Quick Hits: Making the Same Mistakes, QBs Did Not Progress, Overlooked Transfers + More

A few updates from West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez.

West Virginia University Offensive Analyst/Assistant Running Backs Coach Noel Devine (left) Assistant Quarterbacks Coach/Assistant to the Head Coach Pat White (middle), quarterback Nicco Marchiol (right) | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

The final practice before West Virginia's second scrimmage has wrapped up, and head coach Rich Rodriguez discussed where the team stands heading into what will be a very important Saturday. Below are the notable quotes from today's press conference.

Opening statement

“I’m not sure we got much better today. Thought the defense ran around pretty good. Don’t think we got much improvement on offense today. Got some things to work on. Quarterbacks did not progress like they had been doing, so they got to have a better day tomorrow.”

If he thinks he team is where they need to be

“Not completely, no. Most coaches will tell you that. As I told the team, you’re going to make mistakes every day. What we’ve got to do is not make the same ones. We’ve got to correct the ones we made yesterday because we’re going to make new ones tomorrow. When we make the same mistakes, it’s hard to move on to the next phase. I thought that was the issue today offensively.”

More on the quarterbacks

“I truly have high expectations for all our guys, at every position, especially in that quarterback room. My expectations for them are really high, and it’s always been because that’s an important position, but for the guys in that room, I really like what we have in there. So my expectation for them is to perform really, really well all of the time. And they will. They’ll get there.”

If guys usually bounce back after a bad practice

“Yeah, usually they’ll bounce back or we’ll keep going until it happens. I’m not giving up on anybody. I just think everybody has a different kind of methodology and a process that they go through, and there’s mistakes along the way and all that. And that’s the most important position on the team, and we throw a lot at them. They’re a conscientious group. It’s a really good group. They’ll be alright.”

If transfers who come from lower levels are a good fit for WVU

“You would hope that they would have the want-to to prove themselves. I think if you’re keeping score, you always have something to prove. There’s no question when you get a guy from a junior college or Division II or 1-AA or Group of Five, come here, I think they all have a little chip on their shoulder to some degree. And not that guys coming from Power Four’s don’t, but sometimes those guys are just looking for a bigger payday. If the guy’s coming to your place for a bigger payday, I think he’s coming for the wrong reasons.”

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