University of Connecticut Athletics
Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
10/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 27, 2009
Head Coach Randy Edsall's Opening Statement on Rutgers
This week with Rutgers we've got a tall task ahead of us. You look at Rutgers offensively and the first guy that really comes to mind is Tim Brown and his ability to be able to make plays and the speed that he has, you take a look at the number of touchdown catches that he has and they all average over about 40 yards. He is a big play guy for them.
They have one of the top offensive linemen in the country at left tackle, Anthony Davis, and Joe Martinek, their running back, is playing hard and running well for them. So, again, it's an offense that has good balance in terms of throwing the ball and running the ball and the young quarterback gets better for them each week. Defensively, they are a very active defense, that runs to the ball extremely well. George Johnson is a play maker for them on the defensive line. Devin McCorty Is a big play guy for them in the secondary and their shutdown guy. Ryan D'Imperio is really the leader of that defense in terms of getting them lined up and you can see he's making the adjustments and he is a very good football play. They are sound in the special team's game with good returners and good specialists. We are going to have our work cut out for us as we play this week and what we need to do is just make sure that we go out and have a good week of practice and execute a little bit better, consistently, throughout the game and if we do that then we'll give ourselves a great opportunity of coming away with a win.
Edsall on the UConn Offense
I am pleased with what has happened to us offensively and again, I knew that this would be a work in progress this week, you know change our offense, and again, I think that we have a lot more balance now in the offense. We are throwing the ball more consistently and getting some big plays in the passing game. We are still running the ball well but at least we have that balance and I think that going forward, that is what you need to have. I have liked the fact that we have improved from week-to-week and that's what we have to continue to do this week. We need to get better again this week. I think the kids are really doing that and take a lot of pride in trying to make that improvement each and every week.
Edsall on the Focus of the Team This Week Then Last Week
Probably more so then any other time in the last nine or 10 days. We had our normal Tuesday morning meeting this morning and the guys were attentive, alert, everything, we didn't have to talk about some of the other issues that have come up. It's good to get back into that kind of mindset, knowing that we still will deal with our thoughts and how we're going to handle Jazz from here on in on our own individually.
Edsall on Dave Teggart
He's really just like any other guy. We showed him. You can see it. It's a technique thing. I know everybody never wants to hear all these execution and technique things but it's just a matter of his execution. He's proven that he can kick, that's not the problem. For us, it's sometimes what he is thinking but it's also just going and doing the things that he can do. You try to help him and say 'Hey just go out there and kick,' and I don't think it's a lack of focus, because David is very focused. I think the big thing of it is more technical than the mental part.
We kick Desi with him every week and we'll do that again this week. They both take reps and we monitor it and even though we do that, David comes out as the best guy. This point of time, we aren't going to take Chad Christen and burn a redshirt year on him, he hasn't really been kicking because Desi was the second-best guy. David just has to go out like every other player and go out and execute. He's just got to do his job, is basically what he has to do. He's the best guy, he's just got to go out and get the job done and he is capable. I haven't lost confidence in him but the thing about him is, he's got to get back into that grove and do things repetitively and correct, all the time. That's all it is, it's rhythm, it is just like the golf swing. And again, you can't worry about hooking it or slicing, you just have block everything out and get into that routine and just take care of business.
Edsall on Jory Johnson
I thought Jory came up and made some pretty good plays last week. The one thing you take to work with, with some injuries and the other things that have taken place, there are a lot of guys that are getting on the field and gaining the experience through playing, which is beneficial. Jory had a pretty good game last week. He's going to be part of the depth, he's a starter, he's in there but I have been pleased with the progress that he's made. We just have to continue to work with him and he's got to continue to work hard to make sure he can fit in to all the things we want to do so he just doesn't have to be like a situational player for us because we really need him to be more than a situational player right now.
