Oct. 11, 2005
ORLANDO - UCF head coach George O'Leary met the Orlando media Tuesday to discuss the Golden Knights' victory over Memphis and this week's Conference USA road contest at Southern Miss.
Opening Statement:
We came out of the Memphis game well. Injury wise, we are healthy. From a total game standpoint, offense, defense and special teams, they all played well. Obviously, we could have played better in some areas (against Memphis), but we played well.
I thought they (UCF) worked the game plan and I thought the coaches did a good job of executing it during the week. Basically, I think everything felt right on Saturday. More importantly, when we were up 14-0 and they came back to tie it up 14-14, I think part of the growing up stage of this football team was from that point on.
They (Memphis) came back in the second half and the defense holding them to a field goal, that was important. I think the kids are starting to believe in some of the things they are doing. I have been preaching since day one, if they continue to do good things on the practice field it will start to pay dividends, and I think the players are starting to see that.
Overall, it was a good game for us, and players are getting better each week. As a coach, that is what you like to see. There are some areas we would like to see get better a little quicker, but for the most part, I think most of the position areas are improving. That is a sign that they are taking coaching during the week and that they are working in practice during the week. We have sold the team on the fact that if you practice well you will play well. This team, from preseason on, has always practiced well. I think if we continue to practice well, we will get better. We are not even close to where we need to be as a depth standpoint or experience. There are only so many sunrises and sunsets with freshmen. We will continue to work in that area.
On Southern Miss:
Southern Miss, I think is the best team in conference that we will have faced thus far. I think they are typical of what I have seen in past years with Southern Miss. They run real well. They are very aggressive on defensive. Offensively, they do a lot of things as far as running and passing, probably about 50-50 pass/run ratio. They have a quarterback that has some experience and that knows what is going on. Overall, they have some talented youngsters back there playing for them. We will have our work cut out for us there. I think the big thing is that we went away a few weeks ago and won an away game (at Louisiana-Lafayette). I think players need to go down there and understand they are going to be in for a tough game. Every week is a tough game and I think we need to go down there and execute and do what we need to do.
On penalties:
I think the two facemask penalties (against Memphis) were important because they were on third down and they gave them first downs that continued drives. There were two personal foul penalties that also hurt. I think the one that really hurt was the block in the back on the punt return. We had a 42-yard punt return with Joe (Burnett), and you just can't keep doing that. I made a statement today in the special teams meeting that any more penalties that are just lazy penalties, I will take them off first team. You are better off if you can't block them to abort and take the ball where we are tackled, rather than take the penalty. It puts you in bad field position not just then, but for the rest of that quarter and sometimes the half if you can't make it up. That is something we have to eliminate. The penalties need to stop. We are not bad, but we are not good either. I think we are fair at that. Penalties to me are usually a lack of concentration. Holding penalties to me, you can call holding every play in football. Somebody is always holding, so those are going to happen. The pushing from behind, the illegal procedures, those are mental. That is just a lack of concentration.
On how to be a good road team:
I think good road teams, the number one thing you want to do is do something with the ball as quick as you can on either side of the ball. Make a play on offense or make a play on defense to take the crowd out of the game. The one thing you worry about when you go away is the unknown. The crowd noise, the quarterback has to deal with that, as far as audibles and alerts. You try to take the crowd out and realize that the only people that matter are the ones that are on that field. I think the kids have handled that very well.
On the physical nature of Southern Miss:
I think defensively, they are a contact defense. They get off blocks quickly and they run to the ball extremely well. I think sustaining blocks, moving your feet and getting to the second level is going to be critical for any success on offense. Offensively, they do a lot in terms of spreading the field. They have a good sized offensive line and they are well coordinated as far as where they want to attack. I think their passing game is one where they have athletes that can go get the ball and they have a quarterback that can deliver it. I think the Tulsa game got out of whack a little bit. I think it was 10-0 Southern Miss and then they had four picks which turned the game a little bit. That was not the Southern Miss team you would usually see, especially at home. We have our work cut out for us, but as I tell our players, it is a great opportunity for us.
On the Southern Miss offense:
They are very balanced. I think whether they are a one-back team or two-back team, they run multiple personnel groups out there. When you are running the ball, you can usually throw the ball. Some throw it to run it, and they usually don't end up playing in championships. They (Southern Miss) play action well and they boot well, and that is usually what happens when you run the ball well.
On possibly playing games earlier in the day:
I don't particularly like playing at 6:00 at night. I think as we start to win and the marketing and television games start to come around, I hope those games will get changed to noon or 3:30 p.m. When you play at night all the time you lose half a day. You are sitting at the hotel all day with your team. You kill Saturday with it and then Sunday you are right back at it again. I used to enjoy getting up and playing the Jefferson Pilot noon game or the 3:30 ABC game. You are done and the kids have a little more time to themselves.