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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Notre Dame
11/5/2019 4:13:00 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 welcome No. 15-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday for their final non-ACC contest of the regular season. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Katie George on the call. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 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. Hope everybody is doing well. Big game ahead against a very talented team. This is another team that was in the College Football Playoffs a year ago for a reason. Why is Notre Dame good? They are really big and powerful, but at the same time have a lot of people that can run. They're explosively fast, they're skilled on offense, they're skilled in the secondary, their linebackers are extremely aggressive, and Brian Kelly has, I think, been one of the better innovators in college football on offense for a long time now. I've always watched what he does. And I think he's very much an innovator. They do a great job. Coach (Clark) Lea, has got a great pedigree, Coach (Mike) Elston has been there a while – defensive line coach, so they're consistent, they're good, and solid at every little thing they do. It'll be a huge challenge, but we're thrilled to have them here.
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"It's going to be a great atmosphere. We've got a lot going on around the game. I'm going to go ahead and mention this because I've been a little bit a part of it, but Duke Religious Life is running a canned food drive before the game that will serve the local community. So, I hope people do support that. Then once we start playing football, we're obviously going to have to be pristine in execution to put ourselves in position to win the game."
Â
(Ref.: On coming off a difficult loss and how the team has responded
"You really don't have any choice. You know it's the toughest times in probably anything we do, but certainly in sport is when you have to become your best. And you use it as fuel. You don't let it eat you up under any circumstances. So, we put that to rest during the open date. Our work throughout the week was what it needed to be and that's the indicator. Not that you say you're okay, it's what you put out on the practice field."
Â
(Ref.: On playing a prestigious program such as Notre Dame
"They do realize just the practicality of how good they are. They're a team that was in the College Football Playoffs a year ago for a reason. Basically, they have a lot of the same team back when they look at film. I don't think you have to put them on a pedestal, but I do think that you have to face a reality. They don't remember what we remember. The Notre Dame football tradition is as rich and deep, if not deeper than any in all of college football. But that's not on social media so they don't know about that."
Â
(Ref.: On facing big Notre Dame receivers
"First of all, you have to find some way to generate some pass rush. You got to make the quarterback uncomfortable about holding the ball. Secondly, we've got to mix coverages. We've got to put ourselves in good positions to avoid giving up explosive plays. One of the best ways to do it is for our offense to stay on the field and make a few explosives of their own. We've got to take care of the football. And again, it's a team sport when we're at our best our offense, kicking and defense work well together. That's the formula for stopping a great offensive team that has so many explosive capabilities. I'll tell you what, their tight end is so explosive it's frightening. He is a great player and such a big target himself he's really hard to deal with."
Â
(Ref.: On using the bye week to refocus some things offensively
"It gives time to make every snap matter. There are consequences to everything you do as a football player. You rework the approach. We've got a multitude of things to run, but you can't be the master of all. We've got to make sure that what you do is you make tough decisions some time. And this is what we're going to be outstanding at doing. Then you go ride that. The other part of it is that we've taken the approach in practice that everything matters. We're not practicing football. We're playing a game out there. And so creating an atmosphere that you're not stopping drives on the practice field -- be it a turnover, be it a penalty, be it a busted assignment. You know, that's how you have to play pristine. Offensively, we have to get to that. At times we have, and we've been very successful, but we have to do that for 60 minutes."
Â
(Ref.: On his team being two plays away from being 6-2 and keeping their mentality focused
"We all go through it. I sit around Sunday and grind my teeth, I'm not going to lie. I mean, over and over and over looking at games and you just shake your head. But you have to let it go. You have to use it for fuel not fire, if you will. And that's what I told them. Fire is anger and worry. That does nothing but burn you out and burn you up. If you use something for fuel, you learn to load up. You get determined and you go do something about it with work. That's the way. So, I'm not going to say they don't feel it. I know they feel those same things, I'm just describing in me. But it's not going to hold you back. Don't linger there. If I have to get up and leave and go take a two-hour walk, then I'll go do it on an open date."
