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David Cutcliffe Press Conference Quotes: Kansas
9/20/2021 10:38:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe met with members of the media on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
The Blue Devils host Kansas on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich and Jalyn Johnson on the call. Kickoff is set for 4 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)
"From Big Ten to Big 12 and good to be home again. You end up with a program that, we've been there and done that. They're in the beginning stages of building a program and anywhere Coach (Lance) Leipold has been he has done it in a big way. If you look not just at Wisconsin-Whitewater where they were ultra-successful, they were also ultra-successful at Buffalo. You see the Buffalo personality and that team changed as they stayed there. We've looked back at that. Then, they have got three games at Kansas and all three games, the two losses were one score games in the third quarter. You see a team that's tough and playing fast. They have a lot of parts that are impressive. I'm real concerned about their speed at quarterback. I mean, he's a sprinter, a legitimate track sprinter with a lot of playing experience. Their offense has weapons. Defensively, you can just see their trend toward being more and more aggressive and they're going to do that.
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"This staff is unique. It's a blend of guys that have been at Kansas and a blend of guys that came with Coach, with the exception of one special teams coordinator from Bowling Green. You're getting a lot of blends of things, but I can tell you, you see the handprint of Lance Leipold on this team. They will compete and compete at a high level. We're going to try to compete and compete at a high level. It's just -- it's another power five football game. Hopefully we will have the kind of week of preparation that you need to be ready to play well."
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(Ref.: On playing a team coached by Lance Leipold)
"Well, they're going to run the ball and stop the run. That's a commitment you see in his career. At Buffalo, they did just that. They recruited toward it and put the numbers together that tells you that's a big part of who they are. They do have balance on offense. They can throw the football. Exceptional in the kicking game and emphasize it well. He has a formula that he believes in. They take care of the football. They've got one turnover in three games. All the things that good teams do to win, you can already see that personality taking place at Kansas."
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(Ref.: On how and where the defense has developed so far this season)
"On the practice field, the emphasis on player leadership, staff leadership. Consistency is probably the hardest thing. I've mentioned that up here this season about being great, always starts with being consistent. If you're going to do anything and be considered special, you're going to be consistently good at something. We're trying to identify those things and then take it to the practice field and make it work. We've had a major emphasis of working good against good at practice. I think that pays off. Stay healthy, it'll pay off and continue to pay off. We're going to continue to do that and try to grow as a team. I think that's important for us."
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(Ref.: On the second half after the strong start in the first half)
"Oh, the second half was field position in turnovers in the third quarter. Just really, really hard to play from your one-yard line and when you turn it over going in which we did in the first half, but when you just turn it over period you set another team up to get back in the game. I was coming out thinking at halftime and I didn't say it to anybody in my mind, saying, 'OK, the most important thing is we don't turn the ball over. The only way they really get back in the game is to steal possessions at this point.' I wished I'd have said it and not just thought it or I wished I hadn't even thought it. I don't know what to say. The fourth quarter, I was really proud. That was really a fourth quarter victory. I was proud of our offense, the conversions doing the little things that we had to get done after a miserable third quarter. Even though we didn't produce points in the fourth quarter, our offense, our kicking game and our defense, all three collectively helped us win the game. That was a big, big, big thing to build on, so to speak."
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(Ref.: On emphasizing plays in the red zone and the strength of Mataeo Durant)
"I think you can always utilize wildcat formations. Jordan Moore brings a little bit of that and he can throw it, so you can't forget him in that equation. I'll tell you what I think about the red zone, and Mataeo (Durant) is a special player, so you always think players not necessarily plays, but players need to be put in position. So, you're absolutely right, the swing screen to Mataeo down there, he did the rest of it. You're always looking at different wrinkles and things. I can tell people, to me the red zone becomes more and more like the playground. You remember when you're out there, at least I played a lot of football on asphalt. It wasn't tackle, so you really had to be good. We had an asphalt playground where I went to elementary school. Out there you are thinking players. You're saying, 'hey, Steve, you going to be matched up with Jim. You're going to whip his tail. I know it. I'll get you the ball,' you know? I mean, that's literally because it squeezes into the backyard or the playground. I think one of the things that probably doesn't get talked about enough is red zone production. Touchdown versus field goal or red zone turnovers. If you go study five years of football, which is a worthy study, you'll find out that has a lot to do with winning and losing. It's an important part of our planning as a staff every week on both sides of the ball -- preventive red zone defense. We're actually doing some really intense good versus good tomorrow down in that area because I didn't think we were as good as we could have been. So, we're going to go good against good down there Tuesday."
