Cincinnati Bearcats College Football Pregame Quote, 10/24/2023

Just looking back obviously very disappointed in the outcome of that game. I felt that we played good enough to win the game. Again, too many critical errors, particularly the turnover on kickoff return, which is basically gave them seven points. It’s very frustrating. I can’t stand to lose; I hate to lose. I know everybody, our fans hate it as well and are obviously disappointed about it. This program has had such great tradition and won a ton of games over the years and are used to winning. So, I hate it for our fans that come out and support us and fill that stadium. They’re loud, intuitive and are great. They’re great for our players and our staff and everybody in-between. That’s what I’m very disappointed about. We have to continue to work. We have to continue to get better. I think when you think about making this jump from the American and to the Big 12, you knew there was going to be some transition parts of it that we probably wouldn’t like. But the bad thing about it is, and that hurts me so much is the fact that there’s at least three of these games that we should have won, and we didn’t. Where we shot ourselves in the foot. We made too many mistakes and when you do lose that way, it’s a lot worse. We’ve out gained six out of seven opponents that we have played. We’ve outrushed five out of seven and we rushed for over 250 yards twice and lost both of those games. It’s crazy. We’re sitting here, we’re stopping the run and we’re running the football at a high level that usually translates into a lot of wins. So, what’s the outlier? What’s the reason behind it? I’ll look at two things. Number one is the turnover margin. I think we’re over 120, somewhere in that range in the country in turnover margin. You’re not going to win that way. The other thing is scoring points in the red zone. I think a couple of times this past week, we went for it on fourth downs, I think one was fourth and one. We had a great play dialed up and we didn’t execute. The other one was fourth and four, you could argue we should have kicked it at that point, being down 12, but we didn’t. We went for it, and we have to execute and make those plays. So, the red zone scoring and then turnover margin. Other than that, I think we’ve played good enough really to win at least three of these games but it’s a fine line and you have to do better. We have to do better. We as coaches, we have to do a much better job. As coaches, particularly when you lose these close games, there’s something that coaches can do to help those games and get over the hump. There’s no question about it. I know this, we’re not quitters. We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to give in, we’re going to keep fighting. I know our players are very proud of their resilience on Saturday. We were down 15 in the fourth quarter, and they didn’t blink. They continued to play, unlike the week before. So that’s growth of a team to keep fighting, keep playing and give us a chance to win. We were down three there on the last drive and had a chance to go but didn’t get it done. So, that is encouraging part with the energy that we had about that. We’re going to look forward now to Oklahoma State. We’re going to carry that energy that we had into this game against an outstanding football team, Oklahoma State is 5-2. They have won three straight. They have a lot of confidence right now. They’re rolling and I think the switch they made around the third game or fourth game, they decided what they were going to do on offense early in the year. They were playing three quarterbacks and now they decided on the one quarterback, and he decided to hand the ball to number 0, and that kid has been tremendous the last three games. Ollie Gordon is his name. Last week he ran for 282 yards and four touchdowns. 145 of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the game was still a tight ballgame. He had three touchdowns, and 145 yards and they’re just leaning on him giving them the ball and he’s producing. Defensively, they’re very aggressive. They’ve based out of a three-down front, similar to an Iowa State type of defense where you have five DBs on the field and they can run. This defense is an explosive defense. Number four [Nickolas Martin] is their middle linebacker. He leads to Big 12 in tackles per game, and he’s not very big, 215 pounds is what they list him as, but he can really run. I think the one thing that stands out about their defense is their speed. He has 71 total tackles and four sacks. He’s one of the top linebackers in this league. Then I’m looking at their kicker, he’s 17-21 this year. They have a really good field goal kicker. We just played one, Baylor’s guy. He has a career day out there last week. So, going to Oklahoma State, I’ve never been there. I’ve heard it’s a loud environment. I think it’s homecoming this weekend as well so there’ll be added in that regard. It’s a night game so all those things we have to prepare for during this week.

On fixing previous mistakes in different areas:

At times it’s all three phases. I think that’s the frustrating part. You fix one aspect of special teams, and the other special team unit screws up with a bad play. I think offensively there have been times, I feel like it’s been on third or fourth downs when we’ve made our mistakes and those are the big play/downs where you have to make them. Defensively, we’ve given up the big pass plays. I think as you look throughout the season, that’s been our nemesis really. We’ve done a lot of different things trying to fix that. We still hadn’t gotten that done yet. We have to continue to try to work on that. We’re going to keep fighting and keep finding ways. We’re trying to find ways that will correct those mistakes.

