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Mike Elko Press Conference Quotes: Virginia
11/13/2023 10:35:00 PM | Football
DURHAM – Duke football head coach Mike Elko met with members of the media on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
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Duke travels to Virginia on Saturday for its final regular season road game. The game will be broadcast on The CW with kickoff slated for 3 p.m. The contest can also be heard on the Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the varsity app or goduke.com.
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Mike Elko Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thank you everybody for coming out. Recapping Saturday's game, very difficult finish. I am extremely proud of our guys. I thought it was a phenomenal football game. I thought the resiliency that we showed getting down early, bouncing back and taking the lead, to getting down again going into the fourth quarter down two scores. Then bouncing back taking the lead, giving it up, going back down the field again, I just thought we showed a tremendous amount of flight and unfortunately, at the end of the day, we came up two points short. That's really how we look at it. I thought Grayson Loftis played one heck of a game. Certainly, looking at him in the fourth quarter, I thought that's the best our offense executed, particularly in the passing game in a while and that was great to see as we needed it. I thought we were able to run the ball well, to keep some balance on them and Jordan Waters had a big game.
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"Defensively, we played really well in the red zone, but I just think there were some execution moments where we could have been better. That's kind of what I talked to the guys about. They're extremely talented, and they are going to find ways to make their plays. But, I thought there were just some times where we could have executed the defense at a much better level, to give ourselves a better chance. Then on special teams, we were able to steal some possessions and give ourselves a chance. At the end of the day, you've got to tip your hat to them. They played an extremely good football game, and certainly, if I'd never have to play Drake Maye again, I'll be very happy about that. He's a talented kid and some of the plays that he made are extremely special.
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"We've got to now refocus, and that's our challenge. I think we've got a great group of kids. We've got a resilient group of kids and we've got a lot still to play for. The chance to be back-to-back 9-4 teams is one big goal, with Charlotte out of the question now. We have the chance to go to Charlottesville this week and win at a place where Duke football hasn't won in a really long time. We still have a chance to compete to get into a really exciting bowl game and those are things that are really important to us. We've got to bounce back and respond, and I believe we will. We're going to Charlottesville to take on a really talented UVA team. I know the record is what it is, but this group is playing at a much higher level than they did last year. You can see the togetherness; you can see that they're really bought into what Tony [Elliott] is trying to do. I think on offense, it starts with Malik Washington. He's playing at an elite level. Obviously very dynamic catching the football, running routes, but also using him in the screen game and some of the jet sweep game and really finding ways to get him the football. The big outside kid, Malachi Fields, which has always kind of been a staple of Coach Elliott and Coach Kitchens' offenses is having that big tall playmaker that is really hard to hold on to one-on-one on the outside. They play two quarterbacks and both of them have played at a really good level this year. I think they're an offense that is very dangerous. Defensively, they're kind of got a mixed group. There's a lot of guys that have played a lot of football and then you got some really young talented players intertwined in that. I think, second year in the system, they're operating at a much higher level and playing this thing really well. They've played some really good football this year. I think they've gotten better every single week. We certainly anticipate getting there absolutely best and it's going to take our best to go out there and get the result that we want."
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(Ref.: On Grayson Loftis' development the past two months moving from scout team to starting quarterback)
"I mean, he's always had arm talent like he has. You go back and think about the spring game that he played in, and I think a lot of people walked away from the spring game impressed with some of the throws that he made and some of the different things that he could do. For him, it's just really been about adjusting to the speed of the game. Now all of a sudden, you've got a rush and you've got different looks and so you get on scout team and it's a lot of fun because you've got a card, there's no pressure. You throw an interception, no one really cares. You're just trying to sling it around and have some fun like you're in the backyard. Then you flip over and now all of a sudden everything matters. Now you're reading and progressing and seeing defenses and so I just think it's been a development on the speed of the game. Then the confidence, I think we talked about it coming out of the Wake week, I felt like the fourth quarter added a lot of confidence to him. I think his ability to execute down the stretch in that game, even though the numbers weren't overly gaudy or anything. I just think his ability to make some of those throws at those critical moments helped. You saw it a little bit in practice last week that he just had a little bit of a different demeanor about him. I think the guys were kind of like okay, this kid can get us where we need to go, and you saw that. Then I think they just kind of rallied around him in the fourth quarter and we played really good football on offense."
