Louisville Cardinals College Football Pregame Quote, 10/21/2019

We got to jump to Virginia right off the back. We came out and did a lot of corrections, that I think it was good for our guys to see the mistakes that we made and plays we left out on the field. Obviously, Clemson is a great opponent but offensively we left a lot of plays out there that we have been making throughout the season. Particularly on some big plays and we just didn’t come through with those big plays. Looking at the film, I think with around three to four minutes left in the third quarter it’s still 17-3. There were a couple of times that we still had opportunities to score. Obviously, it would have been a different kind of game. Against a team like Clemson, you have to be able to make those plays. We wanted to correct those mistakes and move forward. That’s what we are doing. We have a great opponent in Virginia. They’re 5-2. A team that is coached very well. Coach Mendenhall, it’s his 5th season maybe and he has done a great job of building that program up. They’re very competitive. Their kids play extremely hard. Defensively, one of the best defenses in the country. They’re right there with Clemson for tackles for loss, sacks. Their linebackers are outstanding. Offensively everything runs through their quarterback. They don’t get a ton of yards offensively but they are very efficient at moving the football. It goes through him, running or passing. He makes it go. If he is having a good day then you’re not having a good day on defense because he’s a great player as far as running the ball and making plays downfield. We’ve seen what they do in the kick return game, they had another kick return for a touchdown this past week against Duke. That guy is really good. All three phases are solid, coached well, and a very good opponent.

On if the mistakes he’s seeing are still mental, and if he is seeing improvements:

Yeah, we’re getting better at it. The high point of that was the Florida State game. We’ve gotten way better since then. Go back and look at it. We had a few mentals upfront in the run and passing game this past weekend. A lot of it was just not making the play. Come down to that really. Are you gonna make the throw, make the catch. Hawkins had a good day running the football. I think the big difference was, we had been making the big plays earlier in the games. You guys have seen that with Seth (Dawkins), Tutu (Atwell), and Fitz (Dez Fitzpatrick). We just didn’t have enough of those plays.

What does Virginia do on defense that makes it difficult to execute?

I think it starts with their outside linebackers. They run a 3-4 defense. Number 11 (Charles Snowden) is one of the better players in the ACC if not the country. He’s 6’7, 235 pounds and he has a lot of length. They do a good job of containing everything on the edges and making you come inside. When you do that, you’re not getting those free plays to the edges. Now those two linebackers on the inside are good players. I think they’ve done well in the secondary. They stay on top of everything. There are not guys running free on film, where you can get easy yards down the field. They did lose one of the best corners in the country. He’s out for the season now, but last week they didn’t miss a beat defensively not giving up any big plays. I think they are just coached well. They are where they are supposed to be and there are not any easy plays where you can get yards. You have to earn everything.

What made you decide to switch QBs during the Clemson game?

It’s kind of like the last few games really. Just wanted Evan (Conley) to get in there, and when Micale (Cunningham) comes back in there. By that point towards it’s kind of a feel thing. Evan goes in and went down the field a bit moving the ball. We just left him in towards the end of the game. They’ve both played well. I don’t either of them played that well in that game. If you go back on film, there were a couple of times where we got a quick game called and pre-snap they are getting a read. They go into a particular side and it’s not there. They try to flip their feet to the other side and we can’t do that. There were some things that we uncharacteristically haven’t been doing and kinda cost us. We got sacked five or six times. One of them was the o-line and the others were the quarterbacks holding the ball. We’ve had that issue this year. We have to get rid of the football. We have to learn from that.

Do you plan on running the QB spy against Virginia like you did against Clemson?

Yeah that will be a part of our package depending on what defense would call that particular time and a lot of it has depend on you know down a distance where you out on the field but yeah, they did. Clemson did a good job rushing three and having one guy just kind of sitting there and waiting. So when you come out that’s a good idea, then you have to make the play. I think Bryce (Perkins) does a good job of breaking tackles. He’s a strong runner and you have to be able to do that what you’d like to be able to do is contain him and not let him get out lose. I think that’s where he’s dangerous. When he gets out, he breaks contain. He’s out on the edges and he can run pass and that’s where he becomes really dangerous. So, we got to keep them in the pocket and then when he does break out and have a player there to be able to contain him.

