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University of Minnesota Athletics
Press Conference quotes
9/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Weekly Press Conference
Game Week: Florida Atlantic
Sept. 16, 2008
Head coach Tim Brewster
"As I said after the game against Montana State, I was thrilled to be the head coach of a team that’s 3-0. There are 23 teams in this country today that are 3-0 football teams, and we’re one of those 23 teams. Obviously, we’re very proud about that, particularly after the season we had last year. It’s very evident that we are a much improved football team this season and we’re doing the things that good football teams to win games. Again, I couldn’t be more pleased.
"There are a couple of statistics that I think are very indicative of our improvement. We’re No. 1 in the nation in red zone efficiency. We’ve been in the red zone 11 times and 11 times we’ve scored touchdowns. That’s a great indication of the great job Adam Weber has done and is a testament to the plan that our offensive coaches have put together. To be No. 1 in the nation in anything is a good thing. Another important statistic that we’re doing very well with is our turnover ratio, with our takeaways and giveaways. We’ve only given it away once and we’ve taken it away eight times that puts us No. 3 in the nation in giveaway/takeaway ratio. Again, everyone knows that if you’re taking the ball away more than you’re giving it up, that’s going to take you a long way. We’ve had excellent ball security on offense.
"Looking back at the Montana State game, one thing we notice is that we started out slower than we had the last two weeks. The first two weeks we took the opening kickoff and went down and scored, but this week we just started a little slower. When you look at the youth of the football team, it’s truly amazing I even asked some of our staff to take a look to find out if there was a younger football team in America than the University of Minnesota. We started three redshirt freshmen [on the offensive line], two redshirt sophomore, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, a true freshman tailback I think it’s pretty remarkable what we’re doing offensively. Obviously, I think we’ve got a great deal of youth on the defensive side of the ball as well and I think that maturity level had a lot to do with our slow start against Montana State. Also, I think our fans showed up slow too they weren’t as evident at the Gopher Victory Walk and not as many fans were at the game, so I think they were slow coming out of the gate, too. Obviously, we’re going to have to be much faster out of the gate in all areas this week if we’re going to be successful against a very good Florida Atlantic team.
"When you look at Florida Atlantic, I think they might be the best 1-2 football team in America. It’s amazing the about of talent that Howard Schnellenberger has accumulated at Florida Atlantic. I just look at them as a very gifted team across the board. You look at the two teams they’ve lost to and you see Texas and Michigan State. They’ve played very well against UAB and they have some extremely talented football players on their team. Obviously Howard has been around forever and he’s a great football coach he does a heck of a job coaching their football team to be a very solid, sound fundamental team. They are very physical on both sides of the ball. Their quarterback, Rusty Smith, I think is as good a quarterback as there is in the country. I think the guy throws the ball extremely well last week, I don’t think [his performance] was indicative at all of his abilities in the downpour against Michigan State. He was 8 out of 35, but the kid can really throw the football and he’s got tremendous confidence. He throws to one of the best wide receivers in the country in [Cortez] Gent, who has outstanding speed and is a really excellent wide receiver. He was able to do some things to really hurt Texas. Again, he caught some balls last week. I have just been really impressed with the combination of Smith to Gent. Their tight end, [Jamari] Grant is an outstanding football player who they use very similarly to how we used a guy like Antonio Gates when I was in the National Football League. They can line him up outside, inside and use him in different formations. On defense, they’re a very physical and athletic defense. You think about the number of football players that are in south Florida. There is probably not a better area in America for high school football than south Florida. Howard has done just an amazing job of bringing those players to Florida Atlantic [Jervonte] Jackson, their defensive tackle, I think is amazing. Their middle linebacker, [Frantz] Joseph these are all players that can play at any level. Their special teams are very solid. For us to have a chance to win this week against Florida Atlantic, it’s going to take our absolute best effort of the season they’re just a supremely talented, gifted football team. Don’t let the 1-2 record deceive you at all we’ve studied them very hard and they are an outstanding football team."
On the team’s injury situation and offensive line:
“[Dom Alford] is doing well. Dom’s going to be a day-to-day guy He sprained his ankle [Saturday], but we’re really pleased with what he was able to do yesterday, but he won’t be 100% to practice today. Trey Davis is going to start at center, and we really feel that Jeff Tow-Arnett is going to have a chance to play this week. He’s going to practicing today, so we feel really good about him possibly coming back. [Ned] Tavale will be back full speed 100% today, so that is great for us he and [Chris] Bunders will play at the right guard position. We also like what [Jason] Meinke has done. Ryan [Orton] is very comfortable at the right tackle spot. We hold out hope that Alford will be ready to go this weekend.”
