Head Coach Doug Marrone Press Conference Transcript (Aug. 18, 2010)
“We went out there and got some work done. (Defensive end) Mikhail Marinovich did a nice job today, he is picking up what we want him to do from a toughness and speed standpoint. We’re starting to see flashes of the interior defensive line, but it comes down to one thing – more consistency. We’re trying to put a lot of pressure on the players. Pressure means increasing the tempo, putting pressure on them to concentrate on their assignments. We’re giving them a lot of schemes and plays to force them mentally to make sure that they’re concentrating on what we’re getting done now that everything is in. Now we’re just working on the packages but we’re breaking it up. We’re giving them a lot more situations. We go from first down to second down to third down, third and long, third and short, third and medium. Now practice will become more situational, putting them in positions where they’re going to be getting ready to play.”
On what role freshman kicker Ross Krautman will play:
“We’re going to wait for more of the scrimmage situations for that to see how they will react. It is hard to simulate that type of pressure when he is on the sideline, when he’s getting ready to warm up in practice. (Ross) is always an option. If that is our option, it’s a good option. It’s the option of Ryan (Lichtenstein) handling the kicking all the way out and Ross handling the kickoffs. The good thing about it from our standpoint is that we have some options, we’re not restricted to one player and kicking from the 30-yard line in. Both players have the ability to kick the ball from the 40 out. One thing I’ve stressed with them with PAT field goals, when I was here with Coach (Dick MacPherson), and even prior to that, we had the (NCAA record) consecutive streak for point after attempts. We need to get that started again and let’s get ourselves back in there. That is something that we took a great deal of pride in, everyone in that unit. That is what I’m trying to instill in that unit.”
On the two blocks field goals in practice:
“I’ll watch the film but from what I saw one looked a little bit low and one looked like it was a short angle on the corner.”
On having just two two-a-day sessions this year:
“If you go around and you study what other people are doing there is not a lot (two-a-day sessions) going on. I can only talk about our team, but for us we lack numbers or depth. When you go out there and have two physical practices in a row you’re opening yourself up to more nicks and bruises and we don’t need to do that. We go out in the morning and have a physical practice, then we’re able to take a ball out there this afternoon and get some things done from a lighter standpoint. The perception of the true two-a-days , from when I was a player or before I was a player, those days are pretty much gone. It went from straight two-a-days for a long period of time to probably somewhere in the mid-1980’s going forward 2-1-2-1 and to now. If you look you don’t have the opportunity because of the way the NCAA has structured it to get a lot of two-a-days. That is where we are in football as a whole, both pro and college.”
On defensive tackle Deon Goggins’ progress in camp:
“You’re starting to see some flashes now of what we’re looking for him to do at this level. There is always a transition for all players who come from either high school or junior college to the Division I level. What we see from Deon now is some flashes of what we want done in more of the individual drills or the one-on-one competition drills. Now that needs to be converted over into the team drills. He is probably exactly where he should be right now from the standpoint of a player who has just come into the program.”
On players competing for starting jobs:
“I’m getting a much better feel (for our personnel). The issue that we have as coaches, I come out (to address the media) first, so my concern with handling a football team is to make sure we’ve discussed it with the player, he realizes what is going on and understands his role before I come out and say who has won the starting job. I like to say who is ahead rather than going ahead and selecting someone. That announcement will probably be a day late from what you see at practice.”
On offensive lineman Zach Chibane battling Adam Rosner for a starting spot:
“(Adam Rosner) got a little bump today, I’ll know more about that later. If you have an equal battle you would think that the person who gets more reps would become the better player. Right now it is close, it’s real close. If I was those two players these next three or four days like (Post-Standard reporter) Dave (Rahme) mentioned, these next two or three days are critical for that. Someone is going to have to separate themselves. If you say two guys are the same within three or four practices, they can’t remain the same, they have to separate themselves. The tough one is when you have a player who is playing at a certain level and then you have a guy who is really coming on, you don’t know if he is going to stop or bypass the other guy. That usually happens with younger players. That is the issue we have as coaches when we go through who is going to be playing for us.”
On whether offensive linemen Zach Chibane or Adam Rosner has the edge:
“Right now they’re both the same. Zach has been here for a while and I don’t look at him as a freshman coming in.”
On what we can expect to see from fullback Adam Harris:
“He’ll be multiple use, he can do a lot of things. He’ll help us on special teams, he’ll help us in the backfield. We put him over there (to fullback from linebacker) because of the versatility. We’re excited about where he is right now. Versatility will be something he will be able to give us, and he’ll give us snaps on special teams.”
