Oct. 31, 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. The Golden Knights return home to the Florida Citrus Bowl this Saturday for a homecoming contest with East Carolina at 4 p.m. ET.
Opening statement:
"It seems like the last couple of weeks I have come in here with the same story. Obviously from the game Saturday, offensively, I thought that they had their moments where they played very well and then others that I thought where we could have used a first down or could have used some better play by some people, we did not get that. Overall, I was not displeased with the offense, I thought that they went out and made plays and could have made more plays, but I thought they did make enough plays to keep you in a game and probably win a game.
Our problem is the same problem, which currently I am racking my brain trying to get things done on that side of the ball [defense] to just get them to make more plays. The score of that game was really not indicative of the game. When you watch the game itself, it is 31-31 and we just cannot allow big plays and that is what we continue to do. Now, whether it is a talent level or ability level, but again we are doing what we can do to get it corrected because that has really been our problem this year, the whole year I think - the inability of our front seven to make plays. When you watch tape from last year, that was the difference. I thought that we lost three guys that played last year up front, but I thought that those three guys made plays on third downs that got you off the field, which we are not getting done this year. That is really what our biggest problem on the football team is the ability to make plays on defense. We will continually try to get more people on the field. There will be some new faces out there this week on defense, trying to create more speed on the field. We are doing what we have to do to get better there."
Were you afraid of getting into a shootout in the second half against Houston?
"I thought in the first half that we tackled much better than we have been tackling. Is it perfect? No, but I thought that we played much better in the first half defensively. The way you look at the game, they ran 43 plays for 210 yards. Alright, then, the next 24 plays for 290 yards, you cannot do that. That has been our problem as far as spurts of big plays and then really taking charge on the field. We are trying to get somebody to step up and take charge because it seems when things start slicing for the defense it continues, instead of someone stepping up. As I told the coaches, if we are not getting it from the players, then we need to do something to excerpt some energy in there, whether it is to blitz more or do something that can help them basically make a big play. I think that you can get into a shootout if you are going to be stingy on defense.
We just have to continue. The coaches are not working anyless, I think the big thing is they are working more. You have to watch that you do not put to much in that the kids cannot do. That is the other thing. A lot of guys have opinions on what to do, but the problem is can your personnel do it.
I do not see them out of position as much as I see them not having the ability when they have to make a play, make it. It really comes down to the front seven, that is where the problem has been. It is not in the secondary, they may give up a play in the secondary, but overall we just are not making enough plays upfront."
Why are you rotating more on the defensive line, is it to get more speed or more pass rush?
"I think both. We have some young freshmen that ready to play or not ready to play, they are playing because of a need. I think there are other people that are a little older that have not been making plays that need to step up and make plays.
You try to protect your players and stay with them and we have to do that. It gets to a certain point where you have to replace older guys and that is the way it is, it is a business. I think that you give every kid the opportunity to get things done, but if they cannot get it done. I think that you have to look to other people who have more speed, they may not have more experience, but let's see if they can get it done. There are a couple of different faces out there, not that they are not on the field already, but I just moving them around a little bit."
How do you think that Kyle Israel responded against Houston?
"I thought that he was alright. Both quarterbacks had there moments in the game. When you asked me after the game about how they played I used the word `shoddy' and that is probably the way it was to me. When you throw two picks, we had some open people that were in the game plan that we should have hit. But, both of them moved the team and again I think I always judge the kids on that if they are not playing their best then it is not a great game for them. The quarterback position has to have a great game everyday, it is not as bad as it normally is if you are playing good defense, but if you are not playing good defense, then you cannot have any three and outs. The only reason is for field position. I thought the key to the game is when it was 38-31 in that game. We go on the field, really they have not stopped us, and we stopped ourselves a little bit. We throw the ball three times in a row and I was annoyed because I was working with the defense trying to get them straightened out and all of sudden we are coming off the field again. That is not our game. Our game is to go get a first down, let's get field position and when we get in there, let's get some points on the board. I thought that series there that really - you say shootout - we just gave the ball back to them right away and they came down. The replay in the corner, on the pass play, made it 45. Then the last play, the kid (Cory Rabazinski) is trying to make a first down. You always teach kids in the last two minutes, when you hit the numbers, get out of bounds. If you are to the hash, get first down yardage. That is a lesson learned and I don't have a problem with that kid. He gives us everything he has and he is going to be a heck of a football player and I really believe that.
The quarterbacks - a lot more pressure is on them because we are not playing good defense. You go out there and you only get 12 to 13 possessions and you have to get points on the board in half of them, so there is not a lot of room for error. That is probably why they go under the microscope a little more and you cannot have a lot of three and outs. The other reason is for field position. If we are not playing well on that side of the ball, you cannot give them short fields."
Do you think that the players are over thinking on the field?
"I wish that some were over thinking. I told the kids after the game and before the game to go out and play hard. Did they play hard? Yes, they did, I will argue with anybody who says they did not play hard. They played hard, did they play smart? No, they did not, a lot of times they did, but a lot of times they did not. A lot of that is immaturity in some cases. A lot of that is just under the pressure of trying to make a play. Did they play together? Yeah, I thought that were in that game the whole day. Are we playing to win? Yeah, but I think playing smart and playing to win go hand-in-hand. To me, I am annoyed that we throw the ball three times in a row, when it was 38-31. That is not playing smart, whether it was the coaches or players, it makes no difference. I just wish that I was not in the other huddle because I would have vetoed that real quick. Are we playing smart when we know tendencies? I thought that they were defensively by formation, you knew what they were going to do and the coaches were yelling the play out from the sideline. The kids were going I got you and they ran the play. That is where we just have to have more confidence in what we are doing sometimes on the field. It is frustrating. It really is from the defensive side. You cannot invent the wheel with, but you can keep working and make sure they give you everything they have. I do think they try to do that. I don't think we are playing at times, very smart, and getting a jump on things from the sense of tendencies."
Are you still preaching the positives this week?
"You have to. I met with the kids Sunday night and I said fellas we have four conference games left and I showed them the schedule and I showed them the standings. We are in a four game season. You win four games, you could basically have a piece of the conference, the way our conference is on the east division. Everybody has to play everybody and they have to knock each other off. We have to take care of our own business. Some people are telling the kids they are out of it and that is not true. I showed the kids on the board, here is the schedule, we play, East Carolina, Memphis, Tulane, and UAB, and record wise if we take care of our own business, lets see what happens in November. That is the key, plus that gets you to 6-6 to see if there is a bowl out there. It does not throw you realistically out of the conference division, mathematically, either. You don't know what is going to happen. We must take care of business every game."
What do you expect from ECU this week?
"I think stick-to-itiveness and perseverance. They scored with no time left on the clock against Southern Miss running it down to the zeros and then coming back to win it in overtime. I think, one, the quarterback is making plays for them. I think that they are playing fairly well in areas and they are making plays when they have to make them, but believe me all four teams on the schedule as I tell our team need to be taken one game at a time. We have to take care of our own business. My job is to keep the kids ready. When you have a fan base that is young, my experience with them is that they are like professional fans, they just want to yell and scream all day. We need more grey hairs in the stands that understand the game of football. That is my job to keep the kids up and keep the kids ready. If you watch practice, they are in the practice. You can tell kids are listening when you are talking. When you show them something on the board - as one kid says - no one else believes - I say I do not care about anyone else. I believe that we have four games that are very winnable games. Whether we win them or not, it is up to us."