I was learning as much in the winter program. But I know what we’re going to be built on. We’re going to be a great tackling team. We will tackle well. We will have people at the ball. I like to believe that the more people you have around the ball the more opportunity you have for turnovers. That’s our game. Our game is about turnovers and great tackling, and doing everything we can to work the quarterback. So, that’s what our defense is all about, and comparing it? I don’t compare. I don’t think that is fair really, but I know what I’m expecting from our guys.”
Robinson on getting himself ready to be the head coach of his first football game:
“I really don’t think I’ll need anything to psyche myself up. I don’t think so, unless coach Mac thinks I will. I’ll be talking to him, trust me.”
Robinson on the pressure put on him as head coach:
“It’s been that way really for eight months. I said it someone the other day. I feel very comfortable in what I’m doing. That doesn’t mean I have all the answers, I don’t mean that. But, I enjoy coming to work everyday, including this morning. Come Sunday, I don’t know. I’ll just talk to you Sunday. I look to coach Mac again, let him tell me. We’ll just take it as it comes. But, I’m excited to coach this football team. I like watching their preparation and it will be interesting to see where we’re at Sunday.”
Robinson on West Virginia’s two quarterback system:
“I think that we’re going to have to improvise as the game goes on. I really do. Does that mean that you have to have four different schemes and everything ready? I don’t really think so. I think it’s really about how we play. We know basically what their offense is about. Maybe with one quarterback they’ll lean one way and the other… I don’t know that. I’ve seen a few plays with Bednarik, but not much. And White, I have not seen. So I think we’re just going to have to feel it out.”
Robinson on the staff’s preparation for Sunday:
“Our intent is to try to put ourselves through as many things as we can that are game-like. There are still a number of things that we are going to go through. We’re taking a dry run here and a dry run there. We’re doing this and doing that. The key is preparing the players and I think our coaching staff is doing a very good job in regards to that. We have enough experience on this staff, and I’ve worked with a number of guys, that I have a lot of confidence that they’ll be on their game.”
Robinson on the receivers:
“I feel good. I think Tim Lane and Landel Bembo have established themselves. They did it at the end of spring ball. It just all of the sudden became clear that they had established themselves. I think that periodically through spring ball, Rice Moss showed some flashes but he was young and that showed up. Other guys were in there competing. I’m not sure how it’s listed right now, but we have Rice and Bruce, and then you have (J.J.) Bedle in there, you have Q. (Quinton) Brown, and I can’t even think of who else is in there right now. The point I make is to say that anyone after those first couple, they’re all pretty close. These guys have pretty much established themselves as players that are prepared and ready to play. That’s what we go with.”
