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Head Coach Doug Marrone Press Conference Trancript (Oct. 4, 2011)
Opening Statement:
"It's still very difficult to stand up here and talk about a football game that we truly feel that we gave one away. It's really the first one since we've been here that we felt that way. There are a lot of things that went on in that game – the five turnovers, three in the second half, two in the red zone. Once it was 13-3 we were never able to get the next score. We have a missed extra point, we had a blocked field goal, we had a missed field goal. There were a lot of things in that game to look around and make sure we get better and learn from it.
"It's tough and it's difficult. I feel for the fans. I feel for the alumni. I feel for everyone to a point where you look in the mirror in the morning and you wake up and realize that you have to do a better job. That's how I feel, And the only way to do it is to come back and continue to work hard.
"What I told the players after the game – obviously everyone was extremely disappointed – we talked about keeping your head up and being a man and recognizing the mistakes that were made that were critical. You can't win football games when you make those mistakes. The way to overcome things is to work hard, and the message that I told the players is that you can't let one loss lead to another. That's the one thing that's difficult. We have to find a way to get a level of focus about ourselves, to go out there and work hard, which we will. But again, you can't have the loss this week lead to another.
"We're going down and playing a team in Tulane that's a good football team. It's a long travel day for us, going down there on Friday. It's a late game, and we have to be ready to play."
What did it mean to you to see the offensive line stand behind (senior running back) Antwon Bailey at his postgame press conference?
"I heard about that later in the evening. I didn't know about that right away. We have great kids. Our kids are out there trying. They're not trying to make mistakes. It goes to show you the type of communication and the type of accountability that they have and how we rely on one another. It's a lot of the things that we do off the field that are starting to carry on the field. It helps, and we play a game that we have to execute on the field. We feel bad about ourselves, we feel bad about our teammates, we feel bad about the coaches families, we feel bad for our administration and alumni. It's a very difficult thing to deal with."
On the team's injury status following the Rutgers game
"We actually came out pretty good. We'll have (junior strong safety) Shamarko (Thomas) and (senior strong safety) Olando Fisher out there today (in practice) in a limited role to see where they are at this point. If they do well today, then the question comes on how we'll work them in. I don't know if we'll throw them in there full time because I haven't seen them run on the field. But they'll be out there running around in a limited role in individual drills today. If things go well today, then tomorrow we'll increase that role and have a better feel for what packages they're playing and if they're starting at all. Not having watched them, I feel better about those two this week than I did last week.
"(Senior defensive end) Chandler (Jones), we'll know about on Tuesday afternoon. He has to get a checkup just to make sure, and then the doctor will make a decision on exactly where he is, but I think that he's much closer now than he's ever been. I look forward to that.
"Other than that, (sophomore running back) Prince-Tyson Gulley is out for the year. Everyone else to my knowledge should be fine unless something happens during the week."
Is it important to get the injured players into a non-conference game before you jump back into the BIG EAST schedule?
"I don't look at it that way. I look at it as it's important for them to get back there, and get back there playing. The question will come for us as coaches if to see how they are, and then how much we want to put them back in there. Both players play on special teams for us and both players play on our base package and our nickel package. Those are the things that we'll answer as the week goes on and we continue to get those players better."
In looking at the film, have you seen anything that was wrong with the PAT and field goal team?
"Yes. It's very simple in this game if there's one person who is a problem because you either coach that person to do a better job or you replace them with someone else. I spoke to everyone on that team, and it starts inside out. It starts with some of the snaps and the double team on the right guard. What happened is (redshirt senior offensive guard) Andrew (Tiller) started leaning in there more to take care of the front side A-gap, then it put more strain on (senior offensive tackle) Michael Hay that he has to lean in there more. Then it comes to the tight end who is trying to block two without that much help because now we've shortened it down. (Sophomore nose tackle Robert) Welsh goes in there, and then he starts overcompensating, and (senior fullback) Adam Harris starts overcompensating. What we're going to do, because our right side overcompensates to the inside, what we'll do is switch the right guard to the left guard. So (junior offensive guard Zack) Chibane will go to right. We'll switch the two interior linemen, and what we're going to do is probably interlock the tight end so that he had one movement instead of two. That will help our wing, and then we're going to decrease our time by 0.01 seconds. That's exactly what went on."
