Transcript & Video: Bryan Brown, Nick Okeke Recap Florida State, Preview Virginia Tech
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Cardinals (2-4, 1-4 ACC) finally secured their first conference victory of the season and broke a four-game losing streak, blowing out the Florida State Seminoles, 48-16, last Saturday. Next up, Louisville is back at Cardinal Stadium to face the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-2, 3-2 ACC). Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4:00 p.m.
Prior to their upcoming matchup, defensive coordinator Bryan Brown & outside linebacker Nick Okeke took time to meet with the media. They discussed the previous game against the Seminoles, previewed the upcoming game against the Hokies, and more.
Below is the transcript from their press conference as well as the video:
Defensive Coordinator Bryan Brown
(On what he has seen from the secondary that has allowed them to improve like they have)
I think a lot of it has to do with confidence a little bit. Anytime you make a couple of plays, I think that builds your confidence up for sure. They did you have the ability to make that play in That's one thing we've been looking for is guys taking chances and understanding where their help is, doing what their coach is asking them to do, and the guys have been doing the past couple of games. It's a thing of beauty to see. A lot of that has to do with confidence. Just understanding the game plan, as well as understanding the opponent. They do a great, great job of studying the last couple of weeks and execute a game plan. But a lot of it has to do confidence.
(On Virginia Tech's running game and RB Khalil Herbert)
Well they're gonna run that balk until the cows come home a good bit of the time. The coach there, he wants to run the football. They do a great job with stretch game no matter how to get to it, with this quarterback stretch as well. They love zone reads and counter plays here and there. But I just think that offensive line has done an awesome job opening holes up for those guys. At times he may see a hole that may be there, and an offensive lineman may throw one of the D-lineman or a linebacker out of that gap. They just do a great job and I think the backs do an awesome job of being patient and finding that right hole to hit, especially in the stretch game. They do a great job up front and the backs are very, very patient, as well as the quarterback as well. Anytime he's running a quarterback stretch or a zone read type concept, he understands what the defense is giving him. He's doing what he's supposed to do, and they're doing a great job with it. When you try to pass, of course it's like all the quarterbacks we played all year long, he's gonna pull it down and run it. We have to be careful and limit those explosive plays.
(On turning pass breakups in interceptions)
It's a lot to do with focus. I think sometimes the guys get so happy that that ball is right there, and it's like a piece of candy when you're a kid. You're just ready to grab it, and you're not focused on it as much. You may miss it, it may fall. Somebody may throw you a piece of candy, you may just not catch it because you're just so excited to catch it. But a lot of it has to do with focus so one thing we've done this week, I said man we're gonna catch some balls. Right now the guys are still out there practicing catching balls. So we're making sure that hopefully we'll be able to get some of those balls. We're doing a lot more ball drills as well. It's just a lot to do with focus, so hopefully we'll be able to get some this weekend. We should have had about four or five this past Saturday. So that, that hurts you a little bit.
(On if he felt relief when safety Jack Fagot finally caught an interception)
Oh my gosh. I hope they didn't have me on film. When jack got that pick it was like 'thank God'. It was one of those deals. I'll tell you funny story. When (Kei'Trel Clark) dropped his interception, I was talking to the sideline ref. We were talking and I say 'what do you say to the kid to drop something like that? Like what do you do?' He goes 'coach, I think you just gotta get him on the jug machine more'. It was funny hearing a ref say that.
(On how they tackled vs. FSU and the matchup with Herbert)
It's gonna be very, very key for us. I thought this past game, we started out the game really, really shaky on that first drive. Not making those tackles and misses on the tackles in the first drive. Then I think the guys settled down and then tackled really well. Florida State did a good job with a couple of scheme things early on in the game, and then we end up making our adjustments to it. But I thought the guys tackled well overall. One of my buddies coaches there and that's one thing he said. He said he thought we tackled really well. Hope we continue that this week. We got to get those guys down on the ground because they are elusive. They are you know one of the most explosive teams in the country. They're leading the conference in rushing, and their back is leading the country all-purpose yards. We just got to continue to do a great job of tackling.
