Coach Wannstedt Previews the UConn Game
11/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2006
Dave Wannstedt
November 4, 2006
On the loss to USF:
After watching the tape of the
On mistakes:
I think there were a few mental mistakes and yes, physically, at times we didn't execute when we needed to. When the competition gets a little better, obviously the urgency goes up and the guys aren't going to be as wide open - you're going to have to make a catch with somebody hanging on you, you're going to have to block better. All those things get magnified when you start playing against better people and that's a little bit what happened to us. There's no excuse. We're capable of getting that done. To get called for those holding penalties and lose that yardage it's crazy, it's really crazy. How do you go from being the least-penalized team to where we're at now with the last two weeks (when we had) eight penalties, then 11 penalties? That's ridiculous, it really is. I'm not going to get into it but I just know, as an offensive lineman, if you leave your feet, you're probably going to get called for holding. If you're on the kick return team and you leave your feet, you're probably going to get called for holding. I know what they call and what they're looking for and we're stressing that. How do you get penalties? Penalties fall into two categories. Number one - you lose focus a little bit. Or number two - you're not real confident and you grab somebody and pull them down because if you don't they're going to go in and sack the passer. I think that our offensive line, some of those holding penalties, they fall into that second category. They were focused, there was no mystery. If a guy is lined up on your nose you need to block him. So it's not the focus thing, we just have to be more confident in what we're doing, trust and use our techniques and we'll block them.
On team leadership:
It comes up every year with every team that gets covered by the media, college or pros. We hit a rough spot in the season and the media jump on the guys saying, `What happened?' Things get questioned a little bit - are you practicing hard enough? Everybody's looking for answers. Our guys need to understand that and be able to deal with it. That's all part of a college player and stepping up and saying, I need to do better, I need to get it going and keep my focus on what I have to do. We have great leadership. H.B. (Blades), Tyler, Buches and these guys - leadership is not a problem. We'll come out today and we'll have a great practice and we'll get ready to play this week, there's no question about that. No question about that. After a game everybody's a little frustrated, it's easy to be frustrated.
On the comments made by the players after the loss:
I think there's a little bit of (disappointment) - when you have some guys that expect so much and have tried to perform at that type of level (and don't get the desired result). I love the attitude but you like it to be said on the sideline to the other players or to the practice field not to you (the media). So I like H.B. saying, `We need to get more focus.' Obviously when you're dropping balls and jumping offsides you're not concentrating enough. So I like the attitude of what they're saying but let's keep it with us (the team) and make sure that we're all together on it. I'll get that done today. That is all part of a team maturing through a season.
On comments motivating the other players:
(I like to hear) Let's go! Pick it up! All that stuff is good if - one - you really believe it and number two, if you go out and do it yourself. That all sounds good but now you have to be the guy in front. H.B. got hurt on the second play of the game and played through. He's not hurt, he's fine but there was no question that he was laying it on the line. Darrelle (Revis) gets frustrated because he doesn't get much action. We're trying to move him around as best we can and put him where they're going to throw some balls but he hasn't had a whole lot. Then we put him back there on the punt return - and how bout that - frustrating really. Their fake punts - the first one looked like it was called. They did the same thing, same play, same situation against
On quarterback Tyler Palko's recent performance:
It is not a lack of confidence. I go back to what I said initially - competition's better, pressure's been better, coverage has been tighter and teams have more tape to study. So I think it's a combination of all those things. We've dropped a few balls, too. Early on it was just throw and catch. The combination of the last couple things we've talked about puts a little more pressure on your quarterback; you need to be a little bit more precise.
On suspending Darrell Strong:
He will not play next week, not at all. He will not be in the building. He's suspended from any activities, meeting, practices or the weight room. He'll spend time with his academics and we'll meet next Sunday and see where he's at.
On changes to the depth chart at defensive line:
We are (shallow). We're trying to redshirt a few freshmen. Without playing those freshmen we're down to the bare minimum now. Charles Sallet is healthy now, Vernon Botts really played pretty good. McKenzie Mathews is playing half the time - he played good. Corey Davis, Rashaad (Duncan), (John) Malecki probably played as good as he has all year. They're all young kids but that's where we're at right now. Really, the only guys we'd be putting in are other freshmen.
On the importance of bouncing back after the loss:
It's important to get win number seven. We just need to get the things corrected that have not given us a chance to win the lat two weeks - sacks, penalties and turnovers. It's easier said than done but you make it real clear to your players and they have to understand.
On
They probably have the best one-two combination - their fullback with (Deon)
On what is lacking in Pitt's run game:
LaRod's the best guy we have really, at this point. We've got to get more opportunities. Last week when you turn the ball over three times and they make two fourth down conversions on the punts - that's five possessions that you're losing plays. So we end up with 52 plays in the game and they end up with 70-some. Are you kidding me? You're saying we need to get more plays, we need to get more screens, we need to get more deep balls, we need to get more everything. We've got to do a better job of making first downs and generating more plays in the game. A little over 50 plays two weeks in a row are not very many.