Do you agree with (senior quarterback) Ryan Nassib's statement that the Rutgers loss humbled the offense?
"I think we were exposed on some things that we had been doing a good job of that we weren't able to execute, where before we felt very comfortable in doing it. If it's from that standpoint, then I would agree with it.
"I think what you have to do is not take anything for granted, whether it's a technical issue that you have to do, whether you have to push an outside number, break inside, or you have to do mandatory outside release. We try to make sure that every one of those things are critical to every single play that we run. If that's the case where we've taken some of those coaching points and some of those things for granted, then I would agree with it.
"I would hope, sitting here as a coach, that we don't take anything for granted, knowing that we have to work extremely hard and be focused to win football games. The way we are offensively, we have to execute to be successful."
How important is it to fix those things on offense so you don't go into the bye week after two tough games?
"I don't look too far ahead. I don't look at how it's going to be during the bye week. We have a schedule already for the bye week with a lot of quality control stuff. I think we have to make sure that we as coaches, every single game it's different because the opponent gives you different challenges, that we go into that game trying to get better and better and make sure that we execute at a high level. There are a lot of ups and downs unfortunately right now for us. There have been times when we have executed well, and there are times that we're not. We're coming off of probably one of the worst games that we've had, and it hurts even more because there are plays that we left out there. I think that's what hurts, and obviously the turnovers and now even giving yourself the opportunity to get the win."
With Tulane giving up almost 34 points per game, does this weekend give the offense an opportunity to work on some things?
"It really doesn't matter who we're playing if you turn the ball over five times, it's like a 0% chance of winning. That's our concern, and right now I have much more concern on our end that we make sure that we're doing things properly, all the little things, than I am about worrying outside the box.
"Tulane has done a very nice job in their coverage concepts. Against Duke, they intercepted a pass for a touchdown. I believe against UAB they picked a pass for a touchdown, so they do an excellent job in their coverage aspect of reading the quarterback and breaking on the football. When that happens, you have to do a very good job of running precise routes, timing, and doing those things. That will add pressure to us to make sure that we don't take anything for granted and we're working on everything that we can do."
Do you expect to do anything different during the bye week?
"What happens is you make decisions, whether you're out on the road or not. We'll take advantage of that. What we'll do is a lot of self scouting and quality control. We get a chance to sit down with the players and talk about what's going on and evaluating that situation. It's a chance to get a lot of work done in the middle and know exactly where you are and knowing what you're doing well and what you aren't. Then you writie down, 'Here are the problems that we're having. Let's write down the answers. Here are the players. How can we get them better? Let's write down the answers.' Then implementing them in the plan so that we can continue to get better as the season goes on."
On what it will be like to coach in the Superdome again and the familiarity he has with Tulane:
"(Head) Coach (Bob)Toledo and I lived in the same neighborhood. (Former Tulane and New Orleans Saints defensive coach) Tom Hayes, lived four houses down and was with us at the Saints and then was a defensive coordinator for Tulane. Early on when Coach Toledo had gotten there, I went to practice. I wish I would have studied it more than just going down and watching them.
"As far as going down to a place that has been special to me as a player and a coach, if I ask my players to treat every game like a business trip, and I go down there and I get outside of my schedule, then I'm not doing the right thing because I'm not showing the right example. I have gotten a few phone calls, and I told the people, and I love them to death in New Orleans, but I told them 'Hey. I'll come down sometime during vacation, but right now we're going down there on a business trip trying to win a football game."
On talking to his players about the atmosphere in the Superdome:
"I haven't yet but I do have that plan. For every game we play on the road, we try to set a picture in the players' mind of the venue that we're playing in of what it's like and how it's going to be. This way, it kinds of cuts the anxiety off and they know exactly what type of atmosphere they're going in to."
