Quick Hits: Rhythm with 2 QBs, Leddie's Workload, Fixing Mistakes + More
Fixing critical mistakes
"Here's what it comes down to. We've got the ball and it's on the 27-yard line. We get a false start, it's 2nd and 6 or 7, and then we have a bad snap. Here's the thing, Zach Frazier, played his ass off. He played well. Zach Frazier is our hardest worker, he's the most prepared, he's one of our best practice players. He does everything that gives you an opportunity to perform well on Saturday night. If you look at it, there were probably 63 countable snaps. 59 of those were pretty good and he's playing against two guys that are really really good. I'll say this, Zach Frazier, over the course of the next three and a half years, I'll take him every single time in that situation, in that moment."
Oklahoma being offsides
"Here's the deal. In my opinion, they were offsides and it Greg Burke's opinion, they weren't and so, I don't feel like paying a fine so I'll just go with that. But I've got some video evidence."
If this year's defense is better
"I think that's fair. Last year, we played well on defense but we got some fortunate breaks too as fas as when we caught some people with backup quarterbacks and things like that. This year, we've played Maryland who we think it talented and they're still undefeated, Virginia Tech is a challenge because of the quarterback being able to return, and then Oklahoma is Oklahoma. We're different on defense than we were a year ago. I think as a group we have a chance to be as good or better. I think the schedule is more challenging for us but I like how our guys are playing. I didn't like how they played in week one. I didn't like how they played at points in week two, but week three and four man, we've played at a really high level. I thought we had a chance to make plays on a few balls. If we go and do that, we have a chance to be special."
Formula to win at WVU
"I think there's a formula to win big here and that's to play great defense. I think that fits us. We've got to get more explosive on offense, we've got to continue to make strides on defense and we've got to get deeper on defense. But I think we're developing a standard that we're going to play defense at a high level. There have been people that try to outscore everybody. Not here, I'm just talking about in our league in general. I think that's a tough formula when you're playing the Oklahoma's of the world. We felt like if we could establish great defense, play great special teams, and be really efficient on offense, and recruit some difference makers, that's the formula."
Depth on the defensive line
"We got a couple of games to make a decision on Hammond Russell. We need to push Jalen Thornton into the mix. Sean Martin has come along and given us positive snaps. Taijh Alston played his best game. Dante [Stills] played his best game within the scheme maybe since we've been here. Akheem Mesidor is playing at a really, really high level. [Darel] Middleton played a few snaps, he's got to get lower. But between Middleton and Thornton, those are the guys that we're going to have to get more snaps out of."
2nd half struggles
"I think it's fair Maryland and it's fair Virginia Tech-wise. The Virginia Tech game we kind of took the air out of it. It's fair, you could say maybe we did it too early. It was 27-7, we thought we were one score from making that a game where we could put it away. Last week, not as much. I mean, we only had three possessions and two of those drives were really productive. We should have scored a touchdown, had to settle for a field goal. We were positioned where we could have either scored a touchdown or a field goal and probably ran the clock under two and a half minutes."
Lack of explosive plays
"They're tough because time and place is important. I think we were 3/8 on 10+ down the field throws and you're a little bit limited because you've got to be careful protection-wise. We're 3/8 with a drop, 50% that's not bad but we've got to get the ball in the air 20+ yards on those explosive plays. That's where schematically we've got to do a little bit better job."
Leddie Brown's workload
"Well, we've got to get a number two guy at that position. He's getting enough touches but I think that he's having to play too many snaps so I don't think he's as fresh late as he needs to be. I think in the first half, we've done a pretty good job of keeping free hitters off of him. I think we've got to do a better job of getting him the ball in the pass game. We're having to use him in pass protection a little bit more which he's done a great job of, credit to him."
Rhythm with 2 quarterbacks
"I think it's going to be a game-by-game deal where you're going to feel it out. I thought both of them did some really good things. Everybody wants to pay uber attention to the quarterback position and I do understand it but I thought Jarret did some good things and I thought Garrett did some good things. Had some good energy, missed a couple of reads but what we asked him to do, he executed. Thought he made some good decisions on when to pull it when to give it when to throw it, when not to throw it."
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