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(Ref.: On if the coaching staff has been surprised at Mataeo Durant's production)
"No, we saw him in the spring and a healthy Mataeo, he hasn't been as healthy since he's been here as he feels now. Obviously, we've also had the ability to play a lot of different backs and that hadn't been bad. Deon Jackson is a heck of a player that shared a lot of the time last year with him. I think Mataeo has grown as a football player. He's grown as a person. He's physically better than he's been. I pray that he stays healthy and see what a season can turn out to be like for him."
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(Ref.: On how the team will handle success)
"Tuesday. That's the way you handle it. That's not just players, that's coaches. Every one of us tomorrow, you can tell if a football team is hungry to prepare. The only thing you can do, you're not looking in a rearview mirror is how well am I preparing right now this week. All the good teams I've ever been around were anxious to get back on the practice field. So, tomorrow morning, when we have a team meeting, I'm going to be looking in their eye just to see if I can see hungry. Then get past that, I'm going to look at period one, period two, period three and see what that tempo is. We have some physicality starting in period four tomorrow. That's early in the morning for us. That's it. I mean, period. I don't worry about Saturday until we see what we've got and I don't want to worry about Saturday. I feel more stressed about Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday than I do about Saturday."
(Ref.: On Duke's penalties, including the unsportsmanlike penalty)
"We had one unsportsmanlike that was totally unnecessary. That's so disappointing, and it wasn't some awful act, but it's just disappointing. The penalty circumstance was disappointing all the way around and our team has already been talked with about that. They've seen the film like, I've seen the film and you know what you can do better and know what we have to do to get better. I don't expect that to be a trend at all."
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(Ref.: On if the referees are emphasizing calling linemen downfield)
"Yeah, it's a point of emphasis because of the amount of success people are having with the run pass option. You're calling a run play and throwing the ball downfield. If you're not synced in and it has to be synced up. In other words, the throw has to match the timing of the run blocking. Then guys are going to potentially end up downfield. If a lineman is uncovered, he's got to learn to be a little patient. It's something they were going to emphasize and rightfully so. If I'm a linebacker, how can I defend a block from an offensive lineman and stop a pass? That's not right. There's a zone and you have and should have to stay within that zone. So yes, that's a point of emphasis. Unsportsmanlike and taunting was a point of emphasis. Taunting may be the worst of unsportsmanlike to me, and I thought it needed to be after what we saw in 2020. I hope the officials still continue to emphasize the parts that make the game fair."
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(Ref.: On if he feels replay officials are slower to overturn the call on the field)
"Yeah, I don't get to watch much as you know. I'm a bad person to ask that. But, I know that in talking to Dennis Hennigan, in talking to others and I'm friends with Steve Schall, the National supervisor. There's a lot of conversation about getting it right. I get that, you want to get it right. I've had some times right out there that I wish they'd have gotten it right. But I don't know where this thing's going to end up. To be honest with you, I don't want to get off on that tangent, but I'm not sure officiating wouldn't in itself be better without replay. Because when you know there's replay there, what does it matter. I've even had officials tell me where I wasn't going to blow it dead because I know they're going to take a look at it. That's a sad statement to me. I kid with them and I said, you guys have become like coaches. After the fact when it's all said and done, you get ripped. I said, welcome to the club. It's the truth. It's harder to be an official. I try to understand that as they go through and they're human and they're dedicated to the game. I believe that in my heart, we don't see people on that field that are trying to inflict a problem for one team over another. As long as there are officials in any sport, we're going to not agree.