On the tailback position:
“We’ll see how that plays itself out as the week progresses. I’m really pleased with what DeLeon Eskridge was able to do in the game last week. Shady [Salamon] is doing fine; Jay Thomas is going to some work there again. As we move later into the week, we’ll probably decide who will start at that position.”
On the difficulty evaluating FAU after their game against Michigan State:
“It’s a challenge just because it was such a torrential downpour. For Rusty to be 8 out of 35 that’s not a good indication of what they’re capable of. They can flat-out throw the football. Those [wet] conditions really served Michigan State well having a running back like Javon Ringer. The weather really helped MSU a lot last week.”
On FAU’s passing game:
“Their passing game allows them really to play with anybody. It will take our absolute best effort so far this season to even have a chance to be in the game with them.”
On how the turnover ratio has helped the team this season:
“This year, the turnover ratio has really worked in our favor. Last year, we were probably last in the country in that statistic, so it obviously was working against us. Again, for us to have a chance to play with a team that’s as talented and gifted as Florida Atlantic is, we’re going to have to take care of the football and we’re going to have to force them into a turnover or two. We’re going to have to play with the same kind of intensity we did in the Bowling Green game it’s really going to take that kind of effort.”
On Adam Weber:
“He may not have had his best statistical performance, but he really played well against Montana State. As you really look at the game carefully, it’s clear he played well. When you evaluate a quarterback, there two statistics you really have to take into account: third down conversions and red zone efficiency. We’re really doing well in both those areas. The other thing is that he’s really taken care of the ball he hasn’t turned the ball over even once this season. We are absolutely thrilled with how Adam Weber is playing.
“I think [offensive coordinator] Mike [Dunbar] has done a great job getting Adam prepared to play each week. I think his success just goes back to his commitment to be a student of the game. Adam on Sunday night and Mondays is very involved in film study and also with the implementation of our game plan. He lets us know what he likes and what he sees. His evolution as student of the game more than anything else has helped him become the quarterback that he is today.”
On FAU quarterback Rusty Smith:
“He’s really a great rhythm passer. He does an outstanding job coordinating his feet with the throw. He’s a very accurate passer. We’ve got to be able to get around his feet a little bit and force his feet to get a little out of rhythm. To me, everyone talks about sacks, but sacks aren’t nearly as important as getting around the quarterback and getting his feet out of rhythm.”
On Willie VanDeSteeg’s performance against Montana State:
“I think his stepping up and having a big game really means a lot to us, especially because he’s been through thick and thin with us, he’s a senior. It means a lot to him [for the team to play well}. He made a statement after the game that I thought was very telling he was thinking about last year’s seniors who went 1-11. I think that says so much about the type of person Willie is.”
On how FAU has developed since they beat the Gophers 42-39 in Miami last year:
“I think they’re much better and much improved. It’s another year into the scheme, into the system. I think the quarterback is a much better player and that’s so important because the game is so quarterback-driven. Their receiver is just outstanding. I just think they’re a much-improved football team and I give Howard all the credit. They have got some outstanding football players on that team.”
On FAU’s offensive protection scheme:
“They play what we call a 21 protection scheme with two backs and one tight end and they protect better than most people because they put more people in to block. Most teams today use five- or six-man protection units, but Florida Atlantic is primarily a seven-man protection unit other that when they get into their spread looks they’re not a big spread team. What you’ve got to do is pick your poison with them. You’re not going to get to the quarterback much when they’re in a seven-man protection. They’ve given up exactly zero sacks through three games. I don’t know if it’s as necessary for us to get sacks as it is for us to just get pressure. The question will be whether we’ll try to get into coverage against that protection scheme or whether we’re going to try to get after the quarterback anyway.”
On whether Michigan State’s success running the ball last week against FAU will affect Minnesota’s offensive game plan:
“We’re going to be balanced. We’re going to run the football, but we’re also going to want to throw. As you look at us through two years here, I think we’ve been a very balanced team. Again, we’re really pleased with DeLeon Eskridge running for 114 yards last week. Our commitment to running the ball is there and we’ll have to be very balanced to have success against those guys because we’re not a Michigan State football team that is able to run the tailback 43 times.”
