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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Charlotte
10/27/2020 5:04:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe met with members of the media virtually on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
The Blue Devils host Charlotte on Saturday for their first of three straight home games. The game will be broadcast on RSN with Tom Werme, James Bates, and Kelly Crull on the call. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from Learfield IMG College through the TuneIn app or goduke.com
David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"I do want to mention a few things first. One, ACC Unity Week was last week. We were open. We will celebrate that by going out to the numbers, both teams prior to the game. All of these young men that are football players, athletes, all of us in this business are unified in every aspect of what unity means. I'm happy that the conference is recognizing that. I want to also mention Mark Gilbert. Mark and I met and he's still recovering from his surgery. He's just ready to turn his focus to next year and to his future. He's been a great contributor here. He has gone through so, so much. I certainly wish him well. Also going to mention that tomorrow Will Taylor will undergo surgery. We wish Will really well. He's had a challenging time since he's been here and he has answered everything that he has been asked to do. An outstanding young man both on and off the field.
"With that, I'll turn it towards Charlotte. Charlotte had another victory, played really well against a good UTEP team. Charlotte is a very balanced football team. They play really well in the kicking game, and are very dangerous offensively. I think (Chris) Reynolds is an outstanding quarterback. They've got (Aaron) McAllister and other backs that are running the football well. An offensive line that's playing better and better. Threats everywhere on offense. Defensively, they've had a bit of what we've had where they've had a tough time staying healthy, but I love what they do. They're a very versatile defense and aggressive defense. Will Healy and his staff have done an outstanding job at Charlotte and we'll have to be at our best to win. The open date's been good for us to focus on Duke. We've spent some time preparing for Charlotte, but we really had a lot of little things to take care of. I'm very appreciative of this, you want to surround yourself with resilient people and certainly we have resilient people here. Players, coaches everybody involved in Duke football has been tremendous during a very difficult time. They came to work, and we got outstanding work done during the open date and I know our players are ready to get back on the game field and play a game."
(Ref.: On Will Taylor's injury and rookie Graham Barton stepping up)
"Will's played really well. Really, really well. Jack Wohlabaugh is an all-conference if not All-American type player. Will is so bright, so smart and so positive. He knew that he needed to step up when Jack went down, and he did just that. He was a great leader for us, understanding of what our schemes are. As I mentioned, he's really smart and so we're going to miss every part of that. But, also couldn't be more proud of a true freshman Graham Barton, who stepped up in the NC State game. Graham never dreamed he would be starting at center for Duke. He probably dreamed he was going to start at tackle one day. But here he is. And he will be our starting center. He's an extremely talented young man. He's got good people around him. Those other guys - I think the offensive linemen are built that way. They know when to step up for another guy so we're excited about that. We've got Elijah Wroten working at center. Addison Penn, who missed time early in the year, who we did sign as a center. Another true freshman. So, we're very fortunate and Greg Frey has done a great job. Maurice McIntyre can play center. Casey Holman can play center. We've worked a lot of different combinations because of the COVID circumstance and unfortunately COVID wasn't the reason two young man have gone out. Both of them are knee injuries. So, it's been a unique year as I've said."
(Ref.: On what the team's focus was on during the open date)
"We had to focus, first of all, on offensive two things. We can't turn the ball over like that and be a winning football team. 22 turnovers in six games; we're minus two. I've never - I don't think I've ever been a part of a team minus two in turnover ratio. Also not scoring touchdowns in the red zone. You take those two things when you take possessions away. Then, you're not getting the ball in the end zone in red zone opportunities, your point production is going to be poor. So, you look at the cause, you see what the effects are. Then you attack it, and you have to let the players feel those effects, those positive effects on the practice field. We really tried to focus on that offensively.
"Defensively, I think the biggest thing is consistency. Always a challenge not to give up explosive plays, always a challenge to tackle well to get pursuit in the right places, and get more people to the ball. You're basically taking every detail that good football teams do, what good teams that win games do, and you get open dates. We practiced three times because we felt like our guys needed to do a little lifting but get their legs back, heal a little bit. But, I thought these were three as productive of practices as we've had in an open date."
(Ref.: On the NCAA mandating an off day on Election Day, Nov. 3)
"Well, if I thought it was more purposeful, then I would be fine with it. We have worked very hard with our team. Anybody that wasn't registered is now registered. We have worked very hard. We've had our people administratively in football help them get their ballots, make sure that they are voting and have voted. So, I think it's a little more showy, honestly, just say it like it is, that it has purpose. Our weekly schedules are jammed anyway. When you build a Monday as your day off. We can't adjust our Tuesday to Monday because we're not going to interfere with our guys' academic process. So, it's not an ideal thing to lose and we can't pick it up later in the day. We can't change anything on Monday. I'm not a fan of it. It sounds good, but it doesn't really serve the purpose that I think it could. What we have to do is probably use our Sunday a little differently just from a preparation standpoint. But, it basically is costing us a day of practice. I mean, there's no other way to twist it. I had some of the players say we could go after midnight. I don't think that would be ideal. So, we are where we are."
