Muschamp's Monday Press Conference Video and Transcription
Monday, November 10, 2014 | Football
Florida Gators head football coach Will Muschamp spoke with the media on Monday about Saturday's 34-10 road victory over Vanderbilt and returning to The Swamp this weekend to host South Carolina.
Opening statement…
It was a good team win. Explosives, we were plus-eight. We had 11 explosive plays, they had three. We were plus-four in turnover margin. Taking care of the football, it enhances our opportunity to win the football game. That's what our offense has done the last two weeks.
Really balanced on offense. Very proud of the offense, we needed to be able to throw the ball better. Explosive plays in the passing game, very accurate down the field with Treon [Harris]. Our guys finished plays down the field. Very accurate on third down. He's doing a great job of taking care of the ball, converting third downs, taking the ball to the right spots. Really proud of him. Very efficient throwing the football.
We've got to improve on short yardage and goal-line. We met a lot about that last night. Being a shotgun team and Treon a guy that's never been under center, we've talked a lot through some of the things we can do to help ourselves down there. We've been hurt throughout the season. We've got to get that corrected. Perimeter blocking is not what it needed to be. Nowhere close.
The player of the game was Treon Harris. He had four explosives, he played extremely well, managed our offense extremely well, continues to improve and get better and better every single day. Third down conversions were huge, especially in the second half. He put the ball in the right spots. The deep ball to [Quinton] Dunbar was actually an over route called for [Tevin} Westbrook, off play action. [Harris] saw the safety bite on the over route and took a shot down the field. A really outstanding player. I'm really proud of him.
Max Garcia is the offensive lineman of the week. Max is playing as well as any center in the country. He's playing really good football. He makes all the calls for us up front, and is a very calming part of what we're trying to do. I think he's playing very well. [Vanderbilt] ran a lot of odd looks. He did an outstanding job.
Defensively, disappointed in the second drive. It's one thing to let somebody beat you, just because athletically they're better or whatever. But to have bad eye control, a personal foul -- we hadn't done that stuff all year -- we got up front and got slipped and reached a little bit. Their offensive line splits a little tighter than maybe we had prepared for. We got settled down in the game and I thought as the game drew on we played extremely well. Affected the quarterback -- we had 19 pressures and affected an incomplete pass on third down, we were outstanding – four turnovers and really as much as anything with a young secondary, I thought our players did a great job on the sidelines as far as making adjustments and going through things and previewing the next series and really doing a good job of being dialed in on those situations. I was really proud of that. We didn't really have anyone from a production standpoint who stood out to name players of the game. We just named the defense again. We played well on all three levels and then no one was that productive to anoint him the player of the game. We've got to improve in some areas, obviously.
Ball hawks, guys that had a part in a turnover, Darious Cummings, Duke Dawson, Dante Fowler, Antonio Morrison. Jabari Gorman and Vernon Hargreaves had two, Jalen Tabor as well, so those guys continue to do a great job there as far as getting the ball off people.
Special teams, I thought we were just solid, didn't really affect the game. Two penalties were killer as far as field position was concerned. Just not very smart blocking the guy in the back there. Chris Thompson was the player of the game. Chris was a guy that did a great job covering kicks, very disruptive on our kickoff coverage team, so really, really proud of him, a guy that continues to come on for us right there.
Injury wise right now, Keanu Neal hoping to get him out there maybe Wednesday. Looks to be doubtful at this time. Trenton Brown, not ruling him out at all, hopefully Wednesday to get him back on the field. Tyler Moore had an ankle, he should be fine. Chaz Green had a sprained knee, he should be fine. Jeremi Powell sprained his knee that he had surgery on. He may be doubtful for this game as far as being a special teams contributor for us. And Gerald Willis, we will try to get out and move around today, but I expect him to play this Saturday.
As far as South Carolina is concerned, I have great respect for Coach [Steve] Spurrier and the job he has done as a coach and more than anything as a man. He's a good guy. He's been great to me as long as I've been at the University of Florida. I really look up to him in this profession. He does things the right way.
