University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Mike Norvell Weekly Press Conference Highlights
Sep 25, 2017 | Football
Opening Statement…
I was really happy for our guys, to go out there for homecoming, and finish nonconference play undefeated. We were able to accomplish the first goal that we set out for this season. I thought our guys went out there and battled for 60 minutes. There were some mistakes that were made, some things that we've got to continue to grow and clean up, but for our guys to go through the nonconference schedule, with every opportunity to finish up 3-0, that's exactly where we want to be. Now all of our energy and focus goes towards the conference opener, and kick off the American Conference play in Orlando. It feels like we've done this before, but we are definitely excited for the opportunity to go play a phenomenal football team. You look at UCF, this is a team that has been completely dominant in their first two games. They went to Maryland on the road and got the victory. Their defense shut down one of the top rushing offenses in the country, held them to 42 yards rushing. They created takeaways, offensively you can see the confidence which they're playing with. It all starts with their quarterback. He's a phenomenal football player; he can spread the ball around to some highly skilled players on the perimeter. I think they ran for over 250 yards in that game as well. So it's going to be a heck of a matchup, it's one we're definitely looking forward to, and I said it a few weeks ago, and I think it's shown up, that this is a championship caliber team that we're going to compete against. It's going to take our best effort going on the road. I can tell you our kids are excited for this opportunity.
What is it like having already prepared for UCF once?
Probably the biggest difference is just having a better sense of who we are. That opponent in week two, there were so many unknowns, areas of strength for us, things that we've got to clean up, and continue to improve on. That's probably the biggest difference between preparing for them week two and now where we are. We do have some thoughts that are going to carry over that we're going to take into this game plan. The biggest challenge for a coach is to not get bored. You obviously need to go through it, but because you have more time, sometimes coaches want to add something; they want to throw in more scheme than is necessary. You've got to get good at executing what you're going to do. To give our players, we are further ahead, because of the week that we had in preparation. But you don't want to make it too complex, you don't want to go overboard with the amount of information you're giving your players, because they're the ones that have to go out there and play fast. You don't want to go in carrying too much going into it, go overkill in your gameplan. We've spent a lot of time last night and this morning going back and evaluating our early thoughts, and we're going to progress as the week goes along to put our guys in the best position to be successful.
What kind of changes have they made in their first two games?
They played Florida International their first game, so that was all part of our game plan, and they did not play the week after, so they've only played the one game, and that was this past weekend versus Maryland. So that's really the only new information that we have, so we'll go through and evaluate it. They're as good as I thought they were, is probably the biggest thing that I've taken out of it. I knew they were a top-notch opponent going into week two and they've shown up and proven that correct against a good Maryland squad.
They've played twice, you've played three games, is there an advantage either way with that?
I don't think so. We've got a pretty good sense of where we are right now after three games; I think they've got a pretty good sense of who they are after playing their two games. I think it's pretty much a tossup. I guess we've had a couple of guys that have gone down, and we've got to see about their availability, but we hope to get a couple of guys back this week, so that would be the only thing that I can see that would make any kind of difference.
On testing the defensive depth…
You've just got to continue the growth. I think at one point on Saturday we were eight or nine guys down on our starting defense. So it's definitely unique when you look out there and see in an area that we thought we'd have great depth, we're really challenging them. I've been really proud of the guys that have stepped up, you look at guys like O'Bryan Goodson had a phenomenal game last week, he's really starting to play with a lot more confidence. Some of those younger players, Tim Hart, they've been playing a lot more snaps than we anticipated this early in the season, but they're showing that they're ready. They're showing the importance of their preparation, and their overall development is something that I've been really pleased seeing. It's next man ready, and hopefully we'll get a couple of guys back this week, we've still got to evaluate where a couple of guys are who went down on Saturday, we'll see how they progress through the week. I know the guys that get on that plane are going to be excited for this opportunity, and they'll put everything they have into it.
On UCF challenging USF for the East Division title…
We're playing a really good football team, one that is going to challenge. I said earlier in the season, after watching them all through the summer, seeing the guys they had coming back, seeing them play game one, they're definitely validating the point that they have a great deal of talent, and they have coaches that are obviously successful at putting those great players in a position to be successful. I would like to say that these are two similar teams. Both with guys that are in their second year as a coaching staff, you see that growth and that confidence that they have. That's what's going to make Saturday such a fun opportunity for us, because I think there's respect to be given on both sides. We've got tremendous respect for the program we're playing, and we've got to go out there and put our best foot forward.
