Oct. 24, 2006
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF head coach George O'Leary met with the media on Tuesday at his weekly press conference at the Wayne Densch Sports Center on campus. After two-straight home games, the Golden Knights travel to Texas to face Houston on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
The contest will be televised live nationally on CSTV.
How important was the offensive play in the red zone last week against Rice?
"We scored six out of seven times in the red zone, but you can't walk away just kicking field goals. Three of the six scores were field goals and we have to score points obviously the way we are playing defense. That is something that we have been harping on since Sunday when we looked at it. We dropped a touchdown pass, which was one. We fumble another one down that way and you can't do that stuff. Every opportunity in the red zone has to be seven points, not three points. We did kick the ball better, and again that is something that we will work on this week very hard. We did some different things down there than we normally have done in the red zone which I think helped. Again, we can not be settling for field goals. We have to be settling for touchdowns and never walk away without any points."
Are you going to be staying with Kyle Israel as the starting quarterback?
"Right now both quarterbacks will play. I wanted to get that done last week, but I did not see any part of the game where Kyle was not doing the things asked of him."
"I think offensively, when I look at the game, in the red zone, we would have liked to get touchdowns down there, but they probably played well enough to win. That has not been the nemesis. I think that special teams concerns me, only because we have a couple of guys trying to make plays instead of working the call and that was a critical mistake in hitting the punter, which was in fairness to the coach who called a return, not a block. He [Javid James] was just trying to make a play and trying to make something happen, but it was not the right time to do that stuff. I spoke to the team about doing what you are supposed to do and good things will happen."
"Our biggest problem and I have addressed it earlier is defense. We just are not making plays. I think when we have opportunities in front of us, we are just not making enough plays. I see too many arm tackles, instead of them bringing their feet with them. It has been addressed to the defense, the coaches have addressed it and everything on the field in practice has been trying to get them to do things through people. Right now as I look at it, one you look at ability, second you look at toughness and third you look at where they are regarding toughness. I think that last year at this stage we were making some plays and that is the biggest difference I see. We are not making plays on defense, especially on third down. That has been the problem and as a coach in being around for a while, I think that the biggest thing is to make sure you know the problem and then correct it. Believe me, I am as discouraged as the way we were playing on defense as anybody, but I think that you are always looking for an answer. I think that when it comes down to the answer, it comes down to confidence as far as on third down. I think that when we start doing those things correctly, I think good things will happen. Right now for whatever reason, it looks like we are playing very cautious on defense and afraid to make a mistake. I told them that in Sunday's meeting and in yesterday's meeting that they need to be a lot more aggressive in attacking things. You know sometimes the light takes a little bit longer to go on with some individuals."
The team has had problems in forcing turnovers this year. Could a turnover, an interception or fumble, provide some confidence for the defense?
"That is the difference I see, last year we were getting those. We had some fumbles, we had some picks, and we have not had any this year that was a game changing type of thing. A lot of those turnovers and picks occurred in the fourth quarter. We just are not coming up with any of them. Are we in the position to make some? Yes, sadly to say, we just are not making them. There are at least 12-14 plays on film that we are close, and we do not make the play, which is discouraging. I looked at the calls all the time, whether they are on target. Every game there is going to be one or two calls that you want to have back on offense or defense, but I think that for most part the kids are in position. Last year we made plays and this year we are not making them. It is some different kids in different positions, but that is where the focus of the team is and that is basically what is happening. I think that when our offense has the ball, I think that we can move the ball and keep decent field position. I think the key is getting the ball more often, which we are not doing. There are too many long drives on defense because we are not getting off the field on third down. I am talking about third and 13, where the quarterback runs for 14. Stuff like that is discouraging because that leads to confidence or lack of confidence. I think that all 11 of them are involved. As a matter of fact, I can not say that it is one or two people, but of those 12-14 players, every position group had an opportunity to make a play at some time. We just did not come up with them. I have quickened the pace of practice for them. I have put more speed on the field for the scout teams. You are trying to get them to where they are playing faster during the week. We are doing whatever we can do to get them to play faster. It still comes down to basically running through people and not just to them. For the life of me, we have a lot of grabbers right now. You cannot knock people back and stop people for first downs playing like that. It has been addressed by the coaches and worked on the field with the coaches. I think when they get on the field they are so afraid not to make the mistake that they are actually making mistakes."
What do you think of the Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb?
"Obviously he [Kevin Kolb] has been in the same offense now if I read correctly, ever since he was a junior in high school. He has a wealth of experience with the same offense. I think that offense suits his talents well. He is a smart guy that knows where to throw the ball. They are sort of a run option type of team as far as offensively in making you isolate one on one. He is a guy who makes plays and when he has an opportunity he can make a bunch of plays against a lot of people on film. Last year we gave up two big plays, but were able to keep him in check for a little while because we made plays ourselves. Whoever has that responsibility has to make a play and that is what that offense breaks down to. The Kolb kid has done a great job. Obviously he has a done a great job in that offense."
Did you think that you left the run too early in the fourth quarter last week against Rice?
"It was 27-22 and our defense could not make one stop. Because I thought that if we got the ball back, we could drive it and win. We went out there and all the sudden, we were down two touchdowns and all the sudden with the new clock rules, you cannot afford to run too much. You have to throw the ball. After watching Kyle [Israel] on that last series, I probably would not hesitate to go to the no huddle a little earlier with him because he controlled things and made some plays when he had to make them. I think that what happens is that some of the runs that were in there, like having Jason [Peters] on a third and one, he trips up on a high blade of grass. Kevin [Smith] is our best running back and we were down to two backs because Philip [Smith] was not back yet from his dad's passing. He is back now, so as I told the offense we need to roll the kids. Kevin needs to be out there for the chunk of the plays because he is the best running back that we have. What is comes down to is that if that game was 27-22 and we got the ball back, we could have stayed to the game plan by running the ball and throwing it off of play action. Being down two scores and the way the new clock is, you have to score points quickly and hope to get it back."