Offensively, they've been outstanding this year. The best offense we've faced in my opinion to date this season. Dylan Thompson's playing very well, has 22 touchdowns passes, really throwing the ball now. They're a talented group outside. They've got Pharoh Cooper does it all. He lines up and plays wildcat quarterback, speed sweeps. They run it with him, they throw it to him. He's a very, very talented football player.
[Damiere] Byrd can really run, Shaq Roland, Nick Jones, all guys athletically that we need to be able to match up with and play. We're going to have to mix it up in coverage and what we do with these guys. The running backs, Mike Davis, Brandon Wilds and Shon Carson, are all very talented backs. They've got big tight ends that run extremely well, they're big up front. So we've got our work cut out for us defensively, we really do, a team that's as balanced as they are, as good a job as coach does calling plays.
Defensively, they're very young. Lorenzo Ward's an outstanding coach. They've gone through some growing pains, but they've had a week off though, so I'm sure we'll face some things we haven't totally prepared for and we'll have to make some adjustments in the game. Lorenzo does a good job with that. And they're very good on special teams, especially with [Shon] Carson and [Pharoh] Cooper as returners. Those guys at any time can take it the distance. So noon kickoff, 12:01 here in The Swamp, great to get back in front of some of the best fans in the country. Can't wait to get in front of our crowd again. I really challenged our football team after the Vanderbilt win about how important it is to take back The Swamp and that's what we need to do this coming Saturday.
On offensive line injuries being a concern…
It is. I think, again, I think we'll get all those guys back by game time. Trenton [Brown] would be the only one that I would be concerned about not playing, but Mike Summers does a great job of moving those guys around and throughout the week, teaching them the whole concept of the run game and protection so they don't just understand their position and how it affects them. Chaz [Green] can come in inside and play and play it well inside, you know, to be able to have David Sharpe get some valuable reps for him, is a guy that's going to be a really good football player. It's very difficult for a freshman on the offensive line and I think there's three offensive tackles that have played, or really just two in our league that have played a lot of time, at Tennessee and at Alabama, those two guys, so, but good to be able to get him some experience in there. We'll have him playing for it, and moving forward, it was good to get Antonio Riles in there and play a little bit and Cam Dillard and those guys and they need to keep coming along for us, you know. We're like everybody else in the country right now, a little nicked up, and we've got to take care of these guys in practice to make sure we're playing fast and physical on Saturday.
On Leon Orr's status…
No, nothing's changed.
On root of respect for and relationship with Steve Spurrier…
He has a statue outside of the stadium… No, he just… You all have been around him, he's a fun guy to be around, he's an outstanding football coach, he's a hall of fame player and coach. We fly together to Bristol every summer, and enjoy his company and the stories and the different things going through the years and talking about the Florida program and all that. It's just a lot of fun, it really is. He's been very supportive of me since I've been here, gone out of his way to support me and I really appreciate that.
On sympathy for Steve Spurrier…
Absolutely. I mean you've got great respect for these guys. Sitting behind the chair you understand what you go through. Certainly have a respect for everybody that coaches.
On realization that Treon Harris is a special player…
Well, I don't know that until game time, you really can't get a feel for it. I think when he went in to the game in Knoxville and in a very hostile environment, a great crowd that day, to be able to control the game for us offensively – he had a great throw to Matt Jones on a wheel route coming out of the backfield. Something that he had not repped all week in practice, to take control of that football team late in the game and our offense late in the game, the way he did it. The way he handled that situation, probably, you always feel very good. I felt pretty good about Treon [Harris] all along, I told you all that all along. Then the circumstances, seeing him handle the way he handled against Tennessee.
On team recognizing Treon Harris' toughness…
Absolutely. He got his bell rung pretty well there on the sideline. I went over, said, 'You all right?' He said, 'Go over and worry about someone else, I'm fine.' That's part of the physical part of it but also the mental side of it, the toughness aspect of it, you've got to have at that position, especially here.