On how he personally handles losses:

Well, it’s difficult. I don’t think anybody that likes getting negative things said about them. The fact of the matter is we’ve lost these games, and it comes back to me, so I take ownership for that. I’ve got to do a better job. It trickles all the way down through our staff to our players. Everybody has to take responsibility and load for it but ultimately, it’s me. I’ve been here before I didn’t like it back then and I don’t like it now but it’s something you have to fight through and continue to get through to the other side. As you look back and you think about things and why they happened before, how to prevent things from happening again. I’ve dealt with different circumstances, a lot of different times as well. We came into this situation, and we knew we’re going to a new conference, we knew we only had six returning starters out of out of the 22. That’s not a whole lot. Put that in perspective, when I left App State, we had 18 returning starters coming back on a team. Now we’re in this new era where guys can leave. We had players drafted off last year’s team, three players drafted and another one that was made a starter as a free agent. Then several guys went into the portal and left. So, we knew we would have got a lot of new pieces coming in. You’re playing in a new conference where we knew there were going to be challenges. But again, the frustrating part is that we were good enough to win at least three of those games. I feel like we didn’t get it done and that is the part that keeps me up at night, to know that we can do better and when we do, we can win those games.

On if the home crowd adds pressure:

That’s a good question. I hope not. I want our guys to play fearless. When you’re out there you play fearlessly. You can’t play thinking, ‚ÄòOh man, I hope I don’t make a mistake.’ You can’t cut loose and play that way. I think at times this year, I’ve seen some guys do things on game day that they don’t do during the week. Some would say maybe the moment is too big and that kind of thing. That has happened a few times this year. I can’t put a finger on it. I want our guys to play fearlessly. I want them to be coached fearlessly as well because I think when you cut loose that way, man you can be as good as your potential will allow you to be. When you are holding back, for some reason, with the of fear of failure then you’re not going to, I don’t know if that was the case on the fourth and one. I don’t think it was. It was just a mistake and not holding the ball tight. It’s part of those things where you cut loose, and you play. We’ve been running that ball up and running that play for 10 years. It’s a great play. We see it every Saturday when you turn college football. You see a lot of those plays happen and guys make it. Our guys have made them and it’s frustrating when we don’t. It’s the one time we needed to make it. It’s tough because maybe the only time that we got that opportunity, that chance and you have to make it during that play. So that’s the frustrating part but all you can do is go back and continue to work and continue to practice. To run those plays in those pressure situations. We’re going to run on good against our defense because we’re trying to simulate that and execute in practice.

On how to replicate a loud atmosphere:

You’re not totally going to be able to replicate it. There’s no way. Also, in the heat of the moment when the lights are on, the TV cameras are on and everybody’s screaming, you’re not going to be able to replicate that. The thing that we can do is we’ll get crowd noise going well. We’ll try to create that to where you can’t hear the communication piece. That’s the thing that you’re going to try to replicate, but you really are not going to be able to. We went to Pitt, earlier in the year and it was loud, and the student section was really loud. I don’t think our guys performed very well in that environment. We’ll go in there and perform in this environment and that will not be an issue.

On if he leans on his running backs when the quarterback struggles:

We talked about last week, we wanted to be able to lean on our running backs in that game, and we did. Those guys, they responded. Both guys getting over 100 yards. It was great to see, I mentioned this in the postgame, Myles [Montgomery] had the big touchdown run. I think it was third and three, broke out and it was a long run or our longest rushing touchdown this year, which is awesome. We got to get more of that from our running backs. It does it takes pressure off the offense. It takes pressure off really everybody quite honestly, in an offensive system. If you can turn and hand the ball off and those guys can go, make plays. Their offensive line did a really nice job of blocking up front and our tight ends on Saturday. Those guys did a good job of hitting the hole and making them pay. Anytime you can get two backs over 100 yards, it’s a good day. That hopefully opens up the passing game and then we’re able to hit Xzavier. [Henderson] I think he had eight catches and two touchdowns; it was a good game for him. Coming off a game where he didn’t have any catches. We made an effort to get Xzavier [Henderson] the ball and an effort to get the running backs the ball. It did a good job offensively with that.

On what The Bearcat Council means to the team during tough times :

We talked about as a staff this summer, we felt we wanted to have a council that the players can express things that they need, that they would like to see within our team, and also this promotes leadership within a team. I think it’s a good thing to have because it’s their team. It’s our players team. I want them to have a voice and it’s a way for them to communicate. We write down things that they say and things that we can implement in our game. Game plan and game week really quite honestly. Those guys showed leadership in that regard. I think that’s a good thing, particularly when you’re facing adversity like we are now. They’re coming in rising up and seeing great things. Continue to stay tight as a team, continue to pull for each other and we saw that on Saturday. That energy and those guys were pulling for each other. Saturday the best we’ve done all year in my opinion. I used to feel that from the sideline and that’s a great job from our leaders of our team.

On if Emory’s past playing Oklahoma State will help:

I would hope that would help him. Particularly being in that environment, we think about playing in that stadium. It’s a really tight sideline and that stadium, it’s right on top of you, maybe the tightest sidelines I’ve seen. As you’re watching the film, there’s zero room there and the fans are right on top of you so it can be intimidating, but him having played there hopefully, it won’t faze him. He’s beaten, he’s played in SEC, he’s played in some big stadiums, I don’t think it’ll faze him. But as a football team, we got to know about that environment when you get in there. And then you got to tune out all that, you have to tune out all the things that are going on outside of the field and in between the white lines and really focus on your job, what you have to do against the opponent.

