Sept. 23, 2008
UCF Football Press Conference Audio
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Tuesday, UCF head coach George O'Leary met with the media to discuss the Knights' first Conference USA game of the season. On Saturday evening, UCF will meet host UTEP at 8 p.m. Eastern. The game will air nationally on CBS College Sports.
During the weekly press conference, O'Leary discussed an array of topics including the quarterback situation, UTEP's new defense and the start of conference play.
On the Boston College game
"I thought it was a game of two halves. We had plenty of opportunities in the first half to get points on the board and we didn't. I really thought the turning point in the game was when it was 17-7 with one minute left in the third quarter and we had the ball on the 11 yard line. We came away with zero points. Those are things that can't happen. I addressed it to our football team that we had opportunities in the first half with the ball on the 26, 23 and the 35 yard line (of Boston College). You have to come up with points those times, especially against Boston College who is playing good defense. We then we gave up too many big plays in the second half from a defensive standpoint."
On the quarterbacks
"We weren't going to go through the season without playing a couple different quarterbacks, and right now I thought Rob Calabrese could do more things in mimicking (Michael) Greco, than Joe (Weatherford). Joe already used his redshirt year last year, so we have the availability of using the three. That is why I explained to him to continue to work in practice. The way things are right now with blitzes, the quarterback is an ankle away from being on the sideline. I thought Calabrese went in and did some good things. Obviously the one pass he threw initially cost us some points on the 23 yard line. I think other than that, his game management for the first time out was pretty decent. Michael got hurt in the first half with his knee. It is Greco's job. There is no competition every week, because it is his job. I think you need to have a second or third guy who can go into the game and get things done. They are all responsible for the game plan."
"We have just been impressed with him in practice, and he does a lot of things that I like in quarterback as far as fieldmanship, the mobility and tempo. He has a quicker tempo than the other two when on the field."
On UTEP's defense
"Texas-El Paso has a new coordinator in there this year, and they are about at 94 percent blitz. That is a lot of blitzes. They are trying to create havoc in the backfield and using a lot of man coverage, so we have to execute and make some passes and not just be content with running the ball. You will have opportunities. That is what I have tried to impress upon the players. It is one of the few stadiums that I have never been to. I think it is a very vocal crowd, and they will have around 40,000 (fans) there. I will get the jet engines going to simulate some noise out at practice. It is more of confusion (defense) and again we are trying to get big plays from the pressure they are applying."
On UTEP's quarterbacks
"Ten (Trevor Vittatoe) got hurt, and he is out. They put in five (James Thomas II), who is actually listed as a receiver on the depth chart. He went out there and ran the run-gun. He did a pretty good job for them, and I would think they will add to the packages for him to utilize his athletic ability. He is a pretty good athlete who has the ability to throw, and was a quarterback in high school."
On the game plan for UTEP
"We have to make plays against them because you are going to miss some assignments inside just by the nature of the pressure because they are coming from all over the place. When you do that, you also have the ability to give up big plays."
On Conference USA play
"We put a special emphasis on out of conference games, at least I did, and obviously I was talking to myself. Conference play dictates where we end up, and I think that is what the kids understand. Being defending conference champions, you aren't sneaking up on anybody. I would much rather be in that position than where we started. We didn't miss a homecoming when we first got here."
On running back rotation this week
"Ronnie (Weaver) is still there, but after that I think it is a toss up. This kind of game, I think Brandon Davis and Brynn Harvey are the kind of guys you are looking at only because of what is coming at them."
UCF's next home contest is slated for Oct. 4 against SMU. The game will serve as the Knights' first C-USA tilt of the year at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF is offering a special C-USA Ticket Pack for the remainder of the year. For more information about tickets, call (407) UCF-1000.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.