On practices leading up to a bowl game giving freshmen an edge heading into next season…
You're able to go out there and get another probably 12 to 14 practices in before a bowl game depending on when it is. But you look at Loucheiz Purifoy our first year, he started the Gator Bowl. He didn't start a game all season, but he came out and had a great bowl practice. He was a true freshman. He had more time. When you're in a bowl situation, kind of like training camp and spring ball, you're not getting ready for a game and you're not game planning. You're teaching the defense, you're teaching the offense, you're teaching the techniques and the fundamentals that go with the position at a very slow pace as opposed to when you're getting ready for a game. You're still teaching fundamentals and techniques, but you're also trying to recognize sets. And there's a lot more going on mentally and so there's no question I've seen guys take huge steps forward on the football field in a bowl situation. No doubt.
On how Quinton Dunbar handled being benched up until Saturday's game…
He dealt with it very well. We weren't getting the production we needed and Ahmad [Fulwood] had been a guy that had done a nice job getting those opportunities. Ahmad should be fine Saturday, had a little turf toe in the game on the deep ball down their sideline and Quinton [Dunbar] went in and did a good job. So you go in and cash in on your opportunities when you have it. Man down, man up and that's what he did. So I'm very proud of how he handled the situation. Yeah, it's nice. It's the way you're supposed to handle it.
On going for it in fourth down situations inside the five-yard line…
Depending on the situation. If you're first and goal and a field goal wouldn't make it a difference, meaning if a field goal wouldn't make it a two-score game or a three-score game. Momentum of the game and those situations. As early as the game was, you get in those situations and I told Kurt [Roper], 'You've got four downs.'
On trending toward taking risks…
I am, don't you think? We pressure a lot of defense, huh?
On taking offensive risks…
Well, no. That's what I feel like on first and goal you get in those situations inside the five. That's different when you're a little further out that you take those opportunities to get set up, which is very deflating for a defense in a first and goal situation. You get set up and it's a lift for a defense to hold them to a field goal. Momentum. But again, that can all change based on the game situation. If you're kicking a field goal to make it a two-score game, that's different. If you're kicking a field goal to make it a three-score game, totally different situation. You take the points obviously. We had a situation in the bowl game at the Gator Bowl. We made it a two-score game with the field goal. Everybody wanted us to go for it. We made it a two-score game. Those are different situations.
On the effect of taking risks on the players…
I just feel like that as a defensive coordinator, when you call a game aggressively, sometimes your players play more aggressive. They feel a little more cutting it loose and our guys feel like that offensively from a standpoint that they know we're going to go for it in those situations. And I talk to them about those situations all the time. To me, it's always important for the players to understand why we're doing it. If we get into the situation we're in that range where we're outside of field goal range, maybe the 38-yard line, it's fourth and one, go for it in those situations. It's fourth and one, fourth and two. You need to go for it in that situation unless you're in a field-position game and you want to pin them back, which we could have done the other night, but we didn't. We had some discussion on that — I think it was fourth and seven — of going for it in that situation. We were out of field-goal range. Didn't feel comfortable about the kick there, especially with the penetration they were getting with their block team. The worst that could happen is it's a two-score game. They block it and take it the other way. So I didn't feel good about attempting that long of a field goal, especially with that penetration. We talked about it and ended up taking the delay of game. Wish we had kicked it better.
On offense bringing balance…
I think so. I think we're getting there. We've got to continue to run it well to develop things in the passing game. You know, whenever you put it on tape, it's not just to throw it deep, but complete it deep. As a defensive coach, now you're saying, 'Okay. These guys are willing to do what they need to do.' There was no question Vanderbilt was bound and determined to make us throw the football, and we saw that early in the game. We knew we were going to have some opportunities to take some shots.
On there being anything Leon Orr can do to get back on the team…
No.
On ever experiencing a similar situation this late in the season…
No.
