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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Syracuse
11/12/2019 8:55:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe met with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Blue Devil Tower.
The Blue Devils are back into ACC play when they host Syracuse on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Wes Durham, Roddy Jones and Eric Wood on the call. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Good afternoon. Weather is good weather for a basketball game. If the roof doesn't leak, right? First gym I played in the roof leaked. What you to think about that? You had to set your offense up around the drip on the floor. Because if you hit the drip, there's no break. You're going to get called for traveling if you slipped on the water. I don't think Cameron Indoor will be leaking tonight.
"We do not have a conference policy on injuries. I know you all ask me all the time about injuries. I don't like that we don't have a policy. I don't understand that. In fairness to everyone, whether it be team to team or to the media. I don't think it should be a coach's vote. I think this is bigger than the coaches, but with that said, I'm going to tell you because I think it's fair and right that Jack Wohlabaugh had surgery this morning and will be out. That young man has been a warrior. He has fought to stay in and to stay in. We have several people playing hurt. But it was time and it was the right thing to do. I know that's out there now, I get it. But I hope you respect the fact that I'm letting you know because I believe in doing the right thing. Right now I can't tell you who else we got or don't have. It's a constant ebb and flow during the week.
"With that I'll jump off to Syracuse. Dino Babers is not only an outstanding football coach; he is an outstanding man. He is a person I like and respect. There is no accident to why the culture changed at Syracuse. Special team a year ago. We're all in a little bit of the same boat. There's a fine line and I don't know every problem they've had; they don't know every problem we've had. But I know they're having a tough year; just like we're having a tough year. But I've always loved what they do offensively, always. They scare you to death when you're playing them. But I've watched them a lot in years we didn't have them on the schedule. Watched them a lot in the offseason. Defensively, they're always aggressive, physical. I know they've had a change in coordinator on the defensive side so there may be some change there. They're outstanding in the kicking game. You might think, well, why the record? Well, this is a tough league. And again, I don't know what all the problems are. But I have the utmost respect for this Syracuse program and this Syracuse team and we're going to continue to work to become an outstanding football team of our own. And we can. We got three games left and we got to try to go 1-0 this week. I'm not worried about three games. The focus is going to try to be the best Duke team we can be this week. If it maybe sounds like I'm in a serious mood, yes, I am. I'm far from defeated, but if you asked me if I was in a good mood, I'd tell you no. There's a reality to all of this."
(Ref.: On why now was a good time for surgery for Jack (Wohlabaugh)?)
"The doctors. I mean, we're going to always listen to them. He got rolled up on in the last game, and that was even with a brace. He's been limited, we've held him out of a lot of practices trying to get him there. Then you reach a point where the doctor says 'this doesn't look good.' I think we had to sedate him to get him to agree to surgery. I'm dead serious. I spoke with him last night. And what an incredible young man. I told him last night, I said 'I'm thankful every day that you became a part of this program.' And you know he told me, and you knew he meant it, he said he felt the same way. But yeah, it's been tough. Emotional. It was emotional for me last night with him. I hate these things for young people. I do."
(Ref.: On who will take Jack's starting spot at center?)
"Will Taylor will start at center. Zach's getting work, but Will is much more down the road than Zach (Baker) because of the amount of spring reps. You know Zach was the starting guard for the most part of this. And then Zach's been out and hasn't practiced a good bit. Had him back last week. But we will have both of them available to play. The next guy would be Liam Smith."
(Ref.: On going back to the basics?)
"Yeah, I went back to my roots is what I told our team and just how we do things. Go right back is exactly what you do. And to build anything to me, building a program, relationships, you build them from the ground up. And when it gets shaky you go back and look at the foundation. And so that's really where we are."
(Ref.: On some of the defensive players trying to do too much?)
"Defensively, some of the explosive runs came from a guy trying to cross a gap and trying to cross it too quick and getting the wrong gap. So, that leaves a gap wide open therefore, big runs. I hadn't seen any of that what I would say on offense, and that's just been recent on defense, actually only the Notre Dame game. But that's the only place that I've seen it."
(Ref.: On what changes need to be made to get the team back to their offensive abilities?)
"Well, I mean efficiency are plays of four or more yards. And sometimes people get caught up in only looking at explosives. Where we're running low are the efficiency. A play of four or more yards should be at 60 percent or higher. And that's where we're missing the boat. The other thing where we're slowly declining is on possession downs. Look at the numbers on third and fourth downs. If you can't stay on the field, you can't score points. When you have a decline in possessions and turnovers increase, you got a double dose of issues. So, offensively, our backs ran while at times, we're throwing and catching it good, and we've got good players. But again, we may have nine people doing something perfect, and two not getting the job done. We may have 10-and-1, not getting the job done. That's kind of the nature of offensive football. And as I said, when we throw in, whether it's miscommunication or sloppy carrying of the ball, turnovers, a lack of four or more yards and tough times with possession downs, there's not many points out there.