On if there was anything done differently to the rushing offense in the past three weeks:

I think philosophy, really. They were searching early in the year for an offensive identity and what they wanted to do offensively, this is coming from Coach Gundy. When they really solidified on what they wanted to do offensively in their in their running scheme, it benefited their running back because he feels very comfortable in what they’re doing. I think they’re keeping it more simple and more repetitive in the same plays that they’re running. Then he gets a chance to really see it, and he is seeing it. Here’s the thing that’s what’s unique about this back, he’s a big back; 6’1 and 211. He looks bigger on film, but he’s got some speed. This guy when he breaks out and gets to the second level, you see DB’s just falling to the ground and him hitting the hot sideline and going to the house. He’s got eight rushing touchdowns; he is a talented running back. When he gets to second level, he can take it the distance, so you have to be able to try to pin him up and not let him get loose out in the secondary. The teams he’s playing in the last few weeks, they haven’t tackled him. He mentioned this last week in the fourth quarter when it was a tight ballgame, you knew that they were going to run the football, Oklahoma State was, and West Virginia couldn’t stop. He had 145 yards and three touchdowns, it really kind of blew the game open there in the fourth quarter.

On Jonathon Thompson’s performance the last two weeks:

First of all, Dorian Jones was banged up this past week, he was nursing an injury. Johnathan Thompson had an opportunity to practice and really had the prime majority of the practice reps this past week. He’s gotten better and better and better each and every week. He’s a guy that’s starting to play fast to pull his trigger not to be tentative at the linebacker position. He was given this opportunity, and he made the most of it. He went out and played a really good game and was downhill, running sideline to sideline. He’s a good young player for us and we needed that. We need that depth to be able to put in there because he can play both inside positions. Dorian Jones was able to play a little bit in the game but it was good to see Johnathan Thomas come in and start and get and make some plays not only get the start but actually make plays. He had eight tackles in the game, so I thought he played well, and he’ll continue to play well, but just because of his practice habits. He really goes hard every day in practice.

On Braden Smith’s mistakes:

Critical mistakes and I never would have guessed that. I thought he played more ball than any of our team possibly. He’s been in a lot of situations, not only as a receiver, but as a punt returner, kick returner, and has played on a bunch of special teams and. He made critical mistakes in a BYU game, and now in this game. He made a catastrophic mistake with a big touchdown. I think Braden is a guy who has a lot of pride. It tears them up inside, but it’s something that we look at and see if somebody else gives us a better option there. I do have confidence in Braden. I’m hoping that it is a fluke. We will never see that again because I do think he’s a good player and he cares, so hopefully that’s just some unfortunate arrows. That won’t happen again.

On how they prepare for OSU running back Ollie Gordon in practice and who is that person?:

It will be several people because he’s unique with his size, but also his speed. We’re probably going to have two or three different guys that we will use who have some speed, Manny Covey will be one that we can use to show us something. When he breaks outside, he could take the distance with it. A lot of it comes up front, with what their blocking schemes are and our guys getting fitting right, and really being where we’re supposed to be. He does a good job if somebody is out of position, he has good vision to be able to cut back and hit the open lane. We must have our guys be where they’re supposed to be now. The good news is our guy’s up front have done a good job in the past with the running game this year, but this will be our biggest test to be able to stop the run this week. A lot of the teams we’ve played so far have not run as consistently as good as Oklahoma State has this season. This will be our biggest test and it will be starting up front and having said that, their offensive line is good. They have a lot of seniors up front. Four seniors start up front for them, they’ve been leaning on those guys and letting the running back pick and choose. So, we have to do a great job with our defensive line, and our linebackers to fill in those gaps.

On who will be starting returners:

We’ll see, we’re getting Ryan Montgomery back this week. He’s a guy that’s been back there and returned in games. He has great confidence and we’ve missed him in our lineup. He has missed the last three or four games. Oklahoma was the last game he played in, and he was able to practice on Sunday. Hopefully, he’ll be back this week. I think he will be in the mix, Braden Smith as well as Xzavier Henderson. Xzavier Henderson had a nice return on Saturday. Ryan Montgomery will be a guy who will be back there, DJ Taylor is another guy who has returned the ball in the past and will get a look as well this week. We’ll see what we need to do on Saturday.

On Justin Wodtly’s ability to put pressure on the quarterback:

Coach [Bryan] Brown rotates the guys up front and keeps them all fresh and I am looking to see who’s the guys are making the big plays. Justin Wodtly certainly has made big plays I’m like you I’ve noticed where he’s come out and made some plays get in the backfield, and certainly, if he’s able to do that, you want to play him a little bit more. At the same time, we will rotate and tend to get the guys fresh on the field and keep them in there. Justin Wodtly is a guy that in the last few weeks has played with a lot of good energy and been in the backfield. Couple that with some of our other guys like Jowon Briggs and Dontay Corleone, all those guys have been playing at a consistent level as well. Hopefully, they’ll get in the backfield and keep Ollie Gordon from breaking through to the second level because that’ll be key.