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(Ref.: On how much Grayson's development allows the gameplan to change)
"I think each time he goes out there he's now going into a situation that he's been in. The first game against Wake, he gets his first start. The game against North Carolina, it's his first start on the road. So now you've checked a lot of boxes and I think the nerves aren't going to be as bad. You're not worried as much about having to completely settle him down in a new environment. Now he's still a quarterback and you're trying to get him in rhythm and all of those things. But I think going into that game last week, you certainly had a mindset in the beginning to just let this kid ease into the game. Let's not come out and throw away eight of our first nine balls. You wanted to make sure that you put him in positions where he could be successful. I think now that you've gotten two starts out of the way and you feel comfortable with where he is and that he's got his feet set, now I think you can just kind of open the playbook up and go."
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(Ref.: On Jordan Moore making plays as a receiver and taking wildcat snaps on Saturday)
"I think he's a really talented athlete. I think we all know that and I don't know that we had big plans to do that with him coming into the year. The circumstances have changed and now you're starting to see some different types of run structures and run boxes because we've got a new quarterback, so were trying to create an extra guy sometimes that can help us. We'll certainly utilize it and we're going to try to find ways to let Jordan Moore impact the football game. We think he's a huge impact player for us. We think he's a very dynamic player, and however we can put him in positions to impact the game we want to do it."
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(Ref.: On what gives him confidence bouncing back from a loss like that)
"The character and the culture of this team. I think that's the biggest thing and we've got a lot of guys like that. I talked to the leadership group about this, we've got a lot of older guys in this program, that their legacy is going to be how the season finishes, and they have a lot of pride in that. I think as we move forward down the stretch here, I know, we kind of want to lump seasons into success and failure, but there's a lot of degrees in this thing. So, between 6-6 and 8-4 is a huge difference. That's not lost on anyone in our locker room. Charlotte's not alive anymore, but we still have a lot to play for coming down the stretch."
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(Ref.: On the buzz around coaching openings and his name being thrown around)
"I mean, it's the same one I've always made. It's a profession where people just like to put stuff out there. I'm very committed to this place. Everybody knows I'm very happy at this place. We're doing a lot of really special things. My family's very happy here. We love everything that this place is for. I say this all the time when you're doing your job, everybody thinks you're leaving, when you're doing your job bad, everyone thinks you're leaving. It is literally the nature of college coaches, so you try not to pay any attention to that stuff. I'm obviously not oblivious to it, and we certainly have addressed it just because it needs to be addressed, but I don't know where that stuff comes from. Certainly, nobody ever asked my opinion on what I think about things."
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(Ref.: On the aggressiveness to go for it on fourth down and converting four times against North Carolina)
"I think we are very much tied into analytics. I think that plays a big role in some of that decision making and certainly shapes it. I think you understand percentages and understand game flow, and then I think you have to play momentum into that. I think there's times where analytics say go for it and maybe I'm not quite ready to put the game on the line at that moment. I think the start of the fourth quarter is a great example. I think we had the ball with 13 and a half minutes left, we had a 4th-and-5 and I got reprimanded by the analytics for not going for it. At that moment, I just didn't want to put the game on the line. I felt like punting and giving our defense a shot to go play was something that was important and so we did. We went out, we got to three-and-out and then we scored on back-to-back possessions to take the lead. I just think you're trying to feel it all out and you try to bring all of it into the equation of what are the percentages saying. Then what does it feel like? Does it feel like that's the right call and then try to put all that together and in about eight seconds and make the best decision you can to help your team be successful."
Â
(Ref.: On the fake punt)
"I think the fake punt, the surprise onside kick, you can say that is a tip of the cap to Drake Maye. Knowing that we had to not give him the ball as many times as he wanted it. That was honestly a part of that game plan was we were trying to find every way we could to steal possessions. We did a very similar thing last year. We were very aggressive on fourth down last year in this game and I think all of that plays a role. We don't look at anything in a vacuum. I think everything is particular to that game we're playing and so you look at the game you're playing and you're playing one of the most explosive offenses in the country with the best quarterback in the country, you're going to operate a certain kind of way with how you manage the game. I think that's what we were trying to do."
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(Ref.: On the moment he shared with Jalon Calhoun after the game Saturday)
"The biggest thing that gets lost in all this with fans and how passionate fans are about this is like nobody cares about this game more than the guys in the locker room. These kids have put their heart and soul into this program and into this university and the second that game end that's the immediate thought process is making sure my guys are okay. Making sure these guys are okay. Obviously, he was a guy that was down and not for any reason other than it's his senior year and he really wanted that game and so you try to uplift them and try to let them know you care about him and that you're there for him. It's the same thing I told my guys in the locker room. I don't have magic words right now. Just know that I'm proud of you and I love you and we're going to find a way to get through this. You just try to keep it straight with them and I think that's what this program is built off."
