Head Coach Greg Robinson Press Conference Transcript (Nov. 12, 2006)
Are there any updates on (wide receiver) Donte Davis and (wide receiver) Tim Lane?
“Time will tell, but I think they will both be ready to play on Saturday. It is disappointing the way Donte got hurt. Is it legal? I guess it is legal, but it clearly wasn’t necessary. It was nowhere near where the ball was being thrown and the ball had already been thrown. To lay a guy out like that, you really have to be smarter than that.”
(Reserve placekicker) John Barker played receiver yesterday. Was that because of the injury situation at that position?
“John works with our receivers and does a good job. He works more on the scout team but he gets reps with our offense and understands what we are doing. He is a good athlete.”
In third quarter you forced three turnovers and the offense didn’t turn any into points. Why did the offense struggle?
“The biggest issue, obviously, is our protection issue. It came from different spots, some offensive line, some from the backfield. That was the biggest issue. When we protected we threw well. When we didn’t, it eliminated opportunities for the series to move on. I thought for the most part the running game was effective. I think with more turns it could have been more effective.
Do you feel like you are not getting better week by week, or do you still see forward progression?
“I see definite things that are better. For the most part, I like the progress that the defense has made during the last month. I thought even in the game yesterday, in the first series I wish that when we had them second and 19, we don’t let them run that receiver sweep for eight yards and get it to third and 11. And then when it is third and 11 that is your opportunity to get off the field and we didn’t. I thought that the defense hit well, I thought that they limited that running game and they have a tough running game. Unfortunately on the long touchdown pass the coverage could have been better and the pressure should have been better. I do see improvement in the defensive area.
“On the offensive side of the ball, to an extent, the receiving corps got cut down. We are playing without Taj (Smith) and then Donte (Davis) goes down and then Tim (Lane) goes down. We can’t make excuses for that. You still have to keep rolling. But that is an issue. There were some things in run blocking that I liked yesterday. I think that (quarterback) Perry (Patterson), when given an opportunity, he makes some fine plays.”
You have tried a lot of offensive line combinations. Have you exhausted your options in that area?
“We have about exhausted all that we can do without playing players who we want to redshirt. I don’t see putting those people in at this stage, and I didn’t see it two weeks ago, to go through the learning experience. I think we can get them right and still have them for four years. I think that they are going to be good football players to mix in with the group that will return.”
Are we (the media) being unfair by singling out the offensive line in the protection issue? (USF) Coach Levitt said yesterday he didn’t think they were getting a lot of pressure with the front four.
“They did not get a lot of pressure rushing four. I said that yesterday in the press conference after the game. I thought that it was not until that they began to add the people that the pressure began to mount. They did a good job utilizing their athletes who are gifted athletes and created some problems for us in protection. At the same time, even when they did, when we used proper technique and were in the right places, we blocked well, but it was not on a consistent basis. I think the five guys who are out there are the best five for us to play with right now. In fairness to Marvin McCall, he hasn’t been a tackle for very long. There were a couple of situations where fundamental technique came into play in regard to him. But, he did some good things and will continue to. Where we are right now with that group is where we are going to stay. Hopefully as they continue to play together they will get better.”
You said last week you were excited about the players you are going to redshirt. Why is that the case?
“Hope springs eternal. But I do think the young group that is over on the scout team is doing well. I like what they do over there. You can see the physical skills that they have. I know in the bye week the offense worked hard with those players to really get to the fundamentals and the teaching of the system and all of those things. It is a bright group. I think they do have physical skills. I look forward to infusing them in the Spring into the competition because I think it creates a very competitive environment at that position.”
Are there any individuals you to whom you are referring?
“I hate to single out right now because I think that they are all young. But I have named off Adam Rosner, who is a gifted young man, and (Ryan) Bartholomew, (Jim) McKenzie, and (Tucker) Baumbach are all gifted, and I even include Dalton Phillips, a walk on, show signs of having some characteristics that from which we can benefit.”
As far as the current five, can you talk about the protection issues?
“I think that we weren’t consistent. At times we have blocked up and done great, and at times our technique was not good. There was a time or two where I think we were uncertain who we were supposed to block. There was not a bunch of that, but there was some. Our backs are young. Curtis (Brinkley) is more experienced, obviously, than Delone (Carter). You like to see them blocking consistently. I think it is just a matter staying after it and keep working at it.”
Do you think about getting some of the younger players exposure, especially at the linebacker and cornerback positions where you have five seniors, to build depth?
“There is discussion about all of those things. One thing I will say about our reserve linebacking corps, it has had a ton of reps in practice and they are on a lot of special teams plays. That is a value. It is not the same, but it is a value. I think that we can use those players periodically. We talked about it today a little bit and how to do it. I am not big on sending in a whole group at a time. Maybe we will play a guy here or there for a few plays is coming. The same thing applies in the secondary. On the defensive line we have been playing the younger players, for the most part. There are a couple of young players there who I look forward to seeing come the Spring time.”
What is the impact of this senior class on the program. What is their legacy at Syracuse?
“When you start naming off the seniors, starting with our captains – Perry (Patterson), Brendan (Carney), KJ (Kelvin Smith) and Jerry (Mackey) – take away their play, but their leadership is outstanding. Then I think there is another group of seniors – Justin Outten, Chris Thorner, Tanard Jackson, and I am going to miss a number of them – they are all good football players. There is a guy like Brandon Darlington, who hasn’t played as much, but I promise you that he has given it up every day out on the practice field, he is in the meeting rooms. The thing that you always want is for them to go out in a way that they will be remembered, and I know that the rest of this football team, the younger part of the team, respects what they have done and I think would like to help them get a win in their last football game in the Dome.”
Are you worried at all about protection problems putting (quarterback) Andrew Robinson in the game? Perry (Patterson) really got beat up yesterday.
“I think he has to go out there and experience it. Quite frankly, he stepped up. He made a good decision on the play where he scrambled and ran because the coverage was very good and he saw some daylight and he got some positive yardage. The next time when he took off, again, I think he felt the pressure and saw daylight. He was looking to stay in there, but then the ball got knocked away from him. On the bootleg, I like how he got away from the pressure and they had good coverage on the play. But he got out there well. The interception he threw, (quarterback coach) Phil (Earley) always tells those guys to get up in the fight, and Andrew did. The line pushed the pressure by him, he stepped up in there, and he just needed to get some air under the ball on the throw. Andrew is a mature young man. Just being out there doing it, he will take from it and learn from it.”
Regarding the protection issue, what do you have to do when teams bring more than four guys?
“If you pick the pressure up, the defense has weaknesses because there is not much out there in coverage. That is one thing. Two, the quick screens can be helpful. At times we were effective with the quick screen yesterday. There are a lot of ways. There are different protections you can use to nullify some of the things that were going on. There is no one thing that is the answer, but some of the things mentioned can be helpful.”
What was not effective yesterday?
“I thought for the most part they did not get much pressure on the quick game, it was more on the downfield stuff when we were six-man protecting and they penetrated and got to us better. If you can buy time when they are bringing six, there is some coverage that can be exposed.”
How much does the fact that you are no longer bowl-eligible take away from this team?
“I think that the only answer to that is next Saturday. I can say anything I want, but in fact the proof is in the pudding. I would be surprised and disappointed that anytime we take the field that we would not be giving everything we have and going for 60 minutes. I think Saturday will be the judge.”
