University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Ben Solomon
Mike Norvell Weekly Press Conference Highlights
Oct 09, 2017 | Football
Opening Statement…
Looking back at Friday night, I'm so very proud of our football team. We talked all week about our response. We obviously had a setback the week before, and to go on the road in conference play, against another opponent that was hungry for a victory, a game that was very back and forth early in the first half all the way through, I thought our guys responded in a tremendous way. Defensively, we gave up a few runs, had a couple of miscommunication things there early in the game, against an offense that presented a couple of different challenges, multiple looks. We had arguably one of our best players, Austin Hall, that went out due to a targeting call. Another young player, Thomas Pickens, had to step in and fill in. But our defense ran to the football for four quarters. We were able to create takeaways, play with tremendous passion. There were a lot of big hits, some impactful plays that helped set up good field position. And then offensively, we started to see the tempo, the execution. We've talked all season about wanting to be an offense known for owning the football, and we were able to accomplish that Friday night. That really paid good dividends for us, being able to get into the red zone, I think we were 6-of-6 in the red zone. Anthony and Riley both played at an exceptionally high level. Our offensive line, you can see their continued growth in their protection, but also late in the game, being able to open up some big running seams. That allowed us to be multiple in what we able to do throwing as well as running. And special teams played another big part in the game. We were able to create a takeaway there with our kickoff coverage, which I thought was one of the major, major plays in the game that helped us break it open, and just continued great effort and execution by those guys. I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing, and now that sets us up for this week, a western division conference opponent coming in, top-25 undefeated Navy team. This is a game that everybody's excited to play in, it's going to be a wonderful atmosphere, we need to have a great crowd. It's going to be a great day, I'm just so excited about the opportunity that's in front of us. We know it's going to take another tremendous week of preparation from our guys and coaches, but we're excited to play in this one.
How different is preparing for this week versus any other week?
Every week presents its own unique make-up and set up when you're evaluating a team's strengths and what they do. Obviously, Navy, their offensive presentation is something that you don't see very often. We spend a lot of time in the offseason looking at it, trying to evaluate what best fits our personnel, what's the best way to be able to contain what they do. It's always going to be a challenge. Our kids, we're looking forward to implementing a plan. The thing that makes it so difficult with them, you're so concerned with what you're doing in your presentation, but also to simulate the look that they have is as hard as anything. When you look at your scout teams and your practice squads, that's definitely very difficult to do, especially how fast and efficient they are. And they've got great playmakers. A quarterback, a receiver, a slot back, a fullback, all guys that can really make you pay. I think they're averaging 412 yards a game rushing. So it's very, very efficient. And then last week, they had to have a two minute drive to go win the game and they marched right down the field and were excellent in their conversion on that. This is a team that is definitely difficult to prepare for. Our guys are excited about doing our best in getting prepared for them.
You had a dozen penalties, is there anything you can do about curing that?
Yeah, we definitely have to play more disciplined. The procedure penalties, those are just focus, and that's just something we've got to get eliminated. There were a couple calls that are just going to be give and take. You're going to have some things happen from effort. We had one chop block that a lineman slanted one way into another guy, that one we really couldn't control as much. But anytime you have 12 penalties, that's something you have to evaluate. I think our guys have done a much better job controlling themselves, playing with a controlled aggression. We haven't seen the personal foul penalties these last few weeks, that's something I'm glad we have under control. But we've got to be more disciplined in how we execute, especially with the pre-snap stuff, that's total focus.
Penalty yardage in winning efforts…
It is unique. We need to play disciplined, because having penalties puts you in so many more challenging situations, where you're behind the chains. I though our kids did a great job, especially offensively, where the majority of our penalties have been offensively here this past week. You go from a 3rd and 5 to a 3rd and 10, making that conversion is much more difficult. A couple of 3rd downs we did not convert, we had a false start that took us from a 3rd and 9 to a 3rd and 14, but we gain 12 yards on the next play. So when you see things like that that show up, those are the small plays that make a big difference, especially in the tighter games you do play. So we have to improve, we've got to eliminate the penalties. We've got to continue playing with a better focus, and not putting ourselves behind the chains or making it easier for them by giving them a free down.
Do you think penalties are going to be a big deal against a team like Navy, that doesn't get penalized all that much?
It's going to be a huge factor in this game. I think that when you look at it statistically, Navy doesn't get called for many penalties. They play with really good discipline. That's one of the strengths of their team, so if we go out there and we are penalized and they're not, then those are the hidden yards that puts somebody in a position to have better success. So we've got to make sure we're working to win that penalty battle.
What's the mental effect when you know you aren't going to get as many opportunities because of the way they play?