Â
(Ref.: On using the bye week to rehab and get the team healthy
"Yeah, that helps a lot. A lot of people that were playing hurt we just held out of all the practices. So basically, it gave them from the Saturday at the end of the game until really today before we put some of them through physical work. So that hopefully has helped us. We had a good contingent out there today."
Â
(Ref.: On if having two bye weeks change a coach's approach to the season
"Yeah, I think it changes. The second bye week is a little different than the first. I've been a part of it before because of how the calendar falls. Everybody has their own opinions on it. In the NFL, they'll go on vacation. We can't, first of all we are in school. So, one of the challenges is to make sure that everybody realize it's not a vacation from school. But I think a little bit of time away helps. You shorten a few practices even more on a bye week and we actually took the Thursday practice and made it more of a walk through than what we did the last open date. So yeah, I think you have to think about it and plan differently."
Â
(Ref.: On the Coastal Division records and how on any given day anyone can beat anyone
"Yeah, I mean, everybody in it is good. I think if you look and ask any of us what's been some form of the problem, the answer may be different across the board. But I think it's consistency. I think when you take a football team at its highest level and keep it there, then you have a chance to be an undefeated team or a 6-2 team or a 7-1 team, whatever it may be. But all of us seem to have faced that as a challenge. That changes with health. That changes sometimes with the week people are having at school. It's a unique challenge. I think the most gifted teams in the country, we know there's about 10. Notre Dame's in that that group. But their talent level rises above a lot of the challenges we face. Are there any bad teams in the Coastal? Absolutely not. Georgia Tech is a good football team. Just ask some of the people they've played. I think it's the best that the Coastal has been to be honest with you."
Â
(Ref.: On the weather being a factor Saturday night)
"You know we practice early in the morning, so we've already had cold weather. You know, it's been chilly in the mornings and afternoon teams don't get that. But I mean, that's one advantage for us in November. When we're out there at times, it starts in the 30s and may end up in the low 40s."
Â
The Blue Devils welcome No. 15-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday for their final non-ACC contest of the regular season. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck and Katie George on the call. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 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. Hope everybody is doing well. Big game ahead against a very talented team. This is another team that was in the College Football Playoffs a year ago for a reason. Why is Notre Dame good? They are really big and powerful, but at the same time have a lot of people that can run. They're explosively fast, they're skilled on offense, they're skilled in the secondary, their linebackers are extremely aggressive, and Brian Kelly has, I think, been one of the better innovators in college football on offense for a long time now. I've always watched what he does. And I think he's very much an innovator. They do a great job. Coach (Clark) Lea, has got a great pedigree, Coach (Mike) Elston has been there a while – defensive line coach, so they're consistent, they're good, and solid at every little thing they do. It'll be a huge challenge, but we're thrilled to have them here.
Â
"It's going to be a great atmosphere. We've got a lot going on around the game. I'm going to go ahead and mention this because I've been a little bit a part of it, but Duke Religious Life is running a canned food drive before the game that will serve the local community. So, I hope people do support that. Then once we start playing football, we're obviously going to have to be pristine in execution to put ourselves in position to win the game."
Â
(Ref.: On coming off a difficult loss and how the team has responded
"You really don't have any choice. You know it's the toughest times in probably anything we do, but certainly in sport is when you have to become your best. And you use it as fuel. You don't let it eat you up under any circumstances. So, we put that to rest during the open date. Our work throughout the week was what it needed to be and that's the indicator. Not that you say you're okay, it's what you put out on the practice field."
Â
(Ref.: On playing a prestigious program such as Notre Dame
"They do realize just the practicality of how good they are. They're a team that was in the College Football Playoffs a year ago for a reason. Basically, they have a lot of the same team back when they look at film. I don't think you have to put them on a pedestal, but I do think that you have to face a reality. They don't remember what we remember. The Notre Dame football tradition is as rich and deep, if not deeper than any in all of college football. But that's not on social media so they don't know about that."