What element does somebody like (junior free safety) Shamarko Thomas bring to the team if he comes back this weekend?
"I was very happy with the way we played defensively (against Rutgers). We obviously played well enough to win the game. What I saw defensively was that he limited some of the things with (freshman linebacker) Dyshawn Davis, and you saw the production of him on the field and he had his best game. We saw (freshman linebacker) Siriki (Diabate) go in there, and he was triggering more and he was in the backfield. You saw (freshman linebacker) Cameron Lynch, and I'm talking about the younger kids going in there. What we weren't getting earlier in the year out of that package is coming with experience and they're triggering more and going and they're coverage skills are increasing, too.
"When you bring back a Shamarko Thomas or (senior strong safety) Olando Fisher, now we have to evaluate on if they're where they were beforehand, and how are these young guys coming along. We're playing three corners, and we're going to continue to play the three corners and make the right decisions.
"Up front, it was the most tackles for loss we had. I thought we did a good job penetrating. I thought (senior nose tackle) Deon Goggins made an outstanding play when he went backside and then went back down the line and caught him. Defensively, we played well enough to win that game, and I think we're getting better and better defensively as we go. We were in good position on the go routes, they made a play on one and we were in great position. Those things happen.
"I'm very excited about the progression of the younger players and how they're coming along in the system, and I'm excited to get some of our veterans back. What that will do is create depth where we will not lose a lot from the first group to the second group no matter who it is."
With (sophomore running back Prince-Tyson) Gulley being out for the season, how much confidence do you have in the other running backs?
"We’re going to play those players because if, God forbid, something happens to (senior running back) Antwon (Bailey), now everything is increased. As coaches, we always want to be ready in developing the players behind him. You don't want to change your demeanor all of a sudden with an injury. You want to be the same way all the way through, so for us we have to get those players involved in the system and you'll see all of those players involved in the game plan.
"Now, whether we call those plays that they're involved with, but they'll get snaps at tailback and go."
"It's still very difficult to stand up here and talk about a football game that we truly feel that we gave one away. It's really the first one since we've been here that we felt that way. There are a lot of things that went on in that game – the five turnovers, three in the second half, two in the red zone. Once it was 13-3 we were never able to get the next score. We have a missed extra point, we had a blocked field goal, we had a missed field goal. There were a lot of things in that game to look around and make sure we get better and learn from it.
"It's tough and it's difficult. I feel for the fans. I feel for the alumni. I feel for everyone to a point where you look in the mirror in the morning and you wake up and realize that you have to do a better job. That's how I feel, And the only way to do it is to come back and continue to work hard.
"What I told the players after the game – obviously everyone was extremely disappointed – we talked about keeping your head up and being a man and recognizing the mistakes that were made that were critical. You can't win football games when you make those mistakes. The way to overcome things is to work hard, and the message that I told the players is that you can't let one loss lead to another. That's the one thing that's difficult. We have to find a way to get a level of focus about ourselves, to go out there and work hard, which we will. But again, you can't have the loss this week lead to another.
"We're going down and playing a team in Tulane that's a good football team. It's a long travel day for us, going down there on Friday. It's a late game, and we have to be ready to play."
What did it mean to you to see the offensive line stand behind (senior running back) Antwon Bailey at his postgame press conference?
"I heard about that later in the evening. I didn't know about that right away. We have great kids. Our kids are out there trying. They're not trying to make mistakes. It goes to show you the type of communication and the type of accountability that they have and how we rely on one another. It's a lot of the things that we do off the field that are starting to carry on the field. It helps, and we play a game that we have to execute on the field. We feel bad about ourselves, we feel bad about our teammates, we feel bad about the coaches families, we feel bad for our administration and alumni. It's a very difficult thing to deal with."