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#GoDuke
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Duke travels to Virginia on Saturday for its final regular season road game. The game will be broadcast on The CW with kickoff slated for 3 p.m. The contest can also be heard on the Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the varsity app or goduke.com.
Â
Mike Elko Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thank you everybody for coming out. Recapping Saturday's game, very difficult finish. I am extremely proud of our guys. I thought it was a phenomenal football game. I thought the resiliency that we showed getting down early, bouncing back and taking the lead, to getting down again going into the fourth quarter down two scores. Then bouncing back taking the lead, giving it up, going back down the field again, I just thought we showed a tremendous amount of flight and unfortunately, at the end of the day, we came up two points short. That's really how we look at it. I thought Grayson Loftis played one heck of a game. Certainly, looking at him in the fourth quarter, I thought that's the best our offense executed, particularly in the passing game in a while and that was great to see as we needed it. I thought we were able to run the ball well, to keep some balance on them and Jordan Waters had a big game.
Â
"Defensively, we played really well in the red zone, but I just think there were some execution moments where we could have been better. That's kind of what I talked to the guys about. They're extremely talented, and they are going to find ways to make their plays. But, I thought there were just some times where we could have executed the defense at a much better level, to give ourselves a better chance. Then on special teams, we were able to steal some possessions and give ourselves a chance. At the end of the day, you've got to tip your hat to them. They played an extremely good football game, and certainly, if I'd never have to play Drake Maye again, I'll be very happy about that. He's a talented kid and some of the plays that he made are extremely special.
Â
"We've got to now refocus, and that's our challenge. I think we've got a great group of kids. We've got a resilient group of kids and we've got a lot still to play for. The chance to be back-to-back 9-4 teams is one big goal, with Charlotte out of the question now. We have the chance to go to Charlottesville this week and win at a place where Duke football hasn't won in a really long time. We still have a chance to compete to get into a really exciting bowl game and those are things that are really important to us. We've got to bounce back and respond, and I believe we will. We're going to Charlottesville to take on a really talented UVA team. I know the record is what it is, but this group is playing at a much higher level than they did last year. You can see the togetherness; you can see that they're really bought into what Tony [Elliott] is trying to do. I think on offense, it starts with Malik Washington. He's playing at an elite level. Obviously very dynamic catching the football, running routes, but also using him in the screen game and some of the jet sweep game and really finding ways to get him the football. The big outside kid, Malachi Fields, which has always kind of been a staple of Coach Elliott and Coach Kitchens' offenses is having that big tall playmaker that is really hard to hold on to one-on-one on the outside. They play two quarterbacks and both of them have played at a really good level this year. I think they're an offense that is very dangerous. Defensively, they're kind of got a mixed group. There's a lot of guys that have played a lot of football and then you got some really young talented players intertwined in that. I think, second year in the system, they're operating at a much higher level and playing this thing really well. They've played some really good football this year. I think they've gotten better every single week. We certainly anticipate getting there absolutely best and it's going to take our best to go out there and get the result that we want."
Â
(Ref.: On Grayson Loftis' development the past two months moving from scout team to starting quarterback)
"I mean, he's always had arm talent like he has. You go back and think about the spring game that he played in, and I think a lot of people walked away from the spring game impressed with some of the throws that he made and some of the different things that he could do. For him, it's just really been about adjusting to the speed of the game. Now all of a sudden, you've got a rush and you've got different looks and so you get on scout team and it's a lot of fun because you've got a card, there's no pressure. You throw an interception, no one really cares. You're just trying to sling it around and have some fun like you're in the backyard. Then you flip over and now all of a sudden everything matters. Now you're reading and progressing and seeing defenses and so I just think it's been a development on the speed of the game. Then the confidence, I think we talked about it coming out of the Wake week, I felt like the fourth quarter added a lot of confidence to him. I think his ability to execute down the stretch in that game, even though the numbers weren't overly gaudy or anything. I just think his ability to make some of those throws at those critical moments helped. You saw it a little bit in practice last week that he just had a little bit of a different demeanor about him. I think the guys were kind of like okay, this kid can get us where we need to go, and you saw that. Then I think they just kind of rallied around him in the fourth quarter and we played really good football on offense."