On the UCF quarterback, and what he brings to them…
They can do a little bit of it all, they stretch the field vertically, their quarterback's got a strong arm, quick release. They're going to stretch you sideline to sideline, they're physical up front where they can get tough yards when necessary, and pound it down the middle. So we've got a lot of different challenges, they've got some big time receivers that can stretch the field. With the speed that they possess in getting their playmakers in space, you've got to do a great job tackling, you've got to be accountable for your man and your zone, and if you do that then you've still got to go make the play. So it's going to be a fun matchup to be a part of because there's going to be explosive players on both sides of the field and in special teams.
Getting off the field on third downs…
One, we've got to communicate better, we've got to make sure that all 11 hats are doing their job and putting themselves in the right position, and then you've got to go execute. I looked at the last two weeks third down efficiency that the teams had, their quarterbacks have located the ball well, receivers have done a good job getting open, and when we've been in position we haven't always made the play there in that situation. You look at our first and second down defense, we've done a lot of good things. I think last week, when you look at it, they were 10-for-20 on third down, but then they were also three of four on fourth down. Those are that many extended drives, and opportunities for them to have at least three more downs for that series, so we played a lot more snaps defensively than we wanted to. We've got to do a much better job of getting off the field in that situation. So communication, overall execution, and then we've got to continue impacting the quarterback so that we make sure we're disrupting what they want to do.
Preparing for an up tempo offense…
For our guys, that's what we defend every day in practice. We're going to play fast and we're going to practice fast. Every team has their own unique flair to their tempo, and I can definitely tell you UCF is going to play at a great speed. The biggest thing for us is we want to execute as fast as we can execute, and to go fast, some of the negative plays we've had offensively have been when we're trying to play fast, so we've got to make sure that as we're pushing the tempo, as we're trying to play fast, that we're executing at a high level. So it's going to be a part of the game, there's no hiding it, our guys practice against tempo every day, so we should be adjusted. Now it's about putting yourself in a position to execute the best at tempo.
UCF's defense…
I think they're that good. Last year, they were one of the better defenses in our league, and the defense this year is going to be one of the best defenses in our league. They're playing at a high level. Knocking a quarterback out, I know that does something to a team, but you see how they stopped the run, the things that they were able to do and the passion they played with. That's a really good opponent, and one that is going to present some challenges, and we're excited for the opportunity to go against them.
Did you see Jake Elliot hit the 61-yard field goal?
That was awesome. We got off the practice field yesterday and right when we walked in the building, someone was going crazy, talking about Jake hitting that kick. We're proud of Jake, he's a tremendous ambassador for our program, and to see him have that success, it was definitely fun to see. I'm sure glad we worked on 60 yarders in practice last year. Jake's an incredible young man, four year all-conference player. He's been talented since the day he stepped onto the Memphis campus, and obviously he's shown he can do it at the next level, but that's something he had to work at. And he grew, he progressed, he developed while he was here, you take a great player that has a great work ethic and you see that progression, it definitely speaks volumes on this program.
When you look at that history, can you sell this as Kicker University?
I think it's something that attracts most specialists. You talk about our placekickers, you talk about our punters, you look at our return game, it's something that we want to be known for. Special teams is one third of the game, an offensive or defensive snap is no more important than a special teams snap. That's one thing we talk about all the time, we want to change the game with special teams, and it's shown up. Two of our first three games we've played had a game-changing play in our special teams unit. I was really proud of that group this weekend, our field goal team. They went out, and they were perfect on their opportunities and they helped us be 7-of-7 in the red zone. We obviously want to score touchdowns every time we're down there, but when you know you have points, and you can put points on the board, that continues the momentum that you have. I was really proud of those guys for going out and executing.
What are UCF's special teams like?
They're dangerous. You'll see their returners. When you play a great team with great athleticism, the return game is something that we're definitely going to have to keep under control. Their kick returner is definitely a guy that can take it to the house. Their punt returner came in late this offseason, Mike Hughes, had a 40-plus yard return in their opener. He's a guy I like watching. He's a fearless returner, one you have to account for. We've got to do a great job with both our cover units because these guys can definitely make you pay if you're not doing your job.