On the team's injury status following the Rutgers game
"We actually came out pretty good. We'll have (junior strong safety) Shamarko (Thomas) and (senior strong safety) Olando Fisher out there today (in practice) in a limited role to see where they are at this point. If they do well today, then the question comes on how we'll work them in. I don't know if we'll throw them in there full time because I haven't seen them run on the field. But they'll be out there running around in a limited role in individual drills today. If things go well today, then tomorrow we'll increase that role and have a better feel for what packages they're playing and if they're starting at all. Not having watched them, I feel better about those two this week than I did last week.
"(Senior defensive end) Chandler (Jones), we'll know about on Tuesday afternoon. He has to get a checkup just to make sure, and then the doctor will make a decision on exactly where he is, but I think that he's much closer now than he's ever been. I look forward to that.
"Other than that, (sophomore running back) Prince-Tyson Gulley is out for the year. Everyone else to my knowledge should be fine unless something happens during the week."
Is it important to get the injured players into a non-conference game before you jump back into the BIG EAST schedule?
"I don't look at it that way. I look at it as it's important for them to get back there, and get back there playing. The question will come for us as coaches if to see how they are, and then how much we want to put them back in there. Both players play on special teams for us and both players play on our base package and our nickel package. Those are the things that we'll answer as the week goes on and we continue to get those players better."
In looking at the film, have you seen anything that was wrong with the PAT and field goal team?
"Yes. It's very simple in this game if there's one person who is a problem because you either coach that person to do a better job or you replace them with someone else. I spoke to everyone on that team, and it starts inside out. It starts with some of the snaps and the double team on the right guard. What happened is (redshirt senior offensive guard) Andrew (Tiller) started leaning in there more to take care of the front side A-gap, then it put more strain on (senior offensive tackle) Michael Hay that he has to lean in there more. Then it comes to the tight end who is trying to block two without that much help because now we've shortened it down. (Sophomore nose tackle Robert) Welsh goes in there, and then he starts overcompensating, and (senior fullback) Adam Harris starts overcompensating. What we're going to do, because our right side overcompensates to the inside, what we'll do is switch the right guard to the left guard. So (junior offensive guard Zack) Chibane will go to right. We'll switch the two interior linemen, and what we're going to do is probably interlock the tight end so that he had one movement instead of two. That will help our wing, and then we're going to decrease our time by 0.01 seconds. That's exactly what went on."
Do you agree with (senior quarterback) Ryan Nassib's statement that the Rutgers loss humbled the offense?
"I think we were exposed on some things that we had been doing a good job of that we weren't able to execute, where before we felt very comfortable in doing it. If it's from that standpoint, then I would agree with it.
"I think what you have to do is not take anything for granted, whether it's a technical issue that you have to do, whether you have to push an outside number, break inside, or you have to do mandatory outside release. We try to make sure that every one of those things are critical to every single play that we run. If that's the case where we've taken some of those coaching points and some of those things for granted, then I would agree with it.
"I would hope, sitting here as a coach, that we don't take anything for granted, knowing that we have to work extremely hard and be focused to win football games. The way we are offensively, we have to execute to be successful."
How important is it to fix those things on offense so you don't go into the bye week after two tough games?
"I don't look too far ahead. I don't look at how it's going to be during the bye week. We have a schedule already for the bye week with a lot of quality control stuff. I think we have to make sure that we as coaches, every single game it's different because the opponent gives you different challenges, that we go into that game trying to get better and better and make sure that we execute at a high level. There are a lot of ups and downs unfortunately right now for us. There have been times when we have executed well, and there are times that we're not. We're coming off of probably one of the worst games that we've had, and it hurts even more because there are plays that we left out there. I think that's what hurts, and obviously the turnovers and now even giving yourself the opportunity to get the win."
With Tulane giving up almost 34 points per game, does this weekend give the offense an opportunity to work on some things?
"It really doesn't matter who we're playing if you turn the ball over five times, it's like a 0% chance of winning. That's our concern, and right now I have much more concern on our end that we make sure that we're doing things properly, all the little things, than I am about worrying outside the box.
