University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Tulane University
With Tulane ahead, Edsall Emphasizes a Need for Consistency
10/9/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football
The UConn football team will travel to New Orleans this weekend to face the Tulane Green Wave, who has been one of the best teams in the AAC to this point with a 4-1 record.
"They're a talented team offensively and defensively," head coach Randy Edsall said in his Tuesday press conference. "They're playing really good football right now."
Edsall complimented Tulane's quarterback Justin McMillan for his playmaking ability with his arm and legs. He also said that Tulane's defense is very aggressive in man coverage so it will be a challenge.
In order for the Huskies to compete on Saturday to try and snap their current four-game losing streak, Edsall said that the team must take its execution and consistency to another level.
Consistency was the word of the day for Edsall. He said that consistency comes not just from putting in work on the field, but also the daily work and development off the field.
"A lot of players don't get it," Edsall said. "Not only do you have to do it on the field, and you have to do it correctly over and over again, but you have to spend the time watching film and putting the time in from that standpoint. The guys that just come here, sit in a meeting, go out to practice and then don't do anything until they come back the next day without watching film aren't going to ever get consistent in my mind."
He said football is so different than other sports because it requires 11 different players doing 11 different things to be on the same page at all times. In order for the players to be consistently improving together, he said they have to put in that relentless work outside of the training facility.
"The guys that become consistent are the ones who put in the time that it takes to continue to get better," Edsall said. "That's weight room, that's taking care of your bodies, that's watching tape, that's all those things. That's how you get more consistent because the more consistent you get, the more confident you are because then you know what [the opposing defense and offense] is going to be doing."
Edsall said that it all comes back to the recruiting process and finding those players who want to put in that work every day to become the best and most consistent players they can be.
Quarterback Mike Beaudry said that consistency on game day comes down to having a routine through the practice week.
"You have to be the same person every day," Beaudry said. "You gotta prepare the same, you gotta go to sleep at the same time. Every time you show up, you have to be the same guy. You can't be sleepy one morning or just off your game … You just gotta show up and give it your all because then by game day, you're going to be the same person you were during the week. So if you were bad throughout the week, you're probably going to be bad on game day."
Running back Art Thompkins said consistency is all about preparation.
"At the beginning of the week, you have to prepare and take into consideration that every day we have to be better," Thompkins said. "I believe the most confident players and players that perform the best are the most prepared ones at the beginning of the week. So just locking in, focusing, preparing, watching film and things like that."
Consistency will be key going into this week's tough conference matchup, and it will continue to be key throughout the season.