"You go back and you look at every bit of that. The accountability has to be in an extreme effort of every player to protect the ball. An extreme effort on our part as coaches to coach third down to a detail to get the effort and the energy that we can. Our backs may have come close to averaging four yards. I don't remember exactly. One was 4.1, the other 3.9 on their carries. I think I mentioned it after the game. Parts of it, I'm thinking maybe we need to run it every play with them. Three or four-yard gains, we all know what the answer to that is. But unfortunately, we started the game last week struggling with 3rd-and-2 and 3rd-and-1. You're not going to be a winning football team if you struggle in that capacity."
(Ref.: On the change of putting Damond Philyaw-Johnson back for kickoff returns?)
"Well I made the decision to put him back there just because I'm a firm believer that a kickoff return man has to be fearless. He has to generate speed and Damond has both. He's one of the few we have that can hit the 20 yard line at 23-plus miles an hour. I have the sheets on it. I have the numbers. So, that's what Devon Edwards did, that's what Shaun Wilson did, that's what Deuce McAllister did, Willie Gault, I've got a bunch of great kickoff return men all the way back to the early 80s. I felt like Damond had worked on his hands. First thing we got to do is possess it. And then I reached the level of confidence, so that's why we put him back there."
(Ref.: On what's been the issue as to why the offense hasn't gotten into a rhythm?)
"First downs. I mean, how do you build a series off three downs? You know, we've worked hard on possessions at practice, but you're trying to keep the 'one's out there for six or seven or eight plays and there's an ebb and flow to it. But when you again are getting stopped if it's three-and-out, four-and-out, three-and-out, there's no rhythm to that. There's a lot of science to all this. But in the end, it's not the science. It's the getting it done. And so, you can't develop a rhythm if you don't start well."
(Ref.: On the players knowing they need two more wins to be bowl eligible?)
"We're trying to go 1-0 this week. Anybody that's worried about a bowl game won't be in our locker room."
The Blue Devils are back into ACC play when they host Syracuse on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Wes Durham, Roddy Jones and Eric Wood on the call. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devils IMG Sports Network through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Good afternoon. Weather is good weather for a basketball game. If the roof doesn't leak, right? First gym I played in the roof leaked. What you to think about that? You had to set your offense up around the drip on the floor. Because if you hit the drip, there's no break. You're going to get called for traveling if you slipped on the water. I don't think Cameron Indoor will be leaking tonight.
"We do not have a conference policy on injuries. I know you all ask me all the time about injuries. I don't like that we don't have a policy. I don't understand that. In fairness to everyone, whether it be team to team or to the media. I don't think it should be a coach's vote. I think this is bigger than the coaches, but with that said, I'm going to tell you because I think it's fair and right that Jack Wohlabaugh had surgery this morning and will be out. That young man has been a warrior. He has fought to stay in and to stay in. We have several people playing hurt. But it was time and it was the right thing to do. I know that's out there now, I get it. But I hope you respect the fact that I'm letting you know because I believe in doing the right thing. Right now I can't tell you who else we got or don't have. It's a constant ebb and flow during the week.
"With that I'll jump off to Syracuse. Dino Babers is not only an outstanding football coach; he is an outstanding man. He is a person I like and respect. There is no accident to why the culture changed at Syracuse. Special team a year ago. We're all in a little bit of the same boat. There's a fine line and I don't know every problem they've had; they don't know every problem we've had. But I know they're having a tough year; just like we're having a tough year. But I've always loved what they do offensively, always. They scare you to death when you're playing them. But I've watched them a lot in years we didn't have them on the schedule. Watched them a lot in the offseason. Defensively, they're always aggressive, physical. I know they've had a change in coordinator on the defensive side so there may be some change there. They're outstanding in the kicking game. You might think, well, why the record? Well, this is a tough league. And again, I don't know what all the problems are. But I have the utmost respect for this Syracuse program and this Syracuse team and we're going to continue to work to become an outstanding football team of our own. And we can. We got three games left and we got to try to go 1-0 this week. I'm not worried about three games. The focus is going to try to be the best Duke team we can be this week. If it maybe sounds like I'm in a serious mood, yes, I am. I'm far from defeated, but if you asked me if I was in a good mood, I'd tell you no. There's a reality to all of this."