(Ref.: On if Will Taylor will make a return after surgery)
"We'll wait until we see the results of the surgery. But I would not expect him. I would say he's out indefinitely at this point, I wouldn't expect a return."
(Ref.: On who's stepped up on the offensive line so far this year)
"You know Rak Chambers has had an outstanding year to this point. He's a natural leader. He's a brilliant young man. But all of those guys that have been the mainstays, Casey (Holman), Devery (Hamilton) , Jacob (Monk) I mean that four that are playing you know both guards and tackles have just - they're exceptional people. They've stuck together. They've led. We've got other young men that are our number two's that have done tremendous jobs. Haven't played as much as maybe they would have loved or wanted. Maurice McIntyre has started some but it's an exceptional group of young people. And I will also say this, Greg Frey is a big part of that glue and Austin Davis, who is a graduate assistant for us has done an outstanding job helping coach Frey coach the offensive line so it's a group that we're really proud of."
(Ref.: On the similarities between Duke and Charlotte's style of play)
"Yeah, there's some similarities to what they do defensively, certainly offensively, they're multiple. I think they're really creative offensively. Everything kind of evolves around the quarterback who's very talented. They have a balanced run and pass but definitely you can tell it's a Will Healy offense. They do an outstanding job."
(Ref.: On Graham Barton stepping into the starting center role)
"Well Graham is, really first of all, a great athlete to be as big as he is. When you look at Graham he's tall. I don't know he's 6'5 - 6'6, somewhere in that range. He's well over 300 pounds. He looks like a 270 pounder. He bends well and moves well. He's got great balance. He's still learning the game and certainly learning center but his physical skill set is absolutely outstanding."
(Ref.: On if he was expecting Mark Gilbert to return)
"Well, Mark, after being hurt and having surgery you don't really - particularly a foot in a corner - you don't really expect to get someone back. Mark is an outstanding athlete. He has, God bless him, been through some horrific times as far as rehab. Dealing with that hip for two years. You just pray and hope that he can fully recover physically and that's what he's trying to focus on. If he does, there's no question I believe he'll play in the NFL as a corner. He's got outstanding skills, great athleticism. He's smart, he's alert, he's all the things you look for in a corner. So, no I really wasn't expecting to get him back. But, I think he wanted to let his teammates know that he's planning on moving forward and that's why he made the decision that he did."
(Ref.: On Chase Brice's continued training through the open date)
"Yeah, I think it's just learning and continuing to learn defensive football. Progression and making decisions in the passing game that are going to be aggressive while still taking care of the football. All of those things that we do to train quarterbacks. He's just kind of been thrown to the fire without a camp. Certainly, with no spring ball and no real meeting time, that was lengthened. I mean, he's in school and a game week is a busy week. So, it was a good time to catch up. I think he utilized the time really, really well. I think finding a way to get him more comfortable in our system is still a big part of whether we're going to be successful or not and that's the job that I've got to do."
(Ref.: On the football program talking about mental health)
"Well, we definitely talk about it. We relate to them in a lot of different ways. We have Dr. Shawn Zeplin on our staff in the athletics department that works with players and athletes individually. He has worked with our team over the last couple of years. I don't think anybody understands the amount of work that Dr. Zeplin has to do but also, we do as coaches. I feel like I've had more conversations with young people that they're worried about their families at home. We've had some family members that got COVID. They have been isolated from friends, isolated from families. They live by themselves while everything that is happening – and they're going to virtual school, which is no fun and challenging for them and then you're not winning on top of all of that.
"I would say when you say how often, it's every day. I have a conversation with someone every single day. We have coaches conversing with players at their positions every day. It's consuming. It's been more energy consuming and emotionally consuming for me than the actual games themselves. If you're in this business for the right reason, you're in it for one reason and that's to mentor young people that you know when they leave your program that they're going to be good. They're going to live well, they're going to be able to handle themselves. And so this has been 2020. It's been unique. I have great respect for our young people in the way they've managed this. I have great respect for our entire support system, including Dr. (Kevin) White, Nina (King) and Dr. Zeplin. Everybody involved that touches a Duke football player. It's taken every one of them and they have been outstanding to help these young men get through this. Then, the young men themselves, their willingness to do all the little things right has been amazing."
(Ref.: On Josh Blackwell's potential return)
"Yeah, I don't think we'll get Josh back, no. Chris Hampton, first of all, God bless him. What a way to break in. He's done a tremendous job and whether it's been Jeremiah Lewis, whether it has been Leonard (Johnson), whether it's been Michael Carter II. Tony Davis is getting more and more work. Those guys have been outstanding. They work so hard at practice. They get a lot of reps. That room's gotten tighter and smaller. We do our physical distancing and we've had to all change our meeting rooms and they started in a bigger room than what the corners normally are in. Now, they don't need it anymore, sadly. So, my hat's off to Chris Hampton and how he has managed it and all those young men and what they've done and how they've accomplished things."
(Ref.: On Leonard Johnson returning from injury)
"Yeah, he is right now just questionable. Just trying to get himself better, doing everything he can. You're talking about a guy that works hard and is tough physically. So, this time it's just uncertain what the status will be on Saturday."
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