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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Louisville
11/15/2021 9:29:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe met with members of the media on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
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The Blue Devils host Louisville on Thursday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich on the call. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the Varsity app or GoDuke.com
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David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"I hope everybody's doing well. It's a short week, so forgive me if I'm a bit brief. There's a lot of work, a lot of scramble going on. Obviously, nothing's gone according to script. But when people say, 'well, what's left,' – the players. The whole focus is about our squad and our players and putting our players in a better position to be successful, preparing them to be successful. That's a never-ending process, and that's totally where the focus is. Nothing good ever happens when you don't put everything you've got into something. We have not typically had all of the things that do happen or seem to happen over the last couple of years in a game ever before. You would think that you can just easily adjust. If I could put my finger totally on it I would because we don't practice poorly, our players put a lot into what they're doing. I'm a believer in them. I told them that after the game and certainly up in Blacksburg, nothing went according to script. But I am a believer in them, the people they are, the amount of work that they've put in. We got a lot to fight for. We got two games at home. That's enough to fight for. We've got seniors on this team and we got freshmen that need to get better in the full gamut in between. So that's where our focus is.
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"Quickly about Louisville, Louisville is an extremely fast team. That would be the one-word description I would give of them, both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. They are explosive at quarterback. Everybody knows that Malik Cunningham can make plays in multiple ways - scrambles, design runs and certainly an outstanding thrower. They've got speed at receiver, running back and tight end. It's a mostly veteran, really good-looking offensive line. Defensively, just speed in a lot of different ways to go about getting it involved. They played great against Syracuse last week. You prepare, you work hard. I think the biggest thing that we have to do is we have to do every little detail of assignment right. I think some of our biggest problems, and it's never happened before, is where we're just not as consistent as we need to be and getting every little detail done, being error-free in that area of assignments and alignments. When you're teaching it, teaching it and teaching it, I wish I knew. They wish they knew. But we have to accomplish that this week in a short week. You bring the focus tight and you go work really hard and prepare well to go win a football game."
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(Ref.: On the mentality now that some of the preseason goals are not attainable)
"Certainly, they know that, they feel that and that's why I'm a believer. They are not average people. They've worked really hard. They came back off of a 2020 year that was just tough in so many different ways for everybody. Not just football, life and football and everything else. I was so impressed with this team's spirit and attitude in January, February, March, right on through. Things haven't, as I said, gone to script. But I trust those captains, they feel good about the mentality of this team. As I said, we're playing for each other. We're coaching for these players. That's the biggest part of all of this for all of us. That is the only focus. I've told our coaches over and over our job is to put our players in a position to be successful. Period, end of story. Focus on players and what we have to do to get them where they want to be."
(Ref.: On quarterback health at this time)
"Yeah, we got three guys working. So, I guess that's a better problem than only having one left. But we've got all three getting practice snaps. It's only been one practice, we practiced last night and we're going to practice again tonight. Normally, we can't practice on Mondays, but we're going to wait until the academic day is over today and go pretty late tonight. So, that'll be the best chance I'm going to have to see where we are at quarterback wise during tonight's practice."
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(Ref.: On if Gunnar Holmberg was one of the three aforementioned quarterbacks practicing)
"Yeah, he's working. The best he felt, and maybe it was adrenaline, was in Blacksburg and he warmed up pretty well. But I think the biggest concern with the medical people were at that point, him being able to protect himself. He actually threw the ball well up there. So, we'll see what tonight brings. Like I said, we practiced and last night was impressive. We had more of a football practice than we normally would on Sunday because like I told them yesterday afternoon and evening, 'how are you doing this Tuesday evening? Here we go. We're going to go to work.' And they took it to heart and we'll see how Wednesday night goes on a Monday night. That's really where you are."
(Ref.: On if there is an emphasis to utilize Mataeo Durant more in the gameplan this week)
"You certainly have to but the way that Virginia Tech decided to play, they were going to do everything they could with nine people to not let you run the football. We have to use Mataeo in a multitude of different ways, but he's got to be a part of our offense for us to be successful. We also have to read cuts and do the little things. It's just a combination of things, but your biggest weapon can't ever be taken away without them paying a price somewhere else."
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(Ref.: On if a more experienced quarterback could have taken advantage of Virginia Tech's gameplan more)
"You would hope that if Riley Leonard had played, 10, 12, 15 games at that point, absolutely. It's much easier to manage all of those fast-moving parts, and they changed their approach. I don't know what their approach would have been had Gunnar started, but they did what you should have done against a freshman quarterback, essentially. He did some really good things. Then, we obviously let him get hit too much so that's part of it."
