Meet the Press: Coach Wannstedt Previews the Sun Bowl
12/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 23, 2008
Coach Wannstedt Press Conference
Dec. 22, 2008
Sun Bowl Preview
On Oregon State:
"Because of the location of both schools, our familiarity with Oregon State is not what it would be with a team on the east coast.
"All I really had to tell our players to make the point of emphasis was — and I think most of our guys saw that game — is that they beat USC this year and they were playing for the Rose Bowl in the last game of the year."
On sizing up OSU's offense and defense:
"I think it's going to be a great matchup. Our kids are really looking forward to the bowl game and we've got to make sure that we truly appreciate and understand what a good football team we're playing. Their offense is a little bit similar to ours from the standpoint that they'll throw the ball and make plays. They've got some big-time receivers. They've got one receiver, possibly a tight end that will be drafted, and they have the Pac-10 Offense Player of the Year with a running back similar to what we have going on offense with LeSean McCoy. So both teams will run the ball, both teams are capable of throwing it.
"Defensively, they're a 4-3 team, similar to us. Probably the biggest difference is their secondary. I would compare them, if you're going to compare conferences, to probably Cincinnati. I think both their corners will get drafted. I think their strong safety will get drafted. These guys have played together for awhile and the secondary has been the strength of their defense. They're a very challenging defense. They get up and press you, real aggressive. They force you to get open and make plays.
On OSU running back Jacquizz Rodgers:
"If I was going to compare him to someone I would compare him to Noel Devine at West Virginia. He's kind of a slasher-type runner that's got breakaway speed. He's not very big, we know that, but he plays big. I think from a physical play and capability standpoint he would probably be comparable to Devine."
On reports that Jacquizz Rodgers won't play due to injury:
"If you tell me that the day before the game or two days before…but we have a lot of time before we play and we're preparing for him to play."
On Oregon State's offensive style:
"They're a pro-style offense from the standpoint that they're big into the play-action pass. You know, run the ball, some power, some stretch and then throw the play action off of it. As compared to West Virginia, they have the play action but it doesn't give you the same effect that a team that lines up in the I-formation. They really don't use a fullback much. When it looks like a two-back set, it's the other tight end — they have really good tight ends. And they'll go two tight ends and put the other tight end in the backfield and run all their same runs, which we do. Very similar to us when [John] Pelusi or Dorin Dickerson are in the game."
On Wannstedt taking over special teams this year:
"When I initially came here, we didn't have a special teams coordinator. I appointed (former Pitt assistant) Charlie Partridge, who did a great job, but the foundation for what we were doing was most of the stuff we were doing at the Dolphins. We try to carry over that philosophy.
Last year at this time, we had nine coaches all equally as valuable. But when you lose your defensive coordinator, an offensive line coach a special teams coordinator, Charlie did all that, and we lost obviously our receiver and secondary coach, so we lose five, but out of the five, the defensive coordinator, offensive line coach and special teams coordinator, that's three positions that have a lot of responsibility, more so than others. I just felt like the change we would have to go through would be more than what I wanted to, and the easiest way to do that was just to say I'm going to do it myself."
On blocking 10 kicks this season:
"You've got to have players, we changed up the schemes and did different things, but you've got to have players that can do that, and to block a kick, that's amazing.
"We spent a lot of time on where we're going to be positioned in addition to having the (Greg) Romeus (type of players); the guys that can get up and block it. We spend an awful lot of time on teaching the details of how much push to get, what angle we need to be at, to be in the best position to block it."
On former Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads' Iowa State appointment:
"I think it's a great opportunity for Paul. I'm happy for him. He called me the morning that he got the job, and Paul had coached there in the past, his hometown is about 20 minutes from there. So I think there were some ties there, and I think the timing of it was right. They got someone that is a heck of a football coach and a guy that's from the area and is committed to being there. So I'm happy for Paul. He's in the process of trying to put a staff together and we had some conversations about that."
On the recruiting schedule during prep for a bowl game:
"I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I was not prepared for this. We got done what we had to get done but it was a lot. I don't know if it's just the bowl game or because our season ended so late. The weekend we played Connecticut, I was talking to Randy Edsall before the game. They had about 15 recruits in that weekend. That was a big recruiting weekend for them and we couldn't (host recruits). Obviously we're on the road so we lose that weekend, and the recruiting started the previous Monday, so we lost that whole week on the road and now all the sudden everything gets backed up. We got it done, but it was a lot. I was hitting schools in the morning, go see a kid in the morning, come back here, have a staff meeting, get ready for practice, have meetings, go practice, then after practice was over I was in a car with a coach and we were heading out to see another recruit. That's a lot in one day."
On Oregon State having extra time (two more weeks) to prepare for the Sun Bowl:
"I've never had that much time off between (games). I was all nervous about that, about the contact (drills). We only did a little scrimmaging with the younger kids. A week-and-a-half ago, LeSean McCoy was getting tackled and we were doing live tackling at Connecticut. I think because our season was so long, we were able to hopefully get a little more carry over as compared to if we're off two weeks prior to that. I'd probably be a little concerned about being physical enough."
On Pitt's talent level increasing each year:
"The most encouraging thing, looking back, I remember that opening game against Notre Dame (in 2005), the guys (recruits) that we brought in for the weekend, in some cases were better looking than our young kids that were out there playing. It was Gus (Mustakas) and Rashaad (Duncan), some of these same guys were the guys running out there. I remember looking at Notre Dame and saying, 'Boy, physically it's not even close.' That's the one thing now. Now we have to play and we have to coach them, but I think now on any Saturday we're not going to walking into any stadium or get off any bus and look out of place. We're going to look as good physically and run as well as anyone we play."
On Scott McKillop and what Pitt loses after he plays his final game:
"The obvious is what Scott has meant to our team and our defense when you look at his production numbers. That's the obvious — the number of tackles per game. That's going to be tough to replace, very difficult. The thing that goes unseen that's just as valuable, and maybe more so, is what Scott McKillop has done for this program, how he's attained that level of All-American status, the steps that he took, how he kept pressing on when he didn't get the opportunity, he didn't get down on himself, didn't blame anyone else, didn't want to transfer. He kept pressing forward, gets his degree, did all those things away from what happens on the football field that really is a huge success story. And then you combine that with his production on the field, those guys don't come around very often."
"You know when you're not a starter on this team and you're voted captain and most inspirational player, I think that sums up what the players on this team and this staff think about you. We're going to use LaRod on punt return this week, so he'll be on all four phases of special teams."
On Stephens-Howling's chances of special teams in the NFL:
"I'd take him right now if I was coaching in the NFL. I'd give him a shot right now. He finds a way to win."
On Antwuan Reed's improvement:
"Antwuan's going to be a heck of a player for us. He was a guy we were really planning on redshirting, and when he came in he was probably further ahead physically and mentally from a players standpoint than what we ever dreamed. He's got enough experience this year, played every week in some capacity, and hopefully that'll help with his maturing process and get him ready for next year."
On what first-year player Marco Pecora did to earn the coaches' Prep Player of the Year honor:
"We couldn't block him. That's a guy there that I can't wait until the spring. I think this kid is going to make an impact on our team next year, whether it is special teams, safety, linebacker. I'm not sure where he's going to end up. I think Marco is going to be a good football player here."