Edsall on Cody Endres
I think he's gotten better with each game. You can see that. You know, a couple of the interceptions the other day, the long one to Brad was underthrown but the last one when you get hit like that, that's something there. The other one, Mike got knocked down and he should have gone somewhere else but I think Cody has gotten better and he knows where to go with the ball. Again, in the pocket, he's got to keep both hands on the ball. As far as his reads go, he's been good with that. His leadership has been good and he's done a good job of getting in and out of some of the situations we need to get out of. We see a guy that's getting better each week.
Edsall on Marcus Easley's Development as a Player
Sometimes I think there is a combination of things that go along with somebody's development. Maybe they didn't, in high school, play as much or they maybe weren't in the system or physically, some guys come on a little bit later. I just know that Marcus was always a guy that had some height, weight and speed but didn't have that consistency that we wanted to see for him to be able to be in there and doing the things that we thought that he could do. Also, I think sometimes with a player, it's a sense of urgency with them, in terms of he knew that this was his last year and he knew that there was just one more opportunity, one year left. I'm not saying that he worked any harder this year but maybe the focus, the mindset was a little bit different. Marcus has always worked hard but just in terms of the opportunity, when you look at it, because of who we were we didn't do a whole lot of throwing the football the previous two seasons. He has been in there for us as a blocker and on special teams. There were some things from a receiver standpoint that we didn't see but now he is doing those things. If you just look at when Marcus Easley was in the game for us until a couple of games ago, he was a blocked more than a runner.
On the improvement of Tom Savage
It is the same thing when you play the quarterback position, it is repetitions that make you better. You see different things and some of the same things and you get more comfortable with everything that you are seeing. To me it is just more playing time that he has. They are more of a shot gun team and don't go under the center very much which helps a young quarterback more because you can see a little bit more and aren't dropping back as much so it gives you the benefit of seeing it all a little better instead of having to drop back and read it.
On approaching the game against Rutgers
I can't speak for what their mindset is. The way that we approach all of the games is that we are looking to get everybody's best shot when we play them. That is the way that we are always going to prepare and go out and have our best game in order to win. Again, I think if we really understand who our opponent is, the schemes that they run and their personnel, the bottom line is we have to go out and take care of ourselves. If we can do that, then we will be in a good position. The thing that concerns me a little bit with them is that they are a +14 in the turnover ratio. They have 21 takeaways and seven giveaways. We are also on the plus side, +3, but they have created a lot of fumbles so we have to make sure that we do a good job with our ball security this week. That is what sticks out about their defense is that they are a 30 percent team in terms of pressure so we will have to do a good job of recognizing looks and our ball security.
The proximity and the games that we have played, it has always been very competitive and close games with Rutgers. Again, our guys know that you better go out and treat them all the same way and that is why we have to focus on what we need to get done.
On the special teams
We made corrections on the kickoff coverage. That was a couple of guys that didn't read the return the right way and went the wrong way. We had a young guy that we put in for the first time that didn't go down and properly squeeze the ball and put it where he should have. That was a good play by West Virginia but there were also some mistakes by UConn that allowed that to happen. All we can do as coaches is to show David [Teggart] here is what you did wrong and you have to go out and correct those things. In any game you cant squander scoring opportunities because if you do it and its proven to us in games that it has happened. When we have missed field goals it has come back to hurt us. When you throw an interception going in for a touchdown, that hurts us. I'm not worried about it because it happened last week, I am just worried about getting him right for this week and practicing the things that we need to practice for us to get a victory on Saturday. Those aren't the things that I brought up to our guys. Last week doesn't matter this week. That's how David and all the guys should look at it. You learn from the mistakes, you correct the mistakes, and now you move forward and get yourself ready to play this week because it is all different situations and circumstances that will be facing.
On giving the guys some slack last weekend
You never grade on a curve. In our business you either do it right or you do it wrong. To me it is either if they do what they are asked to do, they get a plus, if not it's a minus. People used to have plus, minus and zero. Either you did it the right way or you did it the wrong way. If you say 'well it was okay but..' they never get better. You never grade on a circumstance or a curve because you are going out there to play to the best of your ability and get a win. There are all kinds of situations every week that come up. Keeping consistency is key because then the kids understand what has to get done and what they have to improve upon.