On progress of the freshman defensive backs…
I think that those guys improve every week. They've gone about their business the right way at practice. They've taken some steps forward throughout the year and the more and more reps those guys get, the more the game slows down for them, the more they understand, the more they're able to adjust formations and splits — all of the different things good players are able to do. As they get more and more snaps and more and more experience, they're able to make those adjustments quicker, make them faster, make playing the game a little faster. There's no question those guys are improving and they're going to have a great challenge Saturday. To cover these guys in space and in the passing game, Dylan Thompson is not going to miss an uncovered guy. We've got to be dialed in and play extremely well Saturday.
On Jonathan Bullard playing inside, Darious Cummings penalties…
Well, Jon [Bullard]'s played inside a bunch for us. I mean last year he played inside for us a lot, more than anything in rush situations, he matched up on some guards. I think when you're able to play multiple positions, you really help yourself as a player. From the standpoint of moving forward in his career, it's a great move for him because they've seen the three-technique, they've seen him play in the A-gap, they've seen him play a four-technique, head-up the tackle, all the way outside to a nine-technique outside the tight end. The worst thing an NFL team wants to do is project, to wonder if you can do it. They don't want to do that because they've got to justify to their owner why they couldn't do it when they drafted you. So they want to be able to see you on tape do those things. That's why defensively for us, playing some 3-4, which is the two-gap technique, and 4-3, which is a one-gap technique, which doesn't mean anything to you, but for them, they're able to see that and they're able to see players do that in our defense of what we do. They don't have to make projections off of that. This is coming from a lot of NFL people. As far as Darious [Cummings] is concerned, got to quit jumping off-sides. You're the closest guy to the ball. Right? You shouldn't jump off-sides when you're the closest guy to the ball. Makes perfect sense.
On conversations with Jonathan Bullard about playing inside…
We've had a lot of long discussions about it. But, you know, Jon [Bullard]'s a team guy. Do what he needs to do for the football team. I think that happens, you know. Players always have a perception of what they are, then there's a reality of it. He's come to the realization of reality.
On playing a position a player might not have expected to play…
Well, I think as a player you also mature. I think for Jon [Bullard] as a younger player, they don't, that's not what they perceive themselves to be when they were recruited, and that's not what they really saw themselves as. And then they start to really get into the business side of things and look at things from a business standpoint, 'You know what coach, you're probably right. You've been doing this a long time.' It's no different than Jaylen Watkins. Jaylen Watkins got drafted in the fourth round. Number one because he played well. Number two because he's a good person and a good guy. Number three because he could player corner, he could play nickel, he could play dime, he could play safety. He gave a position variety. Also played special teams. When they look at that spreadsheet and you're justifying to the owner why you're paying this kid this much money because percentage wise he's on the field 38 percent of the time because he's playing defense and special teams. He's also able to be your emergency safety, nickel, dime or corner depending on the other position he's playing. And he's really smart. All it does is help you. There's no drawback being able to do something like that to help you and your career and our football team. So you explain those things to them, and they understand it and that's how he's handled it. He's played extremely well. He played his best game against Georgia last week, and played solid the other night. But he's continued to improve and get better and better.
On Max Garcia's success at center…
Well, that's the toughest position to play on the offensive line, obviously with what you have to do call wise, but then stepping and being able to generate power after a snap on a zero-nose, on a head-up nose guard. But he's done it extremely well. He sees it in practice every day. Max [Garcia] is a really intelligent young man, you all have met him, you all know. Really smart, complete team guy and totally bought into what we need to do to be successful. We came to him and he said, 'I'll do anything you ask me to. Let's go try it.' He is playing at a very, very high level. He is playing extremely well.