(Ref.: On why now was a good time for surgery for Jack (Wohlabaugh)?)
"The doctors. I mean, we're going to always listen to them. He got rolled up on in the last game, and that was even with a brace. He's been limited, we've held him out of a lot of practices trying to get him there. Then you reach a point where the doctor says 'this doesn't look good.' I think we had to sedate him to get him to agree to surgery. I'm dead serious. I spoke with him last night. And what an incredible young man. I told him last night, I said 'I'm thankful every day that you became a part of this program.' And you know he told me, and you knew he meant it, he said he felt the same way. But yeah, it's been tough. Emotional. It was emotional for me last night with him. I hate these things for young people. I do."
(Ref.: On who will take Jack's starting spot at center?)
"Will Taylor will start at center. Zach's getting work, but Will is much more down the road than Zach (Baker) because of the amount of spring reps. You know Zach was the starting guard for the most part of this. And then Zach's been out and hasn't practiced a good bit. Had him back last week. But we will have both of them available to play. The next guy would be Liam Smith."
(Ref.: On going back to the basics?)
"Yeah, I went back to my roots is what I told our team and just how we do things. Go right back is exactly what you do. And to build anything to me, building a program, relationships, you build them from the ground up. And when it gets shaky you go back and look at the foundation. And so that's really where we are."
(Ref.: On some of the defensive players trying to do too much?)
"Defensively, some of the explosive runs came from a guy trying to cross a gap and trying to cross it too quick and getting the wrong gap. So, that leaves a gap wide open therefore, big runs. I hadn't seen any of that what I would say on offense, and that's just been recent on defense, actually only the Notre Dame game. But that's the only place that I've seen it."
(Ref.: On what changes need to be made to get the team back to their offensive abilities?)
"Well, I mean efficiency are plays of four or more yards. And sometimes people get caught up in only looking at explosives. Where we're running low are the efficiency. A play of four or more yards should be at 60 percent or higher. And that's where we're missing the boat. The other thing where we're slowly declining is on possession downs. Look at the numbers on third and fourth downs. If you can't stay on the field, you can't score points. When you have a decline in possessions and turnovers increase, you got a double dose of issues. So, offensively, our backs ran while at times, we're throwing and catching it good, and we've got good players. But again, we may have nine people doing something perfect, and two not getting the job done. We may have 10-and-1, not getting the job done. That's kind of the nature of offensive football. And as I said, when we throw in, whether it's miscommunication or sloppy carrying of the ball, turnovers, a lack of four or more yards and tough times with possession downs, there's not many points out there.
"You go back and you look at every bit of that. The accountability has to be in an extreme effort of every player to protect the ball. An extreme effort on our part as coaches to coach third down to a detail to get the effort and the energy that we can. Our backs may have come close to averaging four yards. I don't remember exactly. One was 4.1, the other 3.9 on their carries. I think I mentioned it after the game. Parts of it, I'm thinking maybe we need to run it every play with them. Three or four-yard gains, we all know what the answer to that is. But unfortunately, we started the game last week struggling with 3rd-and-2 and 3rd-and-1. You're not going to be a winning football team if you struggle in that capacity."
(Ref.: On the change of putting Damond Philyaw-Johnson back for kickoff returns?)
"Well I made the decision to put him back there just because I'm a firm believer that a kickoff return man has to be fearless. He has to generate speed and Damond has both. He's one of the few we have that can hit the 20 yard line at 23-plus miles an hour. I have the sheets on it. I have the numbers. So, that's what Devon Edwards did, that's what Shaun Wilson did, that's what Deuce McAllister did, Willie Gault, I've got a bunch of great kickoff return men all the way back to the early 80s. I felt like Damond had worked on his hands. First thing we got to do is possess it. And then I reached the level of confidence, so that's why we put him back there."
(Ref.: On what's been the issue as to why the offense hasn't gotten into a rhythm?)
"First downs. I mean, how do you build a series off three downs? You know, we've worked hard on possessions at practice, but you're trying to keep the 'one's out there for six or seven or eight plays and there's an ebb and flow to it. But when you again are getting stopped if it's three-and-out, four-and-out, three-and-out, there's no rhythm to that. There's a lot of science to all this. But in the end, it's not the science. It's the getting it done. And so, you can't develop a rhythm if you don't start well."
(Ref.: On the players knowing they need two more wins to be bowl eligible?)
"We're trying to go 1-0 this week. Anybody that's worried about a bowl game won't be in our locker room."
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