On the emotional state of the team
From the very first morning that I talked to them we told them there were people available to them. I think with yesterday there has been some closure to this situation. Everybody will go and handle that in their own was as we move forward, but we all have to move on with our everyday lives and understand what we have to get done. I am not going to interfere with anybody's individual way of handling this situation with Jazz but everyone knows it is time to move forward and go on and individually they will handle the situation as they see fit. There is help available to these young men any time they need it. They know where to go and who to see and how they can get any help that they might need.
On the arrest made Tuesday
I heard there was going to be some kind of a press conference other than that I am Sergeant Schultz, I know nothing.
On remembering Jazz before the Rutgers game
We will have the JH on our helmet for the rest of the season and also our players will be wearing the #6 t-shirts through the Husky walk on Saturday. There will be a moment of silence before the game.
On the play of Kashif Moore at the West Virginia game
I wasn't surprised that he was able to make those plays. Talking to him during the week and as the week went on I would check with him. I have been around kids for a long time and I think one of the qualities that I do have is the ability to read people and see how people are affected by things and if they are really telling me the truth. But, talking to him during the week and looking at him when we spoke that I could see he was in good shape. The way he spoke, how he looked at me, and watching him practice I wasn't concerned about him as much as I was concerned about one or two other guys.
On the young cornerbacks and their play against West Virginia
I thought the play that Dwayne Gratz made in the beginning of the game when they were trying to test him, that's as good of a play that we have seen a corner make on the ball in the air. That is one of the things, you get better by going out and playing. For his first extended time of playing, I thought he passed. He knows that he isn't the finished product and has to keep working but it shows that he has the ability. For Dwayne, its how good does he really want to be because things like that should give you confidence. He executed the technique perfectly and when you do you make a play. I thought Blidi [Wreh-Wilson] did a good job for not practicing. He practiced but was limited with that ankle. I thought he went out and gutted it up and played well. Those two kids, as long as they keep their head on straight and want to work they have a chance to be good football players. It is important to them and they want to be good.
Cody Endres on the Rutgers defense
They are having a good year and they have a really sound defense. We are just going to balance the pass and the run game like we have been and put points on the board.
On the passing game
We have been getting more and more confidence every week with the success of the run and pass game complementing each other. We all know that we can get even better still and that is was we are striving to do. The more points that we put on the board, the easier is makes for the defense and winning games.
I always knew that Marcus [Easley] and Kashif [Moore] would be weapons, I think it just came down to getting cohesion with the guys and having them understand all of the intricacies of the offense. There are still improvements to be made, but you can see on the field that we are getting better every week and that is what we need to do. Ryan [Griffin} is also a good target. He is a long strider and gets down the field and open and make big plays for us if he has to.
Marcus has been making some huge plays for us. We know what he is capable of doing out there. We have been drawing up some different plays for him and he is doing a great job of getting open out there even when he has coverage. He has finally got his chance out there like I got my chance and he has just been making big play after big play and his confidence is growing as he gets better. It has taken him a couple of years to do that but he has gone out there and continues to make big plays for us.
It is tough to stay patient sometimes but we are coming along nicely. I think that everyone understand that there are still strides to make and we just have to play within ourselves and the system that is laid out in front of us and that is where the success comes from.
I think I am making improvements on the short passes but there are some improvements that I would have liked to have made after going back and watching the film. As a quarterback I still haven't made that many starts yet and I am still trying to get better every week and that is what you have to do as a competitor.
I think I am getting more comfortable back out there every game. There are still a lot of strides to be made and I wish I could take a couple of plays back in the West Virginia game. As long as we are getting better each week, which we have been in my opinion, I think we will get some more wins.
On getting back to normal.
I think we are really close. A lot of closure was brought to us yesterday and it was important to us to get down there and see what kind of support he had and what he meant to the community. I think now, we are already to get back on to the field and just keep getting better, competing and getting wins on the board.