"Tulane has done a very nice job in their coverage concepts. Against Duke, they intercepted a pass for a touchdown. I believe against UAB they picked a pass for a touchdown, so they do an excellent job in their coverage aspect of reading the quarterback and breaking on the football. When that happens, you have to do a very good job of running precise routes, timing, and doing those things. That will add pressure to us to make sure that we don't take anything for granted and we're working on everything that we can do."
Do you expect to do anything different during the bye week?
"What happens is you make decisions, whether you're out on the road or not. We'll take advantage of that. What we'll do is a lot of self scouting and quality control. We get a chance to sit down with the players and talk about what's going on and evaluating that situation. It's a chance to get a lot of work done in the middle and know exactly where you are and knowing what you're doing well and what you aren't. Then you writie down, 'Here are the problems that we're having. Let's write down the answers. Here are the players. How can we get them better? Let's write down the answers.' Then implementing them in the plan so that we can continue to get better as the season goes on."
On what it will be like to coach in the Superdome again and the familiarity he has with Tulane:
"(Head) Coach (Bob)Toledo and I lived in the same neighborhood. (Former Tulane and New Orleans Saints defensive coach) Tom Hayes, lived four houses down and was with us at the Saints and then was a defensive coordinator for Tulane. Early on when Coach Toledo had gotten there, I went to practice. I wish I would have studied it more than just going down and watching them.
"As far as going down to a place that has been special to me as a player and a coach, if I ask my players to treat every game like a business trip, and I go down there and I get outside of my schedule, then I'm not doing the right thing because I'm not showing the right example. I have gotten a few phone calls, and I told the people, and I love them to death in New Orleans, but I told them 'Hey. I'll come down sometime during vacation, but right now we're going down there on a business trip trying to win a football game."
On talking to his players about the atmosphere in the Superdome:
"I haven't yet but I do have that plan. For every game we play on the road, we try to set a picture in the players' mind of the venue that we're playing in of what it's like and how it's going to be. This way, it kinds of cuts the anxiety off and they know exactly what type of atmosphere they're going in to."
What element does somebody like (junior free safety) Shamarko Thomas bring to the team if he comes back this weekend?
"I was very happy with the way we played defensively (against Rutgers). We obviously played well enough to win the game. What I saw defensively was that he limited some of the things with (freshman linebacker) Dyshawn Davis, and you saw the production of him on the field and he had his best game. We saw (freshman linebacker) Siriki (Diabate) go in there, and he was triggering more and he was in the backfield. You saw (freshman linebacker) Cameron Lynch, and I'm talking about the younger kids going in there. What we weren't getting earlier in the year out of that package is coming with experience and they're triggering more and going and they're coverage skills are increasing, too.
"When you bring back a Shamarko Thomas or (senior strong safety) Olando Fisher, now we have to evaluate on if they're where they were beforehand, and how are these young guys coming along. We're playing three corners, and we're going to continue to play the three corners and make the right decisions.
"Up front, it was the most tackles for loss we had. I thought we did a good job penetrating. I thought (senior nose tackle) Deon Goggins made an outstanding play when he went backside and then went back down the line and caught him. Defensively, we played well enough to win that game, and I think we're getting better and better defensively as we go. We were in good position on the go routes, they made a play on one and we were in great position. Those things happen.
"I'm very excited about the progression of the younger players and how they're coming along in the system, and I'm excited to get some of our veterans back. What that will do is create depth where we will not lose a lot from the first group to the second group no matter who it is."
With (sophomore running back Prince-Tyson) Gulley being out for the season, how much confidence do you have in the other running backs?
"We’re going to play those players because if, God forbid, something happens to (senior running back) Antwon (Bailey), now everything is increased. As coaches, we always want to be ready in developing the players behind him. You don't want to change your demeanor all of a sudden with an injury. You want to be the same way all the way through, so for us we have to get those players involved in the system and you'll see all of those players involved in the game plan.
"Now, whether we call those plays that they're involved with, but they'll get snaps at tailback and go."