Â
(Ref.: On how much Grayson's development allows the gameplan to change)
"I think each time he goes out there he's now going into a situation that he's been in. The first game against Wake, he gets his first start. The game against North Carolina, it's his first start on the road. So now you've checked a lot of boxes and I think the nerves aren't going to be as bad. You're not worried as much about having to completely settle him down in a new environment. Now he's still a quarterback and you're trying to get him in rhythm and all of those things. But I think going into that game last week, you certainly had a mindset in the beginning to just let this kid ease into the game. Let's not come out and throw away eight of our first nine balls. You wanted to make sure that you put him in positions where he could be successful. I think now that you've gotten two starts out of the way and you feel comfortable with where he is and that he's got his feet set, now I think you can just kind of open the playbook up and go."
Â
(Ref.: On Jordan Moore making plays as a receiver and taking wildcat snaps on Saturday)
"I think he's a really talented athlete. I think we all know that and I don't know that we had big plans to do that with him coming into the year. The circumstances have changed and now you're starting to see some different types of run structures and run boxes because we've got a new quarterback, so were trying to create an extra guy sometimes that can help us. We'll certainly utilize it and we're going to try to find ways to let Jordan Moore impact the football game. We think he's a huge impact player for us. We think he's a very dynamic player, and however we can put him in positions to impact the game we want to do it."
Â
(Ref.: On what gives him confidence bouncing back from a loss like that)
"The character and the culture of this team. I think that's the biggest thing and we've got a lot of guys like that. I talked to the leadership group about this, we've got a lot of older guys in this program, that their legacy is going to be how the season finishes, and they have a lot of pride in that. I think as we move forward down the stretch here, I know, we kind of want to lump seasons into success and failure, but there's a lot of degrees in this thing. So, between 6-6 and 8-4 is a huge difference. That's not lost on anyone in our locker room. Charlotte's not alive anymore, but we still have a lot to play for coming down the stretch."
Â
(Ref.: On the buzz around coaching openings and his name being thrown around)
"I mean, it's the same one I've always made. It's a profession where people just like to put stuff out there. I'm very committed to this place. Everybody knows I'm very happy at this place. We're doing a lot of really special things. My family's very happy here. We love everything that this place is for. I say this all the time when you're doing your job, everybody thinks you're leaving, when you're doing your job bad, everyone thinks you're leaving. It is literally the nature of college coaches, so you try not to pay any attention to that stuff. I'm obviously not oblivious to it, and we certainly have addressed it just because it needs to be addressed, but I don't know where that stuff comes from. Certainly, nobody ever asked my opinion on what I think about things."
Â
(Ref.: On the aggressiveness to go for it on fourth down and converting four times against North Carolina)
"I think we are very much tied into analytics. I think that plays a big role in some of that decision making and certainly shapes it. I think you understand percentages and understand game flow, and then I think you have to play momentum into that. I think there's times where analytics say go for it and maybe I'm not quite ready to put the game on the line at that moment. I think the start of the fourth quarter is a great example. I think we had the ball with 13 and a half minutes left, we had a 4th-and-5 and I got reprimanded by the analytics for not going for it. At that moment, I just didn't want to put the game on the line. I felt like punting and giving our defense a shot to go play was something that was important and so we did. We went out, we got to three-and-out and then we scored on back-to-back possessions to take the lead. I just think you're trying to feel it all out and you try to bring all of it into the equation of what are the percentages saying. Then what does it feel like? Does it feel like that's the right call and then try to put all that together and in about eight seconds and make the best decision you can to help your team be successful."
Â
(Ref.: On the fake punt)
"I think the fake punt, the surprise onside kick, you can say that is a tip of the cap to Drake Maye. Knowing that we had to not give him the ball as many times as he wanted it. That was honestly a part of that game plan was we were trying to find every way we could to steal possessions. We did a very similar thing last year. We were very aggressive on fourth down last year in this game and I think all of that plays a role. We don't look at anything in a vacuum. I think everything is particular to that game we're playing and so you look at the game you're playing and you're playing one of the most explosive offenses in the country with the best quarterback in the country, you're going to operate a certain kind of way with how you manage the game. I think that's what we were trying to do."
Â
(Ref.: On the moment he shared with Jalon Calhoun after the game Saturday)
"The biggest thing that gets lost in all this with fans and how passionate fans are about this is like nobody cares about this game more than the guys in the locker room. These kids have put their heart and soul into this program and into this university and the second that game end that's the immediate thought process is making sure my guys are okay. Making sure these guys are okay. Obviously, he was a guy that was down and not for any reason other than it's his senior year and he really wanted that game and so you try to uplift them and try to let them know you care about him and that you're there for him. It's the same thing I told my guys in the locker room. I don't have magic words right now. Just know that I'm proud of you and I love you and we're going to find a way to get through this. You just try to keep it straight with them and I think that's what this program is built off."
Â
#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
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