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(Ref.: On Jordan Moore's play after watching the film)
"I mean, nothing that different. I think Jordan came in and did a tremendous job. He had a big pass downfield. Because of the read mechanism or the ability plus-one to get an extra blocker because of what they were doing, his quickness allowed him to create some plays, which was good to see. But there wasn't a clear separation in what we did. We didn't generate enough points, period."
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(Ref.: On the freshmen quarterbacks and their preparation to play)
"You try to prepare every week, we get multiple reps. We generally have a package for Jordan. Riley's been getting the backup reps for a while now when Gunnar's been healthy. You make practice like a game. Those guys are sitting in the same meetings. Sometimes the starter changes off one play early in a game where somebody goes down. So, this is not just coach talk, I mean I've coached quarterbacks a long time. That's one of the biggest challenges, is to make practice like a game. The better you do that, the better quarterback you're going to be. It's like Gunner stepping in this year, had he not been a good practice player, he wouldn't have been near as ready as he was to start the season. So, that's part of the magic of all of this. One of the things I'm really impressed with all of those youngsters, there's nobody pulling for the other one that's in there more than those guys are, really an impressive room of young people."
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(Ref.: On the banged-up secondary and the rotation of players)
"Well, we've tried to rotate a lot of safeties and we're going to need fresh people because speed is such a premium. Again, we've only had one practice. We hadn't gotten all those answers quite answered yet. It's Wednesday, but it's also still Monday. You're going to see some people in the secondary and we got some young people that can run. It just depends upon how they respond and learn and put themselves in the right position. We can't afford mistakes anywhere, but you certainly can't afford, and we saw a couple of them in the game, where people are running free and we can't afford that to happen at all."
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(Ref.: On how he handles noise surrounding the program and season)
"We talk about noise all the time. It's a part of this industry. It's a part of the business. I remember years and years ago Coach [Bear] Bryant talking about not reading the paper. That was the source back in that day. Then I remember working for another veteran coach, Johnny Majors, and I heard the same advice. I think the year I was out of coaching, you realize just how much players are hearing. So, I've never just taken for granted that they're not hearing anything. Listen, the guy down at Tuscaloosa that wins a lot of ball games calls it rat poison when they're winning. Noise, I'm referring to not you all, not media, but y'all know better than that. But you do have to manage it. I remember telling Phillip [Fulmer] that when I stepped back into coaching, I said, Phillip, they're hearing more than you think. Don't ignore it. That's not just now when things are tough and bad, that's all the time. It's creating a relationship of trust. I care more about our players than I certainly do any amount of noise about anything else. That's the approach you have to take with each other. Let's be open and honest and have the kind of relationship that helps us all grow and be better. That's the best way I can answer that."
Â
(Ref.: On how to fix the fundamentals of blocking and tackling)
"Well, it's a tough fix because we don't scrimmage a lot. You're limited in the number of contact opportunities you get in practice. A big part of it becomes just raw athleticism. We used to play tackle football in the pasture and without anybody teaching anybody, I knew who the good tacklers were. You understand what I'm saying. There's an element of that always. What we've been able to do through years is development, strength, quickness, coaching techniques. We've talked a lot over the last month about tackling techniques. There's a lot of things that players hear nowadays. We don't want to become an arm tackling team, you've got to use your shoulder. Getting those live opportunities, we even bought a robot to tackle, which has become more and more popular. But that's still not tackling Malik Cunningham, you understand what I'm saying. Then the other part of that, is being a great motivator and encouraging them, you got to tackle harder and play better than you've ever played and here's why. You can't nowadays just tell them do something. They need to know why. Not to get into all the coaching philosophies, but it's tougher. We had, I think, eight or nine days in full pads during camp in August. That's what you get. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It's a premium on what you're getting taught and how you develop your team strength, quickness and speed. Can you imagine Dave Harding without development? Right, Dave? But that's the real answer. Maybe more than you want, but that's a real answer this day and time, not here, anywhere. We've been blocking much better at times. I just thought Virginia Tech did a good, really good job of having a free hat there. Then I do think we got whipped too much up front in that particular game, surprisingly for me."
Â
(Ref.: On what Coach [Bear] Bryant would be telling him at this stage in the season)
"Well, one would be never quit. A quitter never wins. One of the things I remember him talking about quitting, and people suggest it a lot nowadays. He said the first time you quit, it doesn't bother you a whole lot, but it bothers you because you're a quitter. But the second time you quit, it become a habit. I try to coach young people about life, not just football. I thought Coach Bryant was able to apply those types of things to life and call on the better part. What I told them after the game is individually, everybody's got to go home tonight and call on the better part of what's in you. Regardless of criticism, regardless of what people think, what's in you and call on the better part of you. That's what Coach Bryant would be telling me right now. You know who you are. You call on the very better parts of you. That's what we intend to do."