I was really happy for our guys, to go out there for homecoming, and finish nonconference play undefeated. We were able to accomplish the first goal that we set out for this season. I thought our guys went out there and battled for 60 minutes. There were some mistakes that were made, some things that we've got to continue to grow and clean up, but for our guys to go through the nonconference schedule, with every opportunity to finish up 3-0, that's exactly where we want to be. Now all of our energy and focus goes towards the conference opener, and kick off the American Conference play in Orlando. It feels like we've done this before, but we are definitely excited for the opportunity to go play a phenomenal football team. You look at UCF, this is a team that has been completely dominant in their first two games. They went to Maryland on the road and got the victory. Their defense shut down one of the top rushing offenses in the country, held them to 42 yards rushing. They created takeaways, offensively you can see the confidence which they're playing with. It all starts with their quarterback. He's a phenomenal football player; he can spread the ball around to some highly skilled players on the perimeter. I think they ran for over 250 yards in that game as well. So it's going to be a heck of a matchup, it's one we're definitely looking forward to, and I said it a few weeks ago, and I think it's shown up, that this is a championship caliber team that we're going to compete against. It's going to take our best effort going on the road. I can tell you our kids are excited for this opportunity.
What is it like having already prepared for UCF once?
Probably the biggest difference is just having a better sense of who we are. That opponent in week two, there were so many unknowns, areas of strength for us, things that we've got to clean up, and continue to improve on. That's probably the biggest difference between preparing for them week two and now where we are. We do have some thoughts that are going to carry over that we're going to take into this game plan. The biggest challenge for a coach is to not get bored. You obviously need to go through it, but because you have more time, sometimes coaches want to add something; they want to throw in more scheme than is necessary. You've got to get good at executing what you're going to do. To give our players, we are further ahead, because of the week that we had in preparation. But you don't want to make it too complex, you don't want to go overboard with the amount of information you're giving your players, because they're the ones that have to go out there and play fast. You don't want to go in carrying too much going into it, go overkill in your gameplan. We've spent a lot of time last night and this morning going back and evaluating our early thoughts, and we're going to progress as the week goes along to put our guys in the best position to be successful.
What kind of changes have they made in their first two games?
They played Florida International their first game, so that was all part of our game plan, and they did not play the week after, so they've only played the one game, and that was this past weekend versus Maryland. So that's really the only new information that we have, so we'll go through and evaluate it. They're as good as I thought they were, is probably the biggest thing that I've taken out of it. I knew they were a top-notch opponent going into week two and they've shown up and proven that correct against a good Maryland squad.
They've played twice, you've played three games, is there an advantage either way with that?
I don't think so. We've got a pretty good sense of where we are right now after three games; I think they've got a pretty good sense of who they are after playing their two games. I think it's pretty much a tossup. I guess we've had a couple of guys that have gone down, and we've got to see about their availability, but we hope to get a couple of guys back this week, so that would be the only thing that I can see that would make any kind of difference.
On testing the defensive depth…
You've just got to continue the growth. I think at one point on Saturday we were eight or nine guys down on our starting defense. So it's definitely unique when you look out there and see in an area that we thought we'd have great depth, we're really challenging them. I've been really proud of the guys that have stepped up, you look at guys like O'Bryan Goodson had a phenomenal game last week, he's really starting to play with a lot more confidence. Some of those younger players, Tim Hart, they've been playing a lot more snaps than we anticipated this early in the season, but they're showing that they're ready. They're showing the importance of their preparation, and their overall development is something that I've been really pleased seeing. It's next man ready, and hopefully we'll get a couple of guys back this week, we've still got to evaluate where a couple of guys are who went down on Saturday, we'll see how they progress through the week. I know the guys that get on that plane are going to be excited for this opportunity, and they'll put everything they have into it.
On UCF challenging USF for the East Division title…
We're playing a really good football team, one that is going to challenge. I said earlier in the season, after watching them all through the summer, seeing the guys they had coming back, seeing them play game one, they're definitely validating the point that they have a great deal of talent, and they have coaches that are obviously successful at putting those great players in a position to be successful. I would like to say that these are two similar teams. Both with guys that are in their second year as a coaching staff, you see that growth and that confidence that they have. That's what's going to make Saturday such a fun opportunity for us, because I think there's respect to be given on both sides. We've got tremendous respect for the program we're playing, and we've got to go out there and put our best foot forward.