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"I would rather not have the challenges. I think people want the game to flow, particularly those folks in a standstill when it's a hot game. Maybe it's why people are influenced to stay home a little bit in the air conditioning, I don't want to talk anybody into it. It's a bad place to be home for a game. But you understand what I'm saying. I don't like the number of delays that we get with everything being reviewed. We're already thankfully have a lot of commercial breaks because that's a big part of college athletics period, not just college football. That generates a lot of revenue for a lot of kids to do what they do. I just think the stoppages are outrageous."
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(Ref.: On DeWayne Carter's game and the leadership he brings)
"What you don't see about DeWayne in the trenches is he makes big plays. He's there battling every double team. He's being a great leader on the sideline. He is everything you would expect a captain and a good defensive lineman to be. Then 25 yards downfield stripping a ball or 20 yards downfield stripping the ball from behind on the quarterback. It could very well have been the play of the game, which was a back breaker at a critical time in the fourth quarter. DeWayne had a terrific football game and if you want to see what you asked about DeWayne, go watch him on Tuesday and Wednesday and you'll understand why Saturday turns out as well as it does. He's what I call a guy that empties the bucket every time he puts the pads on."
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(Ref.: On Gunnar Holmberg and the Duke passing game)
"Well, that was pretty productive Saturday. Obviously, you want to hit deep balls when you do have a chance. If I had one thing that over the three games, if we were to hit every deep ball that we had open, we would have significantly more yardage and points. The rest of it, our spacing is getting better. We had a long conversation. I went in with the offensive staff and I think there's some things we can do to just enhance the overall passing game opportunities as Gunnar has gotten more and more comfortable. I think with the size and speed that we have not only at receiver, but at tight end and backs getting involved and Gunnar being able to distribute the ball, that's how a passing game can grow. All the while taking great, great care of it."
(Ref.: On if Duke has emphasized situational offense the last two games)
"Yes, I mean, that's one of the things that disappointed me after the first game is that situationally we failed. You got to understand all of the aspects of conversion. Everybody has to do every little thing right and you have to know when there's two downs more than likely to convert. You've got to know where you are on the field, what scoring the game is, what's the quarter, what's the time on the clock. When you have a team that understands that, I think through excitement, you know how the guys do first down? They ought to be so excited and understand how big that is. I'm OK with that. We've been penalized for that before. I don't know if you all remember that Conner Vernon made a huge conversion up at Virginia and you know, he just hopped up, went first down then boom. I'm like, wow. You got to know what to expect, but I think that all plays into having a really good team. Passing game, run game, but conversions are a big part of that is knowing why. If you understand the why, not just what you're supposed to do or how you're supposed to do it, why you're doing a certain job as a critical part. That's why I love coaching is that it's teaching. We're getting better and better at that. To be honest, I like the position I'm in because I get to coach the why in the kicking game, defense and offense when I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So, we got a chance at getting better, but it's only one day at a time, one week at a time."
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(Ref.: On Jeff Faris and Re'quan Boyette handling play calling duties)
"Yeah, I think it's been outstanding. I, rightfully so, critique that every week. I think we're learning and growing rapidly in that area and will continue to do so. They may call it something else at times besides critiquing, but it's OK. You know, it's an intense gig and it gets intense. That's just the way it is."
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(Ref.: On Gary Smith III returning to the field)
"Well, he did a great job of playing the raw and being in the gap. He drew a big-time holding call. His strength is outstanding. He's an athlete at whatever he is, 330. He's substantial. I think he was just so happy and pleased and then he didn't have any real residual issues after the game. So, I see us hopefully moving forward."
(Ref.: On Lummie Young IV's game with a forced fumble and an interception)
"Lummie came with purpose. Lummie, he sat out a week. I think he is really enjoying and embracing football and knowing that when it's taken away from you and understanding it. I think he's playing faster. He's always been an extremely aware and savvy football player. But you got to play fast and he's going to continue, hopefully, to practice that way. Again, I think the good against good helps the speed of the game."