On the possibility of players looking past Florida Atlantic to Ohio State:
“We haven’t been thinking about Ohio State. That game is going to be a big game for us down the road, but when we think about Florida Atlantic, they’ve got some players that could play at Ohio State and their scheme is very similar to Ohio State. They’re a very physical, athletic football team. We’ve got our hands full this week. That game next week is one we’ll worry about next week.”
On the possibility of FAU keying on Eric Decker after his 12 reception, 162-yard performance against FAU last year:
“I think we’re going to try and get [tight end] Jack Simmons going this week and we’re going to work on other guys getting the ball, but it’s the other team’s responsibility to stop Eric. People might say, “well, you’re always throwing to Decker.” Well, he’s open. The problem is going to be whether you can cover him. If you can, then we’re going to have to go to some other people. So far, nobody has had an answer for Eric.
“I do think we’ve got some other quality targets. I think Ralph Spry is a quality receiver. I think it’s been good to see some of the young guys get into the game, get their feet wet. I think they’ll be ready this week as well.”
On what it’s going to take for someone to win the starting running back spot:
“Probably the ability to week in, week out prepare to be a student of the game. To me, you earn that job in practice. How you practice will determine who the starting tailback is going to be. Obviously, what you do in the game is going to be important, but to me I want to see a maturity in how you study the game and how you prepare. I’ve been watching those guys very closely to see who’s in studying game film, how much tape they’re studying, how they answer questions, talking about the game plan. Duane Bennett really because an outstanding pass receiver and that’s very important to our offense. There are other things to do besides just carrying the football. Those are the thigns that we’ll look at to determine who the starter will be: as much without the ball as with the ball.”
“Obviously, you’d like to have a guy picked out as your starting tailback today or tomorrow, but I don’t think that’ll be the process. I think we’ll probably see a couple of guys playing at the position and we’ll probably ride the guy who’s got the hot hand. There may be one guy who absolutely grabs the bull by the horns and says, I’m the guy.’ That’d be nice if that does happen.”
On whether one player is the front runner for the starting tailback position:
“Well, DeLeon was pretty good last week. He was pretty solid. You know, he’s a true freshman. We’re talking about 18-year-old kids here. You’ve probably got children that change from day to day. We know what we had yesterday, but we don’t know what we have today.”
Freshman RB DeLeon Eskridge
“I feel like I need to be consistent to be our starting running back. I don’t want to just come in for one game and do well but not be consistent after. I’m going to come into practice, work hard, and hopefully have another good game this Saturday.”
“One touchdown was great to get. But three just really excited me. I think I did that a couple times in high school but this had a very different feeling to it.”
Sophomore S Kyle Theret
“All of our secondary gets better every week. You can tell in practice each week that they improve and when you get to the games, you see some of the plays they make and the work is obvious. Marcus’ (Sherels) play where he picked of Montana State shows exactly how athletic he is and how fast he’s catching onto this. Both Traye Simmons and Marcus are catching onto the plays and the signals quicker and they’re starting to play very well.”
“It’s awesome when you get something like Willie VanDeSteeg’s performance on Saturday. It’s what you look for from a two year captain. He’s a leader of the team and when you see him doing his job and making plays, it makes you want to do your job right. You feel like you owe him your best. It helps our defense a lot to see that.”
Senior DE Willie VanDeSteeg
“FAU is going to spread us out and throw the ball. They have a lot of good athletes on the outside and they have a big offensive line so we’re excited for the challenge.”
“I think gameplay is a little easier for our defense this year compared to last year. We have a little more experience in the backfield with Tramaine Brock and Traye Simmons. They’re extremely quick and fast and that helps us in coverage and gives us more time to rush the quarterback.”
Sophomore QB Adam Weber
“I think we’ve been a little conservative going over the middle but it’s all about getting into a rhythm. We know that as an offensive squad that if we protect the ball and keep it in our hands, we have a shot at winning games. That was our problem last year, we kept our defense on the field for way too much during games.”
“I think we’ll play a little more conservative this year compared to last year. It’s all about comfort level and withal these new guys in there. We have to find our rhythm and jell. It’s all about establishing our running game and throwing short passes and eventually guys will stack the box and we can hit them deep.”