#GoDuke
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The Blue Devils host Louisville on Thursday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessenich on the call. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the Varsity app or GoDuke.com
Â
David Cutcliffe Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"I hope everybody's doing well. It's a short week, so forgive me if I'm a bit brief. There's a lot of work, a lot of scramble going on. Obviously, nothing's gone according to script. But when people say, 'well, what's left,' – the players. The whole focus is about our squad and our players and putting our players in a better position to be successful, preparing them to be successful. That's a never-ending process, and that's totally where the focus is. Nothing good ever happens when you don't put everything you've got into something. We have not typically had all of the things that do happen or seem to happen over the last couple of years in a game ever before. You would think that you can just easily adjust. If I could put my finger totally on it I would because we don't practice poorly, our players put a lot into what they're doing. I'm a believer in them. I told them that after the game and certainly up in Blacksburg, nothing went according to script. But I am a believer in them, the people they are, the amount of work that they've put in. We got a lot to fight for. We got two games at home. That's enough to fight for. We've got seniors on this team and we got freshmen that need to get better in the full gamut in between. So that's where our focus is.
Â
"Quickly about Louisville, Louisville is an extremely fast team. That would be the one-word description I would give of them, both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. They are explosive at quarterback. Everybody knows that Malik Cunningham can make plays in multiple ways - scrambles, design runs and certainly an outstanding thrower. They've got speed at receiver, running back and tight end. It's a mostly veteran, really good-looking offensive line. Defensively, just speed in a lot of different ways to go about getting it involved. They played great against Syracuse last week. You prepare, you work hard. I think the biggest thing that we have to do is we have to do every little detail of assignment right. I think some of our biggest problems, and it's never happened before, is where we're just not as consistent as we need to be and getting every little detail done, being error-free in that area of assignments and alignments. When you're teaching it, teaching it and teaching it, I wish I knew. They wish they knew. But we have to accomplish that this week in a short week. You bring the focus tight and you go work really hard and prepare well to go win a football game."
Â
(Ref.: On the mentality now that some of the preseason goals are not attainable)
"Certainly, they know that, they feel that and that's why I'm a believer. They are not average people. They've worked really hard. They came back off of a 2020 year that was just tough in so many different ways for everybody. Not just football, life and football and everything else. I was so impressed with this team's spirit and attitude in January, February, March, right on through. Things haven't, as I said, gone to script. But I trust those captains, they feel good about the mentality of this team. As I said, we're playing for each other. We're coaching for these players. That's the biggest part of all of this for all of us. That is the only focus. I've told our coaches over and over our job is to put our players in a position to be successful. Period, end of story. Focus on players and what we have to do to get them where they want to be."
(Ref.: On quarterback health at this time)
"Yeah, we got three guys working. So, I guess that's a better problem than only having one left. But we've got all three getting practice snaps. It's only been one practice, we practiced last night and we're going to practice again tonight. Normally, we can't practice on Mondays, but we're going to wait until the academic day is over today and go pretty late tonight. So, that'll be the best chance I'm going to have to see where we are at quarterback wise during tonight's practice."
Â
(Ref.: On if Gunnar Holmberg was one of the three aforementioned quarterbacks practicing)
"Yeah, he's working. The best he felt, and maybe it was adrenaline, was in Blacksburg and he warmed up pretty well. But I think the biggest concern with the medical people were at that point, him being able to protect himself. He actually threw the ball well up there. So, we'll see what tonight brings. Like I said, we practiced and last night was impressive. We had more of a football practice than we normally would on Sunday because like I told them yesterday afternoon and evening, 'how are you doing this Tuesday evening? Here we go. We're going to go to work.' And they took it to heart and we'll see how Wednesday night goes on a Monday night. That's really where you are."
(Ref.: On if there is an emphasis to utilize Mataeo Durant more in the gameplan this week)
"You certainly have to but the way that Virginia Tech decided to play, they were going to do everything they could with nine people to not let you run the football. We have to use Mataeo in a multitude of different ways, but he's got to be a part of our offense for us to be successful. We also have to read cuts and do the little things. It's just a combination of things, but your biggest weapon can't ever be taken away without them paying a price somewhere else."
Â
(Ref.: On if a more experienced quarterback could have taken advantage of Virginia Tech's gameplan more)
"You would hope that if Riley Leonard had played, 10, 12, 15 games at that point, absolutely. It's much easier to manage all of those fast-moving parts, and they changed their approach. I don't know what their approach would have been had Gunnar started, but they did what you should have done against a freshman quarterback, essentially. He did some really good things. Then, we obviously let him get hit too much so that's part of it."