(Ref.: On Duke's depth and playing a lot of players)
"Yeah, that's what I grew up on. I think it's not just the players job to earn playing time. It's got to be a coaches jobs to help them earn playing time. We started out with an emphasis back in August as a staff that this team had enough people that could play for us. Now let's put them in position to be able to play for us. Let's push them. You don't want a backup mentality if that makes sense. It's, I think, a coach has to do a good job of that if we're going to have a good football team and we can, but if we're going to have a good football team, we're going to be a team that a lot of people are going to contribute and play. That's just part of who we are, what our DNA needs to be."
(Ref.: On being aggressive and the mentality in-game)
"Yeah, you asked the question perfectly, given the year we came off of, I mean, why would you do anything but be aggressive? We not only have talked about this since we started practice, we talked about it in the spring. We've worked about it, we've talked about it as a staff and you have to embrace that because it's not always going to work. Part of being aggressive is how tough mentally are you when all of a sudden your backs to the wall because you were aggressive? That's no different than sudden change. We have a fumble deep in our territory and we get a turnover back. That same mentality has to be practiced. I've always been a guy that I used the book, study it. I've read a lot of books, mathematical equations on going forward. I study pro football because in pro football, they're most evenly matched. So go for its on fourth downs and onside kicks and different things like that. Although some of the rule differences change, I just I've always believed in not trying to leave something out on the field. I made a mistake in my opinion of going for the long field goal when I did. I probably would have been better off going for it on fourth down. I was a little bit angry about what had happened on third down and so my mind wasn't as clear as what it normally would be. That's my fault, because I don't have time to get angry. With that said, in that situation, I should have had a pooch punt and we can always have punts where we've got pooch punt and/or fakes out of it. So yeah, it's aggressive and smart also, if that makes sense."
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(Ref.: On if he considers himself analytics based or gut feeling based)
"More analytics and then I'm going to use my gut. I hear maybe Coach (Bear) Bryant, I hear Coach (Johnny) Majors talking to me occasionally out there, which is scary. But, you have to use your gut to some degree. It's funny when I hear what they say. Every time I go against it, it bites me. That was an whole mess one time against Mississippi State, I heard Coach Bryant loud and clear, and I ignored it. If you're at Ole Miss, you ignore that and you get beat by Mississippi State when you shouldn't have. Now, all the Ole Miss people are going to be mad at me. What'd you do to get us beat, you know? But yeah, it's just it's both. But I study this hard during the week and we have a strategy meeting as a staff, so everybody on both sides of the ball and special teams knows what our thought processes are."
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(Ref.: On what makes Jake Bobo special)
"Jake is much quicker than everybody thinks he is. He's also got some speed, but his short space quickness is exceptional. He has some shake to him that people don't anticipate, but he does. He's a heck of a route runner. Then his ability to make contested catches, you put it to him in traffic. I mean, you guys see, he made a one-handed catch yesterday at practice. We're going full speed, two-minute drill against each other yesterday. Call me crazy but that's what we were doing one against one. He made a one-handed catch down the sideline that just the whole defense went over there and shook his hand like, geez. He's just he's got great focus and concentration. I'll go back to, it's like, DeWayne, you're not going to see anybody work better on Tuesday and Wednesday, the real work days of college football, although our Sundays are not easy. But, he's got great work ethic."
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(Ref.: On the Duke passing game and the final first down gained by Gunnar Holmberg and Eli Pancol)
"Yeah. I think again, go to practice. We started it in the spring knowing that pocket movement is going to be a big part. When you start watching professional football, watch how many times Tom Brady moves in the pocket to complete it. You don't have to be a 'scrambler,' but the pocket movement was outstanding. We have a drill that we do every week, we'll do it again tomorrow and Wednesday, that is all about live rush and pocket movement. It pays off when you keep your eyes up and down field. Secure the ball, but your eyes are downfield. Bill Walsh once said it, once you're started moving you got to make a first and 10 type decision, that's not a third down force. I went out there and visited the 49ers and I was young, and I thought that really hit home to me and I thought he did that. The guy was wide open, you take that shot and buying the time. He did or it wouldn't have ever happened, that was a huge conversion. That's what I meant by winning a game in the fourth quarter. That's making the plays you have to make to win a game."
