Q: D Front line did a great job last
Saturday, thus we didn't need to blitz much...do you think we will see more
blitzing this weekend?
How did you think
our secondary performed last Saturday?
Offensive line looked much
improved, however, we did not rip off any runs much more than 10 yards that I
remember...is there any concern over the lack of huge holes?
A: I
wouldn't expect to see much blitzing unless the coaches see a weakness in TSU's
o-line that they feel they can take advantage of. TSU is not exactly Hawaii
when it comes to throwing the football either, and I don't think Tech will have
to dig out of a deficit (desperately trying to force turnovers), so again,
there shouldn't be lots of blitzing.
Regarding
the secondary, Eugene Neboh and Cornelius Douglas
were almost invisible in the passing game because NSU hardly threw to their
receivers. They did play well in run support however, as did Cody Davis, who,
along with Kerry Hyder, was Tech's best defender in
this game. D. J. Johnson had a nice sack on a safety blitz. On the whole, the
secondary did just fine.
The
offensive line--and particularly its left side--often got a good surge, but did
not create many creases. Tubs said that the line did not block the second level
well, and that's what you have to do to knock running lanes in the defense. And
yes, this is a concern. Tech must have a credible running game or this offense
will be fairly pedestrian.
Q: Is this the most talented team
we've had in ages? Talent may not equate to wins, i
understand....
A: The
talent level is pretty decent, but probably still not
what it needs to be to win the Big 12. A few of Leach's later teams had more
talent.
LaAdrian Waddle and Eric Stephens are NFL prospects right now.
Eric Ward, Jevon Bell, Darrin Moore, Deveric
Gallington, Kerry Hyder, Delvon Simmons, Cornelius Douglas, Cody Davis, Will Smith and Ryan Bustin have the potential to join
that club, in my opinion.
Q: Neal said in post game that we
are going to open the playbook a bit more for week 2...Do you think he will have
Doege air it out more? Are we going to see some Wild Cat?
A: Wouldn't
be surprised to see some Wildcat. And although we could see some more downfield
passing (especially with Bell and Moore in the lineup), I think the chief
concern will be getting the ground game untracked. Toward that end, we may see
more misdirection and motion to try to get the defensive front seven moving. If
this approach helps the running game, then it will be off to the races with the
passing attack.
Q: Can u gauge the attitude of the
team this early on? Do they look as one?
Ive read a ton about leadership... Do we really have that?
How much of the above helps or hurt
a team? Ive always wondered about these things...
A: The
one thing I've noticed about this team chemistry-wise is unity. They seem like
a very cohesive group that gets along well together.
As far as
leadership goes, I think there's more on the defensive side of the ball than on
offense.
And
chemistry/leadership is pretty important. These intangibles will control the
locker room cancers that exist on every team. Too many bad eggs and not enough
character poison the atmosphere and can even cause a team to turn against the
coaching staff. And at that point you can stick a fork in the team.
Q: What changes can we expect to see
from the defense against TxState? Particularly,
what adjustments will they make after the first game?
A: I
think we are not going to see a lot of changes. Texas State is known for
running the option and the good thing for Tech is they were able to stop the
run with authority against Northwestern State.
I think
you go into the Texas State game with the same game plan as against the Demons.
STOP THE RUN ... it's what hurt Tech against the Bobcats in the first half of
the season opener last year.
Key will
be to stop the run and also keep the Bobcats third down conversion rate down
low as well. NWST was 3 -of-14 on Saturday when it
came to third down conversions.