Sept. 14, 2010
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By Christian Edwards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF head football coach George O'Leary met with the Orlando media on Tuesday to preview Saturday's game at Buffalo. Here is a sampling of what he had to say.
On the quarterback situation...
"After evaluating the tape, both are taking first-team snaps. If Jeff [Godfrey] continues to play like he did in today's practice he will get the starting nod. That's not definite yet and I told the players that I would make a decision on Friday. It is a little different coming off the bench than starting a game. He went out and did some great things and was very productive, and that's what you have to do as a quarterback - you have to move the chains. That is what he did."
On the offensive line's performance in the game vs. NC State and turnovers...
"I thought they were awful. That was really the demise of the game. They were blocking people but not getting any movement. We had some yards in the running game, but not near what we should have. The big thing is in any game you can't turn the ball over five times and when you look at that you think it's the quarterback. Well one [interception] ball came off a guy's helmet and into a kid's hand. Another one, Flores threw it, on the gadget play on the sideline and if he throws it longer it's a touchdown. The one that bothered me was the one over the middle of the field. That was wide open and we should have hit that. The other two were fumbles. There was one that hit the punt return guy downfield and the fumble by [Quincy McDuffie]. You can't turn it over five times. I thought we put our defense in some really bad positions out there. They hung in there. I tell them when you are down inside the red zone, keep them out of the end zone. They did a nice job in certain areas, but we need to make them kick field goals. Overall, it's a game that was frustrating in that we shot ourselves in the foot on a lot of downs. We try to come back and had a turnover at the end. [On our reviews a] winning grade is a 1.6. We grade two, one, and zero [points]. Two is if it is a good play and you did everything right. One is if there is a problem in technique or something and zero if you didn't get anything done. The offensive line averaged out to like a 1.27 which is not good enough to win games."
"It wasn't a physical mismatch. The old saying I use is B.O.B., body on a body. We were getting a body on a body but were not sustaining it. You have to move your feet with the body. We added a new word, B.O.B.M.F. M.F. is move your feet. We didn't move our feet. You have to sustain."
Did pass protection turn into problems for Rob Calabrese?
"Everybody wants to look at that [the pass protection] and even some coaches, but a quarterback has to make a play if it is there or not. You can't expect everything to be perfect all the time. You draw it up with everybody blocked, but there are going to be some situations where someone comes free and you have to innovate. The good ones [quarterbacks] I have been around make a play out of a bad play and Rob didn't get that done. He had some other good plays and not all the problems are his fault. When you have an opportunity to make some plays out of a bad situation you have to. Jeff [Godfrey] went in and made those plays. He and Rob are sharing the first-string duties this week and I told them they will be graded each day. I want to look at practice from Monday through Thursday and we will start the best kid. Jeff has taken the first-team snaps and has to continue doing the right things. Today he had a good day and yesterday was so-so with a new game plan. Tomorrow will be a big day for him. He is a very talented individual and makes a lot of things happen out there."
Does Godfrey remind you of [your Georgia Tech QB] Joe Hamilton?
"Very much so. They have the same make up in that they are very confident in themselves and are self-assured about what they do. Nothing really phases them which bothers me a little bit. You should be phased a little bit out there. That is what you want. That is contagious in the huddle. That's one of the things I saw that was a little different with him out there was there seemed to be a little bit more step in the offense. We have a good situation. Both guys can win games. The one that is most productive is the guy you want on the field."
On Godfrey...
"If he is going to play he is going to have to check and do the right things. You are not going to be able to run around guys all night. It is a little different deal when you go in the fourth quarter. When you go out when you first start you have to know the game plan and carry it through."
On not having Brynn Harvey...
"Brynn obviously is an all-conference back so you are going to miss him. We have to pick and choose who is out there. We have three or four guys that we try to play and Brynn could do it all. These other guys I think are spotty in what they can get done. We have to be smart in who is on the field at certain times."
On the kicking game and the missed field goal...
"It was fourth and ten from the 30. His [Nick Cattoi's] range is around the 33 yard line. He has kicked 52-yarders. He has been perfect in everything else. His kickoffs were where they need to be and I was pleased there. You always take points and I know it was 21-7 at halftime but I was disappointed because I didn't think it was a great effort in his part on the kick. It looked like I kicked it. It was 10 yards wide right and he didn't finish the kick. You can't aim the ball, but he has the leg strength. He is kicking a lot better. His kickoffs are better and I have great trust that he can do those things. If I could do it again I would have called timeout, we had two timeouts, and get a chance to look at him. He makes them in practice and we quite often put the ball at the 35 and if he makes it or misses it depends on if the team runs or not. You try to put those kids under pressure. I have great faith in that he can help us. He is getting better height on his ball. Last year I thought it was a little bit more line drive. He is fine."
On the punter...
"He put too many balls in the field. He is getting good hang-time and good get off. Location is more important than anything else."
On team's thoughts about quarterback situation...
"When you have a team that has good chemistry and understand that it is a team game. They want to win and they trust that the coaches are going to put the best guy out there to help them win."
On Buffalo's offense...
"They are another spread or hurry-up offense. We seem to handle that stuff fairly well. We work against it a lot in practice and work against our own offense. We do a lot of that [the spread offense] ourselves. It goes back to experience - when you have guys on the field that don't panic and just get lined up. They [Buffalo] are a no-huddle team. Everything comes from the sideline and we have to play the call made. There will be problems but you have to adjust on the field. It does help when our conference has a bunch of them [no-huddle offenses]. They don't huddle, they look at the coach on the sideline. I personally don't like that type of stuff."
On Josh Robinson...
"He missed Tuesday and Wednesday practice with a contusion on the thigh, which happened on a punt return block. Normally if you do not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday, I have never had a good history of kids playing well on Saturday. He was dressed in case of an emergency. I thought the secondary did a decent job of improving their tackling and we got our hands on four balls which should have been picks. That is what I have addressed with the defense is takeaways. We have not had one this year which concerns me. We have had our hands on a bunch of balls that we need to come up with."
Thoughts on A.J. Bouye...
"He did a good job and closed to the ball quickly. He is one that had his hands on a couple balls. I thought he played good coverage against a good receiver."
On making emotional decisions (between Rob Calabrese and Jeff Godfrey)...
"That happens with a lot of young coaches. They get so involved in the fans and you can't do that. The fans have opinions, they all have opinions. We have two quarterbacks that can play. You have to base it on game day. I don't like to see an experienced guy get beat out in practice. I think that is the worst thing you can do. If he gets beat out then he gets beat out in a game situation. Jeff went out and did some good things out there and if I make that decision it is not a problem and Rob would understand that because I would do the same thing if it was reversed. It's a business to me. I like them both but I also like to win and that is what you have to look at is what is best for the team. There is nothing personal about it. Both have had opportunities on the field. Jeff improved from the week before where he acted like a true freshman. I thought he improved this week. Rob got some tough situations and you have to make plays out of those tough situations and that is what we have been preaching. That was the difference in that game as far as making a play and not making a play."