#GoDuke
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The Blue Devils host Kansas on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich and Jalyn Johnson on the call. Kickoff is set for 4 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)
"From Big Ten to Big 12 and good to be home again. You end up with a program that, we've been there and done that. They're in the beginning stages of building a program and anywhere Coach (Lance) Leipold has been he has done it in a big way. If you look not just at Wisconsin-Whitewater where they were ultra-successful, they were also ultra-successful at Buffalo. You see the Buffalo personality and that team changed as they stayed there. We've looked back at that. Then, they have got three games at Kansas and all three games, the two losses were one score games in the third quarter. You see a team that's tough and playing fast. They have a lot of parts that are impressive. I'm real concerned about their speed at quarterback. I mean, he's a sprinter, a legitimate track sprinter with a lot of playing experience. Their offense has weapons. Defensively, you can just see their trend toward being more and more aggressive and they're going to do that.
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"This staff is unique. It's a blend of guys that have been at Kansas and a blend of guys that came with Coach, with the exception of one special teams coordinator from Bowling Green. You're getting a lot of blends of things, but I can tell you, you see the handprint of Lance Leipold on this team. They will compete and compete at a high level. We're going to try to compete and compete at a high level. It's just -- it's another power five football game. Hopefully we will have the kind of week of preparation that you need to be ready to play well."
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(Ref.: On playing a team coached by Lance Leipold)
"Well, they're going to run the ball and stop the run. That's a commitment you see in his career. At Buffalo, they did just that. They recruited toward it and put the numbers together that tells you that's a big part of who they are. They do have balance on offense. They can throw the football. Exceptional in the kicking game and emphasize it well. He has a formula that he believes in. They take care of the football. They've got one turnover in three games. All the things that good teams do to win, you can already see that personality taking place at Kansas."
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(Ref.: On how and where the defense has developed so far this season)
"On the practice field, the emphasis on player leadership, staff leadership. Consistency is probably the hardest thing. I've mentioned that up here this season about being great, always starts with being consistent. If you're going to do anything and be considered special, you're going to be consistently good at something. We're trying to identify those things and then take it to the practice field and make it work. We've had a major emphasis of working good against good at practice. I think that pays off. Stay healthy, it'll pay off and continue to pay off. We're going to continue to do that and try to grow as a team. I think that's important for us."
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(Ref.: On the second half after the strong start in the first half)
"Oh, the second half was field position in turnovers in the third quarter. Just really, really hard to play from your one-yard line and when you turn it over going in which we did in the first half, but when you just turn it over period you set another team up to get back in the game. I was coming out thinking at halftime and I didn't say it to anybody in my mind, saying, 'OK, the most important thing is we don't turn the ball over. The only way they really get back in the game is to steal possessions at this point.' I wished I'd have said it and not just thought it or I wished I hadn't even thought it. I don't know what to say. The fourth quarter, I was really proud. That was really a fourth quarter victory. I was proud of our offense, the conversions doing the little things that we had to get done after a miserable third quarter. Even though we didn't produce points in the fourth quarter, our offense, our kicking game and our defense, all three collectively helped us win the game. That was a big, big, big thing to build on, so to speak."
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(Ref.: On emphasizing plays in the red zone and the strength of Mataeo Durant)
"I think you can always utilize wildcat formations. Jordan Moore brings a little bit of that and he can throw it, so you can't forget him in that equation. I'll tell you what I think about the red zone, and Mataeo (Durant) is a special player, so you always think players not necessarily plays, but players need to be put in position. So, you're absolutely right, the swing screen to Mataeo down there, he did the rest of it. You're always looking at different wrinkles and things. I can tell people, to me the red zone becomes more and more like the playground. You remember when you're out there, at least I played a lot of football on asphalt. It wasn't tackle, so you really had to be good. We had an asphalt playground where I went to elementary school. Out there you are thinking players. You're saying, 'hey, Steve, you going to be matched up with Jim. You're going to whip his tail. I know it. I'll get you the ball,' you know? I mean, that's literally because it squeezes into the backyard or the playground. I think one of the things that probably doesn't get talked about enough is red zone production. Touchdown versus field goal or red zone turnovers. If you go study five years of football, which is a worthy study, you'll find out that has a lot to do with winning and losing. It's an important part of our planning as a staff every week on both sides of the ball -- preventive red zone defense. We're actually doing some really intense good versus good tomorrow down in that area because I didn't think we were as good as we could have been. So, we're going to go good against good down there Tuesday."