On the leadership of Antonio Morrison…
I think number one, his endurance levels. He plays extremely hard on every single snap. He is gutting it out on every single snap. His endurance levels are much better than they've been. I think that goes back to taking care of his body off the field, living the right way, his strength levels are up. He's playing blocks extremely well. It's very difficult for a linebacker when we get an offensive lineman that weighs 315 pounds, releases on you at 220 pounds, 225 or 230 pounds, whatever he is, and you've got to take on a 300-pounder. That's hard to do. He's disengaging, taking on a lot of these guys and making plays after he disengages off an offensive lineman, which he didn't do as well a year ago. Fundamentals and techniques, I think he has been outstanding. He's always been an instinctive guy, but his strength levels are up and he's been able to disengage on blockers much better and make a bunch of plays. I think he has played really well, and I think part of what he said is right. He grew up a little bit. You mature a little bit. You realize your priorities in life and football is really important to him. Well, show me that football is really important by making great decisions, whether it's on the field or off the field. You don't have to live off the field as a tough guy to prove you're a tough competitor on the field because everybody has got great respect for how you compete on the field. There's probably no better respect for anybody in our locker room as far as from a competitive edge standpoint than Antonio [Morrison] and how he plays the game.
On the freshman defensive backs…
Quincy [Wilson] and Jalen [Tabor] I've been very pleased with, what they've done and how they've produced and improved and gotten better all the time. From a mental standpoint, we put a lot more on our safeties. I thought Duke [Dawson] did a great job Saturday communicating and being on the same page with the other safeties, or if we're in a nickel situation with the nickel and the corner to his side. Athletically, Duke is extremely talented. He's like Jaylen Watkins. He can play corner, he can play safety, he can play nickel. But you've got to make sure you're not giving him too much in those situations. We put a lot on our safeties to make calls every single snap based on formation, back set, splits, all of those things. I think he's done a really nice job of coming in during the week, spending extra time with coach [Travaris] Robinson and making sure he knows exactly what we've got to do to be successful. He's got a huge future here at Florida. He's a guy that's going to continue to come on, as will both Quincy and Jalen.
On the wide receivers' blocking falling short at Vanderbilt…
Well, we just had a couple situations where the ball spit out. If we get a body on a body, we got a chance for a big play run. That's what creates explosive plays in the run game. Most of the people we face in our league are going to tackle well in the second level. As a receiver, part of your job is to be able to get a hat on a hat, which we did in the Georgia game. Sometimes we got two of them. We didn't do that as well Saturday night.
On how success of Treon Harris can aid in recruiting…
Regardless of where you're from, anybody who has great success -- on obviously, the quarterback position is different than every other position – can help you. Dante Fowler has helped us a lot in recruiting. I think Jon Bullard and Matt Jones and Demarcus Robinson and Rod Johnson...I think any player who comes wherever they come from and have success in your program on and off the field, that helps you. But certainly the quarterback position, especially from that area, coming here and having success is outstanding.
On Jonathan Bullard helping Antonio Morrison…
No question. In order to play well at linebacker, a lot of it goes back to how they're playing up front. How they're playing blocks. When I talk in terms of playing blocks, we have what we refer to as a “two-fer.” It's a three-technique, the outside shade of the guard. If you demand a double-team, which Jon [Bullard] demands a lot – as does Darious [Cummings] and Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivey -- and you're able to eat the guard and tackle's block and the linebacker is free in the hole to make a tackle, that's a great play by that defensive tackle. That's a two-fer. If you're able to play a shade or a two-I on the back side of a play, and you're able to make the center and the guard block you and it frees up our back side linebacker and he doesn't have to deal with a guy trying to cut him off on the back side, that's a great job. That's a good play by the linebacker, but it's really attributed to the play up front. So there's no question, any good linebacker is going to tell you it starts with those guys up front and how they're playing blocks and if they're keeping guys off the second level. The best offensive line coaches I've been around have always talked in terms of securing the first level to second level; first level being the defensive line, then climbing to the second level as far as linebacker play is concerned. So when you're making them secure that first level because you got some playmakers up there -- here, we have Shariff [Floyd] and Dominique [Easley] and guys that made Jelani [Jenkins] and Jon [Bostic] and Mike [Taylor] and Antonio [Morrison] look really good because of the play up front. No question.