You have to stay focused and you have to be efficient. If offensively, you're not going to see the 14-15 series you might have in a game, and now you're playing between 10 and 12, you've got to be efficient in what you do. The third downs, the fourth downs, both offensively and defensively, the importance of those downs is escalated to such a high level, because this is a team that wants to control the game with the time of possession, they want to limit your snaps. Takeaways and turnovers are huge. All of the things that we discuss weekly as what it takes to win a football game are just magnified this week because of the style of play.
Memphis is 0-2 versus Navy…
I think there's an excitement for the opportunity. They've competed for the divisional championship, and then the conference championship last year. We know this is one of the best teams in our league. They've proven it, they're top 25, they're undefeated. They're doing an exceptional job again this year. So to say that for our team to look at it as anything more than just another opportunity, it's a great opportunity because it's against a great football team.
On the required discipline when playing a triple option offense…
For us, everybody's going to have a job, everybody's going to have an assignment, and then once you execute that assignment, you've got to do it in a physical nature, and you've got to make the play. I think so many people get caught up in playing an option team and they totally focus on 'this is the scheme, this is what you have to do' well, you still have to do it against a really good football player. And when you get an opportunity to make the play, you've got to win that battle. So yes, we've got to be focused on the little things, and making sure we're executing the plan that's in place, we also have to put ourselves in a position. Once you put yourself in a position, then you have to go make the play.
Since you have so many young guys, have you had to simplify even more for them?
That's what makes Navy so challenging, they're so far along in their program with their coaching staff running the same system. We're not going to show them anything that they've not seen. You go through 10-12 years of film, they've seen just about everything. So as we go into this, we've got to make sure that we can execute our plan. Once you have that plan in place, you've got to fundamentally be able to put yourself in the right position to use the proper technique. But if you just line up and do one thing, they've seen enough to be able to hurt you and attack you in a variety of different ways.
How important is it to put drives together and finish those drives?
It's huge. I think our third down conversions are going to be big, being able to establish drives, and the biggest thing is that when you get into the red zone, you have to score a touchdown. You look at last year's game, we had the ball in the fourth quarter, down one possession, we had a turnover. Turnovers are going to play a huge role in this game, hopefully we can create a couple of turnovers so we can get some of those extra possessions. That's something that Navy's done a terrific job of themselves, they don't turn the ball over much. And with their defense, their defense is more of an attack style this year, playing more man coverage, pressuring more. It puts you in a higher opportunity to have those negative plays, so we've got to be on top of our game.
What's it like to know Riley Ferguson can bounce back after a bad game?
It means everything. It's a tribute to his leadership, and the work ethic that he has, and the work he puts into this program. We're sitting on the plane, he comes up to me after Central Florida, he apologizes and says how he's going to respond. I had no doubt. I've been with Riley for the better part of a year and a half now, and I know what this program means to him. I know how much work he puts into it. Everybody's going to have mistakes. I mean, I didn't put him in the best positions the week before, so we all had to improve, we all have to get better. There's not one person, or one performance that's going to dictate everything in a game, but when you have somebody that can really have a great self-awareness of their performance and what it's going to take to improve that, that's what you want on your team.
On the longevity of the Navy coaching staff…
They're in a great situation. That's a compliment to his leadership, and the loyalty that his staff has to what they're doing and to the place they're working. They've done a wonderful job, and anytime you're able to maintain that cohesiveness within a staff, your players know what to expect. You're able to push, challenge. Those relationships have been built. They're not going in and trying to reestablish the values of their program each and every year. That's definitely something that shows up on the field. It shows up in the confidence in what they're asking their players to do, and trust that their players have in what they're being asked to do. That definitely plays a big part in what their success has been.
When the schedule came out, did you identify this stretch as a test for playing in this division?
Once you get into conference play, you know each and every week is going to be a great challenge. You look at how the dynamic of it all really came to be, especially after the Central Florida game got cancelled, and now you've had back to back east road trips. You've had off weeks and your first western division game is against the reigning champion and the following week is going to be a short week. All we can control is this week, I haven't' talked to our team about anything beyond this week. Our goal this week is to do everything we can do to be 1-0. We know that when you get to this point in the schedule, when it's all conference games, and getting into divisional games, that every one of them are big. You control what you can control and prepare the best you can.
Is this quarterback you're against different than the one last year, what are his strengths?
I think every player has his own unique strengths. I think he's averaging 180 ypg rushing, he's doing a phenomenal job in his decision making. He's really been a great spark for what they're doing. They've always had great success, but you see the threat that he is, the athleticism, he's shown especially last week, that in critical moments, to be able to make the big completion when it's time to throw. I know the big receiver they have is averaging close to 40 yards a catch. So they can definitely stretch the field vertically if you're not set in your coverage. He's a wonderful decision maker, and he can make you pay when he gets to the open field. They present a lot of challenges. You literally have to defend the entire field, sideline to sideline, from the A-gap to the sideline. When they play action, they can push it down the field and they've got some really good players with really good speed that can hurt you.