An update on Hassan Hall:

He’ll be day to day. He didn’t practice Sunday. We’ll see where he’s at toward the middle of the week. A lower half injury you never know when he will be available. What we’re going to do is stay in the train room all week and we’ll see where he’s at. Now obviously he’s a he’s a good player for us and not only in the return game and also as a running back. We went on the game and that was a you know, a big loss for us but you know, that’s a little bit more burden on (Javian) Hawkins. He has to hold that down at running back spot.

What is the concern with the defense?

Well, missed tackles. The lack of late in the game there and the long run that number nine had the running back on that it went unbalanced into the sideline. We missed tackles. We had two guys there to make it. He’s a talented runner, but you got to get them down. Yeah one almost for a three-yard gain and the other was a seven-yard. You can get him down, but and then he takes it all the way to the house. So, I think it’s just being focused and consistent and tackling throughout the whole game. I think it’s just by the by fourth quarter sometimes and it’s not like we just got wore down. I don’t think that was the case. I just think that we just didn’t make the plays when we needed to and they were able to hit some big plays.

How quickly do you come back and watch film for the next game?

I mean, it’s the same. It’s the same no matter what. We get out of here after the game, we had several recruits in here. So, we spent some time with them and their families. That’s one advantage to early kick. You’re able to spend time more with recruits after the game and then the next day you come back in and you go. So it’s not like we are going to jump right in it. We have to keep going in our same routine. Win or lose or no matter what time it is in the day on Saturdays. We had a normal routine.

What does your offense have to do to compete against a defense like Virginia?

Yeah, well you have to stay on the sticks. We’ve talked about that all year, we did a very poor job of that particularly the second half. You look in the third quarter, we did not move forward, we move backwards actually the first three drives so you have to stay on the sticks. What is what does that mean? Well, if you do decide to throw it on, first down, we need to complete it. A lot of times our first down throws our plays that we feel very confident in completing so we can be second. For second and five now if you go incomplete, now it’s second and 10. That just gets you off the off your routine of what you want to be able to do. That’s first and foremost eliminates some of these negative plays. I think, you know, we did a poor job with that Saturday. I don’t know how many Clemson had like 10 or 11 tackles for loss you know and that’s terrible offense. It gets us off the sticks and now they can dial up whatever they want or second third down and be very aggressive so staying on the sticks and that just so efficient passing game on first down and in the running game find those holes that we can get to be able to run the football. The other thing that Virginia does is occupied the ball they are close to 35 minutes per game in town possession and what that means you’re not getting many opportunities offensively so you got to take advantage of the opportunities you’re going to get and when you get down. Obviously trying to score touchdowns if you’re limited possessions you want to get an end zone.

About the missed opportunities against Clemson:

Well they were huge. Malik (Cunningham) threw that that ball that first drive that was second and six to Tutu (Atwell). He can make that play and when watching film he will tell you he can make that play and then Evan (Conley) threw one too and he should make that play and he has made it. He’s made those plays throughout the year we lean on him and we got great confidence that he’s going to make those plays and you know they just changed the game when you make those. If you follow that the muffed punt you know we got three guys right there. They changed the outcome of games because now the way they’re going to call their offense is going to be different and their defense. If it’s a tie ball game or we could put in for the lead or whatever I mean, so and against teams like that you have to be able to make you know, like we did against Wake Forest. You make some of those plays early you get up on those teams and then you’re able to hang on to win the game you know, and that’s that determines outcomes of games. So, you have to make those plays early. I think I think that’s huge and particularly when you play against big teams.

Do you feel comfortable at this point to keep the two-quarterback system or are you still looking to find one to play?