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(Ref.: On if the coaching staff has been surprised at Mataeo Durant's production)
"No, we saw him in the spring and a healthy Mataeo, he hasn't been as healthy since he's been here as he feels now. Obviously, we've also had the ability to play a lot of different backs and that hadn't been bad. Deon Jackson is a heck of a player that shared a lot of the time last year with him. I think Mataeo has grown as a football player. He's grown as a person. He's physically better than he's been. I pray that he stays healthy and see what a season can turn out to be like for him."
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(Ref.: On how the team will handle success)
"Tuesday. That's the way you handle it. That's not just players, that's coaches. Every one of us tomorrow, you can tell if a football team is hungry to prepare. The only thing you can do, you're not looking in a rearview mirror is how well am I preparing right now this week. All the good teams I've ever been around were anxious to get back on the practice field. So, tomorrow morning, when we have a team meeting, I'm going to be looking in their eye just to see if I can see hungry. Then get past that, I'm going to look at period one, period two, period three and see what that tempo is. We have some physicality starting in period four tomorrow. That's early in the morning for us. That's it. I mean, period. I don't worry about Saturday until we see what we've got and I don't want to worry about Saturday. I feel more stressed about Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday than I do about Saturday."
(Ref.: On Duke's penalties, including the unsportsmanlike penalty)
"We had one unsportsmanlike that was totally unnecessary. That's so disappointing, and it wasn't some awful act, but it's just disappointing. The penalty circumstance was disappointing all the way around and our team has already been talked with about that. They've seen the film like, I've seen the film and you know what you can do better and know what we have to do to get better. I don't expect that to be a trend at all."
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(Ref.: On if the referees are emphasizing calling linemen downfield)
"Yeah, it's a point of emphasis because of the amount of success people are having with the run pass option. You're calling a run play and throwing the ball downfield. If you're not synced in and it has to be synced up. In other words, the throw has to match the timing of the run blocking. Then guys are going to potentially end up downfield. If a lineman is uncovered, he's got to learn to be a little patient. It's something they were going to emphasize and rightfully so. If I'm a linebacker, how can I defend a block from an offensive lineman and stop a pass? That's not right. There's a zone and you have and should have to stay within that zone. So yes, that's a point of emphasis. Unsportsmanlike and taunting was a point of emphasis. Taunting may be the worst of unsportsmanlike to me, and I thought it needed to be after what we saw in 2020. I hope the officials still continue to emphasize the parts that make the game fair."
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(Ref.: On if he feels replay officials are slower to overturn the call on the field)
"Yeah, I don't get to watch much as you know. I'm a bad person to ask that. But, I know that in talking to Dennis Hennigan, in talking to others and I'm friends with Steve Schall, the National supervisor. There's a lot of conversation about getting it right. I get that, you want to get it right. I've had some times right out there that I wish they'd have gotten it right. But I don't know where this thing's going to end up. To be honest with you, I don't want to get off on that tangent, but I'm not sure officiating wouldn't in itself be better without replay. Because when you know there's replay there, what does it matter. I've even had officials tell me where I wasn't going to blow it dead because I know they're going to take a look at it. That's a sad statement to me. I kid with them and I said, you guys have become like coaches. After the fact when it's all said and done, you get ripped. I said, welcome to the club. It's the truth. It's harder to be an official. I try to understand that as they go through and they're human and they're dedicated to the game. I believe that in my heart, we don't see people on that field that are trying to inflict a problem for one team over another. As long as there are officials in any sport, we're going to not agree.