Looking back at Friday night, I'm so very proud of our football team. We talked all week about our response. We obviously had a setback the week before, and to go on the road in conference play, against another opponent that was hungry for a victory, a game that was very back and forth early in the first half all the way through, I thought our guys responded in a tremendous way. Defensively, we gave up a few runs, had a couple of miscommunication things there early in the game, against an offense that presented a couple of different challenges, multiple looks. We had arguably one of our best players, Austin Hall, that went out due to a targeting call. Another young player, Thomas Pickens, had to step in and fill in. But our defense ran to the football for four quarters. We were able to create takeaways, play with tremendous passion. There were a lot of big hits, some impactful plays that helped set up good field position. And then offensively, we started to see the tempo, the execution. We've talked all season about wanting to be an offense known for owning the football, and we were able to accomplish that Friday night. That really paid good dividends for us, being able to get into the red zone, I think we were 6-of-6 in the red zone. Anthony and Riley both played at an exceptionally high level. Our offensive line, you can see their continued growth in their protection, but also late in the game, being able to open up some big running seams. That allowed us to be multiple in what we able to do throwing as well as running. And special teams played another big part in the game. We were able to create a takeaway there with our kickoff coverage, which I thought was one of the major, major plays in the game that helped us break it open, and just continued great effort and execution by those guys. I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing, and now that sets us up for this week, a western division conference opponent coming in, top-25 undefeated Navy team. This is a game that everybody's excited to play in, it's going to be a wonderful atmosphere, we need to have a great crowd. It's going to be a great day, I'm just so excited about the opportunity that's in front of us. We know it's going to take another tremendous week of preparation from our guys and coaches, but we're excited to play in this one.
How different is preparing for this week versus any other week?
Every week presents its own unique make-up and set up when you're evaluating a team's strengths and what they do. Obviously, Navy, their offensive presentation is something that you don't see very often. We spend a lot of time in the offseason looking at it, trying to evaluate what best fits our personnel, what's the best way to be able to contain what they do. It's always going to be a challenge. Our kids, we're looking forward to implementing a plan. The thing that makes it so difficult with them, you're so concerned with what you're doing in your presentation, but also to simulate the look that they have is as hard as anything. When you look at your scout teams and your practice squads, that's definitely very difficult to do, especially how fast and efficient they are. And they've got great playmakers. A quarterback, a receiver, a slot back, a fullback, all guys that can really make you pay. I think they're averaging 412 yards a game rushing. So it's very, very efficient. And then last week, they had to have a two minute drive to go win the game and they marched right down the field and were excellent in their conversion on that. This is a team that is definitely difficult to prepare for. Our guys are excited about doing our best in getting prepared for them.
You had a dozen penalties, is there anything you can do about curing that?
Yeah, we definitely have to play more disciplined. The procedure penalties, those are just focus, and that's just something we've got to get eliminated. There were a couple calls that are just going to be give and take. You're going to have some things happen from effort. We had one chop block that a lineman slanted one way into another guy, that one we really couldn't control as much. But anytime you have 12 penalties, that's something you have to evaluate. I think our guys have done a much better job controlling themselves, playing with a controlled aggression. We haven't seen the personal foul penalties these last few weeks, that's something I'm glad we have under control. But we've got to be more disciplined in how we execute, especially with the pre-snap stuff, that's total focus.
Penalty yardage in winning efforts…
It is unique. We need to play disciplined, because having penalties puts you in so many more challenging situations, where you're behind the chains. I though our kids did a great job, especially offensively, where the majority of our penalties have been offensively here this past week. You go from a 3rd and 5 to a 3rd and 10, making that conversion is much more difficult. A couple of 3rd downs we did not convert, we had a false start that took us from a 3rd and 9 to a 3rd and 14, but we gain 12 yards on the next play. So when you see things like that that show up, those are the small plays that make a big difference, especially in the tighter games you do play. So we have to improve, we've got to eliminate the penalties. We've got to continue playing with a better focus, and not putting ourselves behind the chains or making it easier for them by giving them a free down.
Do you think penalties are going to be a big deal against a team like Navy, that doesn't get penalized all that much?
It's going to be a huge factor in this game. I think that when you look at it statistically, Navy doesn't get called for many penalties. They play with really good discipline. That's one of the strengths of their team, so if we go out there and we are penalized and they're not, then those are the hidden yards that puts somebody in a position to have better success. So we've got to make sure we're working to win that penalty battle.
What's the mental effect when you know you aren't going to get as many opportunities because of the way they play?