As I have said all along, I will play the guy that we feel like can move our offense. I don’t care who it is I really and if one is playing better than the other than he’ll be the one. That will be the person that can play because again its who is going to move our offense the best. If it takes both then we will play both of them. There hasn’t really been one that jumps out over the other and they have both done a lot of really great things. We have needed both in our wins this year so I would suspect we will need both throughout the rest of the season. Really, we have those two and that is all we have. Whoever is playing the best, that is who we will play. A lot of it has also been coming down to health. Both have been dinged up a little bit and fortunately they both came out of this game with no setbacks or any injuries. Hopefully they are still healing up and will be even healthier this week, because I would like to get more involved in the Q run game as well. There were a couple times in the zone read where Evan Conley pulled it one time and he got about eight or nine yards. We would obviously like to get Malik Cunningham the same because that’s a strength of his in the run game. That puts pressure on defense, and we are going to be able to have to do that this week.

You mentioned Javion Hawkins carrying the load for Hassan Hall, if that happens is Maurice Burkley the guy that could get some reps or are the two-freshman ready?

Both freshmen will be getting plenty of reps in practice this week as well as Burkley who will be at number two this week. Jalen Mitchell and Aiden Robbins will be ready and available which is great. We still planning on redshirting both of those guys which is great, but they could play this week. So, we will just get them ready and see which one will be the third guy. They both will be working with the offense this week and working on getting ready to play.

What more can you running backs do in terms of how they run the ball and help the quarterbacks out a little more?

Well I think that Javion Hawkins and Hassan Hall have done a really good job of running out offense as far as in the run game. They have been very productive, and we are getting what we need out of them. We would probably like to see more in the passing game for them as there was times Saturday when Clemson dropped eight and we would like to be able and slip that back out then drop it right underneath to him. That would help because in space they are good and can make guys miss. I think they have done a great job protection wise and I think just the big thing for them is just getting them touches whether that be in the run game or in the pass game. I don’t think we have done a great job on that and we should look to expand a little bit more.

When you go into a game knowing that you are going to play both quarterbacks, does that change how you call a game or how the rhythm of a game might go?

Not really. I haven’t changed my calls based on who is going in. We have our game plan and we are going to stick to it, I haven’t really changed much depending upon who is in the game. I have good confidence in running Evan as well as Malik as far as the Q run stuff goes. You know they both can take shots down the field and connect. They both have shown that. I feel good with whoever is in and whoever’s running our offense they must execute and do that. I think they both got just a little bit rattled Saturday with what Clemson was doing and they are a great defense. Now this Saturday, we are facing another one and to me they are just as good as Clemson on the defense. We must do a much better job. We must be a lot more efficient in what we are trying to do in terms of throwing the football and the running game in order for us to win this game.

I notice a lot of the signs around here say “Resilience” on them with the definition and you knew there was going to be adversity this season, so in the middle of kind of all this how do you circle back around and reinforce that message in particular?

Yeah, its just coming to work every day. I though the guys did a god job yesterday at practice when they came over here. They were very disappointed in not getting the win, but you got to move forward and make quick adjustments. We have seen a bunch of them over here today already on our day off. They know we still have the opportunity to be a great football team this year and we are still growing and learning. That is the encouraging thing about our guys. They come to work every day. They look at what’s in front of us now, it’s Virginia. That’s the key. We got to continue to work hard and tomorrow is a big day for us. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday’s are big days for us, and I feel confident that they will come in ready to go.

CJ filled in for Dorian in that first half. He’s had a good year and is pretty versatile for you guys. How important has he been in anchoring that linebacker core, especially when Dorian was out?

Yeah, he’s filled in. He actually moved over from his normal position and played the other middle inside linebacker position and did a really good job for us. He’s solid. Number one, he’s a solid person. Very good character. Very good attitude and wants to do anything to help the team. We’re excited about him and being around him. He’s a great leader for our defense. He’s played well. Anytime you can switch positions like that and still play well is a credit to him. Obviously we’ll lean on him as we move forward. He’s probably been one of our most consistent players defensively throughout the whole season.

What is it about Joe Reed? When he gets the kickoff, because he’s got some speed, it just seems like he picks the right angle every time.