This is the first time that I am hearing about the arrest. I think it is important for everyone to see justice be brought to the case but at the same time it doesn't bring Jasper back.
It has been a long week but I think everyone is ready to get back on the field and play like we know we can. We need to get some more wins especially in the BIG EAST and we are going to get back out there and do that.
Everyone is a little different in this process but coach has been very understanding through everything. I think getting back on the field is a good vice for people.
On getting revenge against Rutgers
Losing to a team one year, you always want to get them the next year. This is an important game for us in the BIG EAST, it's a game that we have to win and I think we are going to get out there and do that.
Jordan Todman on dealing with the loss of Jazz
Jazz was our brother and our teammate. Us being there, we all felt obligated and wanted to be there for him no matter what. It is sad and it stinks but we got to say goodbye to our brother. I wish it was under better terms and not with him passing away. It was hard for us but we feel better actually being able to do that.
I definitely feel like we have grown closer and I live my days a lot more different now. You never know what can happen or when it can happen. I keep my friends a lot closer, I make sure my family and friends know that I love them because you never know when it is your time or their time. You never know when it will be the last time you see them or what will be the last thing that you say to them. It brought us closer and we are constantly thinking about it in the back of our minds, but we are trying to stay positive and we are keeping close as a team because you never know when we might lose each other.
There were a lot of people at the funeral just showing you how many people Jazz has touched in his life. I didn't know what to expect but I knew there would be a lot of sad people in there and that was very true. I didn't know what to expect. It was tough, it has all been tough. On the way back, we weren't laughing and giggling because we kept thinking about it but we want to keep our regular routine, smile, and tell jokes.
It has been draining, we have been thinking about this, we were ready for it but in a sense you have to take things day-by-day. We have to prepare for Rutgers, we know what we have to do and we know what Jazz would like us to do and that is to go out there and get the win. We are going to be focused on that today and through our practices for the rest of the week. We are working hard and playing every play like it is your last because you never know if it will be the last time that you are on the football field.
On getting revenge on Rutgers for the loss last year
I feel like you always want to get revenge on anyone that beats you. No one wants to lose, we are definitely competitors and obviously here to win. I don't feel that we have put a huge checkmark on the calendar and we are going game-by-game, but we know they did beat us and we have a sour taste in our mouth and want to get out there and get the win.
I think of it as a natural rival against Rutgers. We have a good amount of players here from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area that know each other so its close whenever. They are a good team, we are a good team and its going to be a good match.
On the arrest made.
We are just happy that the person who did this is going to be held responsible for it. It brings closure. It is not the same feeling as if we could have Jazz back.
Greg Lloyd on the funeral
I want to say that it helps but in the long run it is still a shame and its not like it is going to bring back Jazz. It does make you feel better that they found somebody with the new development.
Yesterday was a reflection period. Everybody was mainly silent because like you said, a lot has happened with that and having to go play a game. It was more everyone keeping to themselves and getting their mind right because we still have a game to play and unfortunately they don't give you a week off when something like this happens.
On Rutgers
The outlook for this week is to refuse to lose. In the last couple of games it has been close and come down to the fourth quarter so coming into this week the main focus is to keep the steam going, keep moving forward, keep making progress, we are that close but you have to finish, you have to be able to finish.
On the emotional state of the team heading into Rutgers compared to West Virginia
I say that it is still the same, it is going to take a while for us to move on, probably until the trial and someone going to jail for it. Even then, it will take time after that because we will never see Jazz ever again. He is someone you could joke around with and talk to, that I won't be seeing again. It is a heavy weight to carry around, that someone you hung out with, you knew and saw on a daily basis, won't be there.
On the West Virginia game and what it shows about that team
We have a bond that can't be broken. Stuff can happen and we can still come together as a team to put our hearts out there, to work hard, to try and get the job done. It builds a lot of character and brought us all together and grow up as individuals. We have a great group of gentlemen playing here. We have a great staff here. There isn't too much that is going to shake us. That being said, we still have to come here, work hard and keep our focus to get the job done.
Players Mentioned
