Sept. 15, 2009
Opening Statement
"We're really excited about the upcoming week. We had a great chance to go back and review the game from Saturday night (Mississippi State). We've got a lot of work to do to correct issues everywhere, and we're working hard to accomplish that. We're going to have to play at the same level offensively, defensively and on special teams to beat a much-hyped West Virginia team. It'll be a great opportunity to beat their country road ass."
Q: What are some things that you know you have to work on?
"Well, a couple of things - namely, Fannin and Washington. We are working with them, so that only one of them actually fields the punt. Another thing that stands out special teams-wise is that we are just not getting enough positive yards on our return teams. We're basically putting ourselves 80 yards away on every kickoff return, and you can't consistently drive 80 yards, though it seems we do most of the time. Finally, if I see another blocked punt, some people are going to be running a lot of stadiums."
Q: If you had been told before the season that your team would have 1,100 yards right now of total offense, would you be excited about it or more expectant of it?
"We should have about 1,300 yards, that extra coming against La. Tech. Roll Tide, Steve Shaw."
Q: With the early success of the offense, do you worry about your team becoming complacent and not working as hard?
"No. Their blood thirst is not near enough slaked."
Q: If you could update Tommy Trott's situation, and either way, who would you be looking at tight end besides him, if he can't play?
"Well, obviously we've got Philip (Lutzenkirchen) - that's encouraging. He's a young guy that's going to be a very good player, and we are going to up his responsibility in his role. Obviously,
Gabe McKenzie has played a lot of football here. And then we've got a lot of other guys-the John Douglas' of the world, the
Eric Smith's of the world, who can jump in there and do a little bit of both. Obviously, Tommy is a great blocker, with those bricks he has for hands."
Q: What are your expectations of the fans, and how do their expectations of the team influence the season?
"Except for the students, the crowd was pretty tepid last Saturday night. We need more of the old folks to get off their hands."
Q: Did you look at the four home games in a row and think `this is a good thing to have before we get on the road, to figure out where we are?'
"What the hell kind of stupid question is that? 'Do we like playing at home'. Damn. "
Q: Talk about Noel Divine and what he brings to the table.
"Except for that Holliday kid at LSU, he's probably the fastest squirt we'll face. I know Coleman wants a piece of him."
Q: Explain how the defense West Virginia runs confuses opposing players.
"I wouldn't have a clue why they confuse other teams. It won't confuse us. We'll run our plays, no matter how much they are showboating around."
Q: What would you say about (WVU quarterback Jarrett Brown), who had a big game last week?
"He is sort of like Jemarcus Russell. He can throw it a mile, but this ain't no punt, pass and kick competition. I know he has some scrambling ability, but dancing around like a Chinese short-stop won't impress our defensive line."
Q: As a head coach, do you like to play these high-profile teams?
"No, we prefer to play low profile teams, so our score will appear on the ESPN crawler right behind Hofstra. Who the hell wrote these questions for you? John Harwood?"
Q: How do you keep your players confidence levels up while also making sure they know that they have a long road ahead?
"Hard coaching and corporal punishment."
Q: How close are you to getting that rotation that you want with the defensive front seven?
"That usually occurs when Coach Roof tells some guys on the bench to go in for some other guys on the field."
Q: With the offense doing so well, how much freedom do you give to your defense?
"As coach (Ted) Roof got up and talked to our offensive team Sunday, it was neat because he was talking about the perspective of calling a game with the offense moving the ball and doing some things and it does. It's no different than if you are on offense right now and your defense is getting a bunch of three and outs, it all ties in and everybody is connected. So, from a defensive perspective right now, for us to call a game defensively and for us to feel that our offense can get us out of some binds periodically, and that we can move the football, that's really important. Let me flip it. Offensively, as we call the game and as we feel confident that our defense can get the ball back and be very productive, it's just a comforting feeling on both sides if that's what is happening during the game. It's not always happening during the game, but when it's not, sometimes its 80/20 offense and sometimes its 80/20 defense, but as long as its 100 percent than you're good. One side is not going to play well all the time, and that was Saturday. We had three 3-and-outs, defense had to step up, and then the offense had to answer the bell when it was time to score. As long as you're 100 percent all the way around, it doesn't matter whether your 70/30, 60/40, or 80/20, because it will all balance out at the end if we are all playing hard and doing what we are suppose to do. But, essentially, we just give them a license to kill and it goes from there."
Q: Does it help you become more aggressive on defense when your offense is doing so well?
"No, we would prefer the offense not roll up 500+ yards. That way, the defense gets to stay on the field all night and get run down and ragged. (How many more questions does this idiot have?)"
Q: How do you feel about your offensive line?
"I like them, but I'll elaborate a bit more to keep you from looking like an utter fool with these questions. I think they are getting better every week. I am really proud of the way I think the five are coming together. When you rush for 390 yards, it's not all the tailbacks. Our tailbacks know that, so I think our offensive line is starting to play enough together now and play long enough together. In this scheme they have been together long enough in the spring, fall, and now a couple of football games, so they are starting to get it and starting to play together as a unit, and I think that Coach Grimes has done a great job at trying to orchestrate that. Again, they have not arrived, but I think they are getting better and I can just see them really playing together and that is what excites me about them."
Q: It seems that Kodi Burns has really found his niche on the team and seems to be taking well to the fact that he is not the starting quarterback.
"I'd say scoring all those touchdowns helps. He is a great team guy and he is an Auburn man. That's who he is, that's what he does. I don't think anybody on our coaching staff is one bit surprised with the production that he has had. He is not satisfied with it. He was responsible for three touchdown runs this past Saturday night but he also knows that it took a lot of people to get him down there, him being one of them. That is who Kodi is, and that's what we have been saying since day one. He'll be good for about three more touchdowns Saturday night. When he calls out 'Abe 52', most teams don't know that's the call for the Wild Vigoda."