I think there’s just a knack for returning kicks. Hassan [Hall] has it. He understands where to hit the hole, and then all of a sudden if it gets clogged up, he has good vision to be able to breakout somewhere else. I always think that with kick return guys, you have to be a special person, and he is. There’s something about his speed and power. He’s able to run through some armed tackled, but he also has the vision to know where to hit it and the timing of it. You couple that together, and he’s been doing it for a long time. He’s very, very consistent. We read a stat that it’s been over 2500 yards he’s had in return yardage. That’s a lot of yards, so he knows what he’s doing. His speed, power vision, all those things, he has a great knack for it.

Have you been pleased so far with the way Blanton [Creque] is kicking on kickoffs and with the coverage team?

Yeah, I think one thing we’d like to have more of is more deep shots into the end zone off of the kickoff, like what Clemson did Saturday, as a weapon. If you can kick it 8, 9, 10 yards deep, they’re not returning it. They’re starting it on 25. The one time they did pop it up a little bit shorter, Hassan [Hall] takes it, a good return back. This team here, they do some things where we need those opportunities. Just like this past weekend, they can kick it off to them, and next thing you know, seven more points. Our coverage team, we think we can do better. We want to stop those guys inside the 25. If they choose not to catch it by the 25, like Saturday, Clemson brought it out. You have to do a better job in closing that down.

You had mentioned earlier in the season Dez [Fitzpatrick]’s attitude, even when he’s not getting the ball. He’s obviously having a really good year, but how much is his leadership meant to the offense, both his and Seth [Dawkins]?

Phenomenal. Coming out of the spring, we just didn’t know how he would be, but he’s been awesome. I love being around him at practice. He’s got a great attitude. He comes to work every day. We mentioned it earlier that he blocks his tail off in his run game. When his number gets called, he’s ready. He’s made a lot of big plays for us. We’re certainly going to utilize him and his talents the remainder of the season and probably call more plays to him. Usually when you call his number, he makes the play. He did Saturday. He had one on third-down that we didn’t convert, but other than that, he made the play. He’s a big guy with good speed and has really good hands. A guy that practices that hard like he does and comes to work every day, they just get better and better and better. They just have a ton of potential. To me, he hasn’t even reached where he can be, specifically about Dez. And Seth, another great leader. He comes to work every single day. You just appreciate those guys, because they’re consistent. I think that’s what any coach wants, consistent players. And that’s what they bring to the table.

You talked about redshirts. How do you feel about going into the second half of the season, or to the latter end of the second half of the season, about the general team health?

When you get to this point, you’re beat up. Every team in the country is probably beat up a little bit to a certain extent, and we’re no different. When I say ‚Äòbeat up,’ you’re not 100%. That doesn’t mean you’re not going to play. We have several guys on defense who are coming to work and practicing every day, but they’re dinged. They’ve got bruises and they’re probably not 100%. But they’re practicing and they’re pushing through it. That’s football. That’s going to happen. But what you’d like to happen is the other guys to step up and really start helping out with some reps. Particularly where you start seeing it is on special teams. If you’ve got guys who are starters on one or two special teams who also start on defense or offense, then you’ve got to start replacing some of those guys. There can’t be any fall-off. That’s where younger guys have to step up and make some plays. You get to this part of the season where you’ll see more names and more guys start to play that will still red-shirt, but will start to help us a little bit depth-wise on special teams.

Along the lines when you’re talking about health, when you get to this point in the season and trying to get to the home stretch, is there anything you might ease back on or change in a routine to keep guys fresh?

Yeah. Once we get through this week, you get to a bye week. Our bye weeks come in at a really good time. You have four games, off, four games, off, then you finish with four. So we’ll try to get a lot of guys healthy next week. We won’t practice as long next week. Then the last four games, the last month of the season, you’ll probably cut back a little bit in practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, maybe even take shoulder pads off one of those days. When you get to this point in the season, you’ve played so physical that you don’t need to bang in practice. You need to save those hits for those gamedays. When we get to that point in the season, we’ll probably back off a little bit, time-wise and shoulder pads-wise. It becomes more mental practices so you’re fresh on Saturday.