Â
(Ref.: On facing big Notre Dame receivers
"First of all, you have to find some way to generate some pass rush. You got to make the quarterback uncomfortable about holding the ball. Secondly, we've got to mix coverages. We've got to put ourselves in good positions to avoid giving up explosive plays. One of the best ways to do it is for our offense to stay on the field and make a few explosives of their own. We've got to take care of the football. And again, it's a team sport when we're at our best our offense, kicking and defense work well together. That's the formula for stopping a great offensive team that has so many explosive capabilities. I'll tell you what, their tight end is so explosive it's frightening. He is a great player and such a big target himself he's really hard to deal with."
Â
(Ref.: On using the bye week to refocus some things offensively
"It gives time to make every snap matter. There are consequences to everything you do as a football player. You rework the approach. We've got a multitude of things to run, but you can't be the master of all. We've got to make sure that what you do is you make tough decisions some time. And this is what we're going to be outstanding at doing. Then you go ride that. The other part of it is that we've taken the approach in practice that everything matters. We're not practicing football. We're playing a game out there. And so creating an atmosphere that you're not stopping drives on the practice field -- be it a turnover, be it a penalty, be it a busted assignment. You know, that's how you have to play pristine. Offensively, we have to get to that. At times we have, and we've been very successful, but we have to do that for 60 minutes."
Â
(Ref.: On his team being two plays away from being 6-2 and keeping their mentality focused
"We all go through it. I sit around Sunday and grind my teeth, I'm not going to lie. I mean, over and over and over looking at games and you just shake your head. But you have to let it go. You have to use it for fuel not fire, if you will. And that's what I told them. Fire is anger and worry. That does nothing but burn you out and burn you up. If you use something for fuel, you learn to load up. You get determined and you go do something about it with work. That's the way. So, I'm not going to say they don't feel it. I know they feel those same things, I'm just describing in me. But it's not going to hold you back. Don't linger there. If I have to get up and leave and go take a two-hour walk, then I'll go do it on an open date."
Â
(Ref.: On using the bye week to rehab and get the team healthy
"Yeah, that helps a lot. A lot of people that were playing hurt we just held out of all the practices. So basically, it gave them from the Saturday at the end of the game until really today before we put some of them through physical work. So that hopefully has helped us. We had a good contingent out there today."
Â
(Ref.: On if having two bye weeks change a coach's approach to the season
"Yeah, I think it changes. The second bye week is a little different than the first. I've been a part of it before because of how the calendar falls. Everybody has their own opinions on it. In the NFL, they'll go on vacation. We can't, first of all we are in school. So, one of the challenges is to make sure that everybody realize it's not a vacation from school. But I think a little bit of time away helps. You shorten a few practices even more on a bye week and we actually took the Thursday practice and made it more of a walk through than what we did the last open date. So yeah, I think you have to think about it and plan differently."
Â
(Ref.: On the Coastal Division records and how on any given day anyone can beat anyone
"Yeah, I mean, everybody in it is good. I think if you look and ask any of us what's been some form of the problem, the answer may be different across the board. But I think it's consistency. I think when you take a football team at its highest level and keep it there, then you have a chance to be an undefeated team or a 6-2 team or a 7-1 team, whatever it may be. But all of us seem to have faced that as a challenge. That changes with health. That changes sometimes with the week people are having at school. It's a unique challenge. I think the most gifted teams in the country, we know there's about 10. Notre Dame's in that that group. But their talent level rises above a lot of the challenges we face. Are there any bad teams in the Coastal? Absolutely not. Georgia Tech is a good football team. Just ask some of the people they've played. I think it's the best that the Coastal has been to be honest with you."
Â
(Ref.: On the weather being a factor Saturday night)
"You know we practice early in the morning, so we've already had cold weather. You know, it's been chilly in the mornings and afternoon teams don't get that. But I mean, that's one advantage for us in November. When we're out there at times, it starts in the 30s and may end up in the low 40s."
Â
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