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"I would rather not have the challenges. I think people want the game to flow, particularly those folks in a standstill when it's a hot game. Maybe it's why people are influenced to stay home a little bit in the air conditioning, I don't want to talk anybody into it. It's a bad place to be home for a game. But you understand what I'm saying. I don't like the number of delays that we get with everything being reviewed. We're already thankfully have a lot of commercial breaks because that's a big part of college athletics period, not just college football. That generates a lot of revenue for a lot of kids to do what they do. I just think the stoppages are outrageous."
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(Ref.: On DeWayne Carter's game and the leadership he brings)
"What you don't see about DeWayne in the trenches is he makes big plays. He's there battling every double team. He's being a great leader on the sideline. He is everything you would expect a captain and a good defensive lineman to be. Then 25 yards downfield stripping a ball or 20 yards downfield stripping the ball from behind on the quarterback. It could very well have been the play of the game, which was a back breaker at a critical time in the fourth quarter. DeWayne had a terrific football game and if you want to see what you asked about DeWayne, go watch him on Tuesday and Wednesday and you'll understand why Saturday turns out as well as it does. He's what I call a guy that empties the bucket every time he puts the pads on."
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(Ref.: On Gunnar Holmberg and the Duke passing game)
"Well, that was pretty productive Saturday. Obviously, you want to hit deep balls when you do have a chance. If I had one thing that over the three games, if we were to hit every deep ball that we had open, we would have significantly more yardage and points. The rest of it, our spacing is getting better. We had a long conversation. I went in with the offensive staff and I think there's some things we can do to just enhance the overall passing game opportunities as Gunnar has gotten more and more comfortable. I think with the size and speed that we have not only at receiver, but at tight end and backs getting involved and Gunnar being able to distribute the ball, that's how a passing game can grow. All the while taking great, great care of it."
(Ref.: On if Duke has emphasized situational offense the last two games)
"Yes, I mean, that's one of the things that disappointed me after the first game is that situationally we failed. You got to understand all of the aspects of conversion. Everybody has to do every little thing right and you have to know when there's two downs more than likely to convert. You've got to know where you are on the field, what scoring the game is, what's the quarter, what's the time on the clock. When you have a team that understands that, I think through excitement, you know how the guys do first down? They ought to be so excited and understand how big that is. I'm OK with that. We've been penalized for that before. I don't know if you all remember that Conner Vernon made a huge conversion up at Virginia and you know, he just hopped up, went first down then boom. I'm like, wow. You got to know what to expect, but I think that all plays into having a really good team. Passing game, run game, but conversions are a big part of that is knowing why. If you understand the why, not just what you're supposed to do or how you're supposed to do it, why you're doing a certain job as a critical part. That's why I love coaching is that it's teaching. We're getting better and better at that. To be honest, I like the position I'm in because I get to coach the why in the kicking game, defense and offense when I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So, we got a chance at getting better, but it's only one day at a time, one week at a time."
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(Ref.: On Jeff Faris and Re'quan Boyette handling play calling duties)
"Yeah, I think it's been outstanding. I, rightfully so, critique that every week. I think we're learning and growing rapidly in that area and will continue to do so. They may call it something else at times besides critiquing, but it's OK. You know, it's an intense gig and it gets intense. That's just the way it is."
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(Ref.: On Gary Smith III returning to the field)
"Well, he did a great job of playing the raw and being in the gap. He drew a big-time holding call. His strength is outstanding. He's an athlete at whatever he is, 330. He's substantial. I think he was just so happy and pleased and then he didn't have any real residual issues after the game. So, I see us hopefully moving forward."
(Ref.: On Lummie Young IV's game with a forced fumble and an interception)
"Lummie came with purpose. Lummie, he sat out a week. I think he is really enjoying and embracing football and knowing that when it's taken away from you and understanding it. I think he's playing faster. He's always been an extremely aware and savvy football player. But you got to play fast and he's going to continue, hopefully, to practice that way. Again, I think the good against good helps the speed of the game."