You have to stay focused and you have to be efficient. If offensively, you're not going to see the 14-15 series you might have in a game, and now you're playing between 10 and 12, you've got to be efficient in what you do. The third downs, the fourth downs, both offensively and defensively, the importance of those downs is escalated to such a high level, because this is a team that wants to control the game with the time of possession, they want to limit your snaps. Takeaways and turnovers are huge. All of the things that we discuss weekly as what it takes to win a football game are just magnified this week because of the style of play.
Memphis is 0-2 versus Navy…
I think there's an excitement for the opportunity. They've competed for the divisional championship, and then the conference championship last year. We know this is one of the best teams in our league. They've proven it, they're top 25, they're undefeated. They're doing an exceptional job again this year. So to say that for our team to look at it as anything more than just another opportunity, it's a great opportunity because it's against a great football team.
On the required discipline when playing a triple option offense…
For us, everybody's going to have a job, everybody's going to have an assignment, and then once you execute that assignment, you've got to do it in a physical nature, and you've got to make the play. I think so many people get caught up in playing an option team and they totally focus on 'this is the scheme, this is what you have to do' well, you still have to do it against a really good football player. And when you get an opportunity to make the play, you've got to win that battle. So yes, we've got to be focused on the little things, and making sure we're executing the plan that's in place, we also have to put ourselves in a position. Once you put yourself in a position, then you have to go make the play.
Since you have so many young guys, have you had to simplify even more for them?
That's what makes Navy so challenging, they're so far along in their program with their coaching staff running the same system. We're not going to show them anything that they've not seen. You go through 10-12 years of film, they've seen just about everything. So as we go into this, we've got to make sure that we can execute our plan. Once you have that plan in place, you've got to fundamentally be able to put yourself in the right position to use the proper technique. But if you just line up and do one thing, they've seen enough to be able to hurt you and attack you in a variety of different ways.
How important is it to put drives together and finish those drives?
It's huge. I think our third down conversions are going to be big, being able to establish drives, and the biggest thing is that when you get into the red zone, you have to score a touchdown. You look at last year's game, we had the ball in the fourth quarter, down one possession, we had a turnover. Turnovers are going to play a huge role in this game, hopefully we can create a couple of turnovers so we can get some of those extra possessions. That's something that Navy's done a terrific job of themselves, they don't turn the ball over much. And with their defense, their defense is more of an attack style this year, playing more man coverage, pressuring more. It puts you in a higher opportunity to have those negative plays, so we've got to be on top of our game.
What's it like to know Riley Ferguson can bounce back after a bad game?
It means everything. It's a tribute to his leadership, and the work ethic that he has, and the work he puts into this program. We're sitting on the plane, he comes up to me after Central Florida, he apologizes and says how he's going to respond. I had no doubt. I've been with Riley for the better part of a year and a half now, and I know what this program means to him. I know how much work he puts into it. Everybody's going to have mistakes. I mean, I didn't put him in the best positions the week before, so we all had to improve, we all have to get better. There's not one person, or one performance that's going to dictate everything in a game, but when you have somebody that can really have a great self-awareness of their performance and what it's going to take to improve that, that's what you want on your team.
On the longevity of the Navy coaching staff…
They're in a great situation. That's a compliment to his leadership, and the loyalty that his staff has to what they're doing and to the place they're working. They've done a wonderful job, and anytime you're able to maintain that cohesiveness within a staff, your players know what to expect. You're able to push, challenge. Those relationships have been built. They're not going in and trying to reestablish the values of their program each and every year. That's definitely something that shows up on the field. It shows up in the confidence in what they're asking their players to do, and trust that their players have in what they're being asked to do. That definitely plays a big part in what their success has been.
When the schedule came out, did you identify this stretch as a test for playing in this division?
Once you get into conference play, you know each and every week is going to be a great challenge. You look at how the dynamic of it all really came to be, especially after the Central Florida game got cancelled, and now you've had back to back east road trips. You've had off weeks and your first western division game is against the reigning champion and the following week is going to be a short week. All we can control is this week, I haven't' talked to our team about anything beyond this week. Our goal this week is to do everything we can do to be 1-0. We know that when you get to this point in the schedule, when it's all conference games, and getting into divisional games, that every one of them are big. You control what you can control and prepare the best you can.
Is this quarterback you're against different than the one last year, what are his strengths?
I think every player has his own unique strengths. I think he's averaging 180 ypg rushing, he's doing a phenomenal job in his decision making. He's really been a great spark for what they're doing. They've always had great success, but you see the threat that he is, the athleticism, he's shown especially last week, that in critical moments, to be able to make the big completion when it's time to throw. I know the big receiver they have is averaging close to 40 yards a catch. So they can definitely stretch the field vertically if you're not set in your coverage. He's a wonderful decision maker, and he can make you pay when he gets to the open field. They present a lot of challenges. You literally have to defend the entire field, sideline to sideline, from the A-gap to the sideline. When they play action, they can push it down the field and they've got some really good players with really good speed that can hurt you.
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