(On how he would assess the newcomers and Marvin Dallas' status)
Yeah, Marvin was going in that same series that he got hurt on kickoff. I asked 'Hey, are you good? you ready to go?' and I could tell he wasn't ready to go. I sucks that injury happened to him, and our thoughts and prayers are with him. He had a successful surgery, so hopefully we'll be able to get him back in a couple of weeks and be ready to roll. But as far as some of the young guys, Dezmond Tell is still playing really well for us, doing a really good job. Lovie Jenkins got in, of course he's one of the guys who dropped a pick, but he was where he was supposed to be. So that's a positive thing. Josh Minkins got in the game, he had a misfit on that long run but he chased that cat down and was able to limit that explosive play. We're very excited for those guys. KJ Cloyd got some snaps, he did really well and got him a tackle and was where he was supposed to be. Greedy Vance, he's still doing awesome things for us and he's gonna be an outstanding player for us and he did really well. Very, very pleased with a lot of young guys that got some reps before the end of the game and even some during the middle of the game. Gotta continue to grow those guys, and I think the future is bright with this young group for sure.
(On VT QB Hendon Hooker and RB Khalil Herbert)
Each one of those (dual threat quarterbacks UofL has faced) is different within their own within their own skin. You think about D'Eriq King, he's a shorter quarterback. Very, very quick, like really, really quick. You think about (Jeff) Sims from Georgia Tech, he's a taller guy, kind of similar to V-Tech's quarterback here as well. But I think Herbert, man he does a great job of of processing what you're doing in the secondary, and he does really, really quickly. They do a great job of scheming you up a little bit with some draws that are in the actual passing game to where he can throw the football down the field, but it's also draw that's is built in just with him in the running back. They do a great job and he's a kid that I don't think he's super super fast, but he is elusive. He will keep the chains moving. He's a special talent, and we look forward to competing against him on this weekend.
(On the team's 'never quit' mentality)
It's always been a process. We got here starting back in 2018, and that's been our deal since we got here. We don't want to have that quitters mentality. We want to make sure that we play for the full 60 minutes. Last week I mentioned 60 minutes of hell. That's the thing we kept preaching to the guys the whole game. The game's not over, the game's not over. We want to fight to the very end and not give up yards and scores and things of that nature. And the guys responded. When we fumbled the ball on the punt return, the guys went out there and that was our deal. We started last year and it's good we're back on the football field. Now we have another chance to be able to stop those guys and be able to show our talents show what we got. That was a mentality going back out there, and it was good. That shows a lot of growth and maturity from that group. Just so excited that the process has continued to go. Each and every week we continue to get better, and that's that's an exciting thing to see from a coach's standpoint.
(On how the defense's confidence shows)
In practice. It started a couple weeks ago after the Georgia Tech game. The guys said 'hey we're not as hungry as we were last year'. I think they got that bite, that fight back into them. Sometimes you get lackadaisical a little bit, but the guys in practice, oh my gosh, it's been awesome to see. The guys are fighting their butt off. We tackled yesterday again, the guys are in practicing executing, and when they do make a mistake they ask 'coach, what did I do wrong?' All of the guys, whether they're in the game, or it's the guys who are in the back or watching on the side, they're asking questions. When you've had a couple performances like we've had to where, I think the guys averaged in the last games like 13 points per game, that's gonna give you a lot of confidence. Now you're able to go out there and say we can do this, it can be done. Practice the main thing, seeing the guys compete in practice within our scout team and understanding what these guys are trying to do and get accomplished and going full tilt. These practices have been kind of like what we had at App. State, where guys getting after you every single play, and that's what you want as a defensive coach or as a coach in general.
Outside Linebacker Nick Okeke
(On the defense's confidence after the last two performances)
It's definitely got us refocused and definitely made us tighten up. The first couple games is not what we are holding our standard to, and we knew we had to step up because these two big games that we just played.
(On facing RB Khalil Herbert)
We expect them to do what they usually do: run the ball. We don't expect them to try to change it up for us. He's a good running back and we respect them. But we just got to stay gap sound and win the line of scrimmage.
(On what stands out on Herbert)
He's got really good vision. He can see things happen before it happens. He can set things up with the way he sees the field. He's very compact and he can he can take some hits, so we gotta be ready to tackle.
(On if facing Javian Hawkins in practice prepares them for Herbert)
Yeah, definitely. Hawk's got us all on our tips. I see similarities in both their games, and he's got us ready, like, been ready.
(On how important it is to be gap sound)
That's going to be the key to the game on defense. That's what we need to focus on most - tackling the quarterback and running back in the run game. We can't let them get going.
(On putting the FSU win behind them)
We want the confidence to linger, but we say it every day: we don't care about last week. We don't care about yesterday, no matter what plays you run, it's a new day. Win the day.
(On having the recent defensive performances they've had)
It's definitely what we've been waiting for at the beginning of the season. We just wish it had happened earlier. These past few weeks have definitely been a confidence booster and just like a relief factor just for our defense. It's a good feeling.
(Photo of Jordan Travis, CJ Avery: Atlantic Coast Conference)
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