(Ref.: On Duke's depth and playing a lot of players)
"Yeah, that's what I grew up on. I think it's not just the players job to earn playing time. It's got to be a coaches jobs to help them earn playing time. We started out with an emphasis back in August as a staff that this team had enough people that could play for us. Now let's put them in position to be able to play for us. Let's push them. You don't want a backup mentality if that makes sense. It's, I think, a coach has to do a good job of that if we're going to have a good football team and we can, but if we're going to have a good football team, we're going to be a team that a lot of people are going to contribute and play. That's just part of who we are, what our DNA needs to be."
(Ref.: On being aggressive and the mentality in-game)
"Yeah, you asked the question perfectly, given the year we came off of, I mean, why would you do anything but be aggressive? We not only have talked about this since we started practice, we talked about it in the spring. We've worked about it, we've talked about it as a staff and you have to embrace that because it's not always going to work. Part of being aggressive is how tough mentally are you when all of a sudden your backs to the wall because you were aggressive? That's no different than sudden change. We have a fumble deep in our territory and we get a turnover back. That same mentality has to be practiced. I've always been a guy that I used the book, study it. I've read a lot of books, mathematical equations on going forward. I study pro football because in pro football, they're most evenly matched. So go for its on fourth downs and onside kicks and different things like that. Although some of the rule differences change, I just I've always believed in not trying to leave something out on the field. I made a mistake in my opinion of going for the long field goal when I did. I probably would have been better off going for it on fourth down. I was a little bit angry about what had happened on third down and so my mind wasn't as clear as what it normally would be. That's my fault, because I don't have time to get angry. With that said, in that situation, I should have had a pooch punt and we can always have punts where we've got pooch punt and/or fakes out of it. So yeah, it's aggressive and smart also, if that makes sense."
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(Ref.: On if he considers himself analytics based or gut feeling based)
"More analytics and then I'm going to use my gut. I hear maybe Coach (Bear) Bryant, I hear Coach (Johnny) Majors talking to me occasionally out there, which is scary. But, you have to use your gut to some degree. It's funny when I hear what they say. Every time I go against it, it bites me. That was an whole mess one time against Mississippi State, I heard Coach Bryant loud and clear, and I ignored it. If you're at Ole Miss, you ignore that and you get beat by Mississippi State when you shouldn't have. Now, all the Ole Miss people are going to be mad at me. What'd you do to get us beat, you know? But yeah, it's just it's both. But I study this hard during the week and we have a strategy meeting as a staff, so everybody on both sides of the ball and special teams knows what our thought processes are."
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(Ref.: On what makes Jake Bobo special)
"Jake is much quicker than everybody thinks he is. He's also got some speed, but his short space quickness is exceptional. He has some shake to him that people don't anticipate, but he does. He's a heck of a route runner. Then his ability to make contested catches, you put it to him in traffic. I mean, you guys see, he made a one-handed catch yesterday at practice. We're going full speed, two-minute drill against each other yesterday. Call me crazy but that's what we were doing one against one. He made a one-handed catch down the sideline that just the whole defense went over there and shook his hand like, geez. He's just he's got great focus and concentration. I'll go back to, it's like, DeWayne, you're not going to see anybody work better on Tuesday and Wednesday, the real work days of college football, although our Sundays are not easy. But, he's got great work ethic."
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(Ref.: On the Duke passing game and the final first down gained by Gunnar Holmberg and Eli Pancol)
"Yeah. I think again, go to practice. We started it in the spring knowing that pocket movement is going to be a big part. When you start watching professional football, watch how many times Tom Brady moves in the pocket to complete it. You don't have to be a 'scrambler,' but the pocket movement was outstanding. We have a drill that we do every week, we'll do it again tomorrow and Wednesday, that is all about live rush and pocket movement. It pays off when you keep your eyes up and down field. Secure the ball, but your eyes are downfield. Bill Walsh once said it, once you're started moving you got to make a first and 10 type decision, that's not a third down force. I went out there and visited the 49ers and I was young, and I thought that really hit home to me and I thought he did that. The guy was wide open, you take that shot and buying the time. He did or it wouldn't have ever happened, that was a huge conversion. That's what I meant by winning a game in the fourth quarter. That's making the plays you have to make to win a game."
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