Â
(Ref.: On Jordan Moore's play after watching the film)
"I mean, nothing that different. I think Jordan came in and did a tremendous job. He had a big pass downfield. Because of the read mechanism or the ability plus-one to get an extra blocker because of what they were doing, his quickness allowed him to create some plays, which was good to see. But there wasn't a clear separation in what we did. We didn't generate enough points, period."
Â
(Ref.: On the freshmen quarterbacks and their preparation to play)
"You try to prepare every week, we get multiple reps. We generally have a package for Jordan. Riley's been getting the backup reps for a while now when Gunnar's been healthy. You make practice like a game. Those guys are sitting in the same meetings. Sometimes the starter changes off one play early in a game where somebody goes down. So, this is not just coach talk, I mean I've coached quarterbacks a long time. That's one of the biggest challenges, is to make practice like a game. The better you do that, the better quarterback you're going to be. It's like Gunner stepping in this year, had he not been a good practice player, he wouldn't have been near as ready as he was to start the season. So, that's part of the magic of all of this. One of the things I'm really impressed with all of those youngsters, there's nobody pulling for the other one that's in there more than those guys are, really an impressive room of young people."
Â
(Ref.: On the banged-up secondary and the rotation of players)
"Well, we've tried to rotate a lot of safeties and we're going to need fresh people because speed is such a premium. Again, we've only had one practice. We hadn't gotten all those answers quite answered yet. It's Wednesday, but it's also still Monday. You're going to see some people in the secondary and we got some young people that can run. It just depends upon how they respond and learn and put themselves in the right position. We can't afford mistakes anywhere, but you certainly can't afford, and we saw a couple of them in the game, where people are running free and we can't afford that to happen at all."
Â
(Ref.: On how he handles noise surrounding the program and season)
"We talk about noise all the time. It's a part of this industry. It's a part of the business. I remember years and years ago Coach [Bear] Bryant talking about not reading the paper. That was the source back in that day. Then I remember working for another veteran coach, Johnny Majors, and I heard the same advice. I think the year I was out of coaching, you realize just how much players are hearing. So, I've never just taken for granted that they're not hearing anything. Listen, the guy down at Tuscaloosa that wins a lot of ball games calls it rat poison when they're winning. Noise, I'm referring to not you all, not media, but y'all know better than that. But you do have to manage it. I remember telling Phillip [Fulmer] that when I stepped back into coaching, I said, Phillip, they're hearing more than you think. Don't ignore it. That's not just now when things are tough and bad, that's all the time. It's creating a relationship of trust. I care more about our players than I certainly do any amount of noise about anything else. That's the approach you have to take with each other. Let's be open and honest and have the kind of relationship that helps us all grow and be better. That's the best way I can answer that."
Â
(Ref.: On how to fix the fundamentals of blocking and tackling)
"Well, it's a tough fix because we don't scrimmage a lot. You're limited in the number of contact opportunities you get in practice. A big part of it becomes just raw athleticism. We used to play tackle football in the pasture and without anybody teaching anybody, I knew who the good tacklers were. You understand what I'm saying. There's an element of that always. What we've been able to do through years is development, strength, quickness, coaching techniques. We've talked a lot over the last month about tackling techniques. There's a lot of things that players hear nowadays. We don't want to become an arm tackling team, you've got to use your shoulder. Getting those live opportunities, we even bought a robot to tackle, which has become more and more popular. But that's still not tackling Malik Cunningham, you understand what I'm saying. Then the other part of that, is being a great motivator and encouraging them, you got to tackle harder and play better than you've ever played and here's why. You can't nowadays just tell them do something. They need to know why. Not to get into all the coaching philosophies, but it's tougher. We had, I think, eight or nine days in full pads during camp in August. That's what you get. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It's a premium on what you're getting taught and how you develop your team strength, quickness and speed. Can you imagine Dave Harding without development? Right, Dave? But that's the real answer. Maybe more than you want, but that's a real answer this day and time, not here, anywhere. We've been blocking much better at times. I just thought Virginia Tech did a good, really good job of having a free hat there. Then I do think we got whipped too much up front in that particular game, surprisingly for me."
Â
(Ref.: On what Coach [Bear] Bryant would be telling him at this stage in the season)
"Well, one would be never quit. A quitter never wins. One of the things I remember him talking about quitting, and people suggest it a lot nowadays. He said the first time you quit, it doesn't bother you a whole lot, but it bothers you because you're a quitter. But the second time you quit, it become a habit. I try to coach young people about life, not just football. I thought Coach Bryant was able to apply those types of things to life and call on the better part. What I told them after the game is individually, everybody's got to go home tonight and call on the better part of what's in you. Regardless of criticism, regardless of what people think, what's in you and call on the better part of you. That's what Coach Bryant would be telling me right now. You know who you are. You call on the very better parts of you. That's what we intend to do."
#GoDuke
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