On the UCF quarterback, and what he brings to them…
They can do a little bit of it all, they stretch the field vertically, their quarterback's got a strong arm, quick release. They're going to stretch you sideline to sideline, they're physical up front where they can get tough yards when necessary, and pound it down the middle. So we've got a lot of different challenges, they've got some big time receivers that can stretch the field. With the speed that they possess in getting their playmakers in space, you've got to do a great job tackling, you've got to be accountable for your man and your zone, and if you do that then you've still got to go make the play. So it's going to be a fun matchup to be a part of because there's going to be explosive players on both sides of the field and in special teams.
Getting off the field on third downs…
One, we've got to communicate better, we've got to make sure that all 11 hats are doing their job and putting themselves in the right position, and then you've got to go execute. I looked at the last two weeks third down efficiency that the teams had, their quarterbacks have located the ball well, receivers have done a good job getting open, and when we've been in position we haven't always made the play there in that situation. You look at our first and second down defense, we've done a lot of good things. I think last week, when you look at it, they were 10-for-20 on third down, but then they were also three of four on fourth down. Those are that many extended drives, and opportunities for them to have at least three more downs for that series, so we played a lot more snaps defensively than we wanted to. We've got to do a much better job of getting off the field in that situation. So communication, overall execution, and then we've got to continue impacting the quarterback so that we make sure we're disrupting what they want to do.
Preparing for an up tempo offense…
For our guys, that's what we defend every day in practice. We're going to play fast and we're going to practice fast. Every team has their own unique flair to their tempo, and I can definitely tell you UCF is going to play at a great speed. The biggest thing for us is we want to execute as fast as we can execute, and to go fast, some of the negative plays we've had offensively have been when we're trying to play fast, so we've got to make sure that as we're pushing the tempo, as we're trying to play fast, that we're executing at a high level. So it's going to be a part of the game, there's no hiding it, our guys practice against tempo every day, so we should be adjusted. Now it's about putting yourself in a position to execute the best at tempo.
UCF's defense…
I think they're that good. Last year, they were one of the better defenses in our league, and the defense this year is going to be one of the best defenses in our league. They're playing at a high level. Knocking a quarterback out, I know that does something to a team, but you see how they stopped the run, the things that they were able to do and the passion they played with. That's a really good opponent, and one that is going to present some challenges, and we're excited for the opportunity to go against them.
Did you see Jake Elliot hit the 61-yard field goal?
That was awesome. We got off the practice field yesterday and right when we walked in the building, someone was going crazy, talking about Jake hitting that kick. We're proud of Jake, he's a tremendous ambassador for our program, and to see him have that success, it was definitely fun to see. I'm sure glad we worked on 60 yarders in practice last year. Jake's an incredible young man, four year all-conference player. He's been talented since the day he stepped onto the Memphis campus, and obviously he's shown he can do it at the next level, but that's something he had to work at. And he grew, he progressed, he developed while he was here, you take a great player that has a great work ethic and you see that progression, it definitely speaks volumes on this program.
When you look at that history, can you sell this as Kicker University?
I think it's something that attracts most specialists. You talk about our placekickers, you talk about our punters, you look at our return game, it's something that we want to be known for. Special teams is one third of the game, an offensive or defensive snap is no more important than a special teams snap. That's one thing we talk about all the time, we want to change the game with special teams, and it's shown up. Two of our first three games we've played had a game-changing play in our special teams unit. I was really proud of that group this weekend, our field goal team. They went out, and they were perfect on their opportunities and they helped us be 7-of-7 in the red zone. We obviously want to score touchdowns every time we're down there, but when you know you have points, and you can put points on the board, that continues the momentum that you have. I was really proud of those guys for going out and executing.
What are UCF's special teams like?
They're dangerous. You'll see their returners. When you play a great team with great athleticism, the return game is something that we're definitely going to have to keep under control. Their kick returner is definitely a guy that can take it to the house. Their punt returner came in late this offseason, Mike Hughes, had a 40-plus yard return in their opener. He's a guy I like watching. He's a fearless returner, one you have to account for. We've got to do a great job with both our cover units because these guys can definitely make you pay if you're not doing your job.
Players Mentioned
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