Oct. 16, 2012

Press Conference Video

Butch Jones Press Conference

10/16/12

Opening statement:

“Good afternoon, just to recap our victory over Fordham and then move on to Toledo. It was a tale of two half’s. I made a statement in here last week that we needed to be a better football team stepping off the football field after the Fordham game; the question was asked in the post game press conference and I said I would take some time to really evaluate the film and after long hours of evaluating the film, I think we did improve in some areas but we didn’t in other areas. I liked how our offense did a great job on the third down. We possessed the football in the second half; we really took control of the line of scrimmage, made the plays having eight plays of twenty yards or more and that is how we generate offense and big chunk plays and doing a really great job in terms of big splash plays. We took care of the football and thought we took some major strides. The things we need to improve on, which I was not particularly happy with, were the performance of our defense especially from out backups. We had a number of individuals who had an opportunity to go in and put their resume on film and the biggest thing we need to improve on is the overall intensity; our mental intensity, our mental energy with the way we approach every single snap with the way we play. We had too many missed tackles on the defense end. The first half, we didn’t get up off the field on the third down and had too many mental errors. What it comes down to is the small detail and inches we talk about it; its third and one and our defense runs a cut play with the tight end coming back to kick the defensive end out. Our defensive end runs up the field to rush the pass and its third down and one and those are the attention to detail, small details and situations in football that we need to continue to improve as a football team. It’s our younger players understanding what it is prepare and to play at an elite level, a high level each and every time they step out on the football field, not just on game day but in practice. It’s our preparation, preparation at the hotel but it’s even from our older players who don’t have a tremendous amount of game situational repetitions that need it, so obviously the intensity needs to increase two fold in everything that we are doing; the way we attack the weak. We go into this week with a tremendous challenge with going to Toledo. They have four big victories over Big 12 opponents, four victories over Big 10 opponents. I am very familiar with their program and very familiar with what it takes to go play on the road there and win a football game. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of effort, energy and focus and paying attention to the small details like running our feet on contact, winning the junction point, getting all blocks, our second level block destruction from our linebackers  and taking care of the football. Fordum came into the game with an excellent game plan and when you think of playing a spread offense you think about temple and quite to the contrary, they were snapping the ball with one and two seconds left in the forty second clock each and every time so our defense is out there waiting for a play to get off and they made our possessions limited. From an offensive stand point what we have to do is make every possession count but also cannot have panic and that’s why we win in the half time because there was no panic. Panic is created at times like half time in how you address your team and how your players react and on a positive note I really liked the way our players responded; we showed great leadership, perseverance and we are going to need that moving forward into this next game.”

On UC’s secondary:

“We are still evolving. We are not where I think we need to be because what it comes down to are the fundamentals and small details; it’s the way we back pedal, arm movement, our break and drive, and overall velocity when we hit, it’s wrapping and running to the football and its technique. The big thing is taking our practice to the field. Every time we step on the practice field we are developing habits; good habits and bad habits and it’s especially the small detail and fundamentals. When everyone looks past defense with the naked eye they look at the back end which starts with the linebackers. There have been a number of times when our linebackers had mental errors and they spit out the backside of our defense in a drag route when a linebacker doesn’t run with him and its third and eighteen and they get a first down. Well against a high level competition, those small details can be catastrophic and that is what we are talking about so therefore, our overall past defense starts first and foremost with the mentality up front that impacts the quarterback. I spoke about it a couple weeks ago; getting a sack isn’t the only way to impact a quarterback, it’s getting hands up in the throwing range and making him reset his feet once he gets rid of the football and just having an overall push up front by creating a sense of urgency within that quarterback. It’s overall a past defensively a past defense; it’s not just our secondary but our line backers and our upfront personnel as well.”

On opposing offense starting strong past 2 games:

“Obviously, we want to start fast but talking about Miami, we knew all but one game they scored on the first possession of their games and a lot of pines, offenses, game plans and script they spend all week studying. I told my players that while you’re sitting in class, while you’re playing x-box, while you’re sleeping, we have five games, your resume is on film, and there are coaches sitting in the dark studying every single move you make; you’re body movement and they are trying to find the weak link like who do we attack and that is something that we need to understand and work to get better each and every day. I think we do need to start fast and what it comes down to is the overall intensity in which we prepare through our body language, our demeanor, the way we tackle and the physicality that we bring each and every day and get back to who we are; we are a blue collared defense that plays exceptionally hard, that doesn’t have any star players, that’s an equation one out of eleven. Every man has to do his job and it may sound like coach speak but it really is what it is. Every defense and every play called has a job description and everyone has to take accountability for their own actions through the way they prepare and that is what loyalty is. We are really challenging our players this week because our overall discipline as a defensive unit and as a football team is going to be challenging Saturday night.”

On Toledo:

“It starts with their players. They have a very experienced offensive line that play exceptionally well with protecting the passer. They mix it up so I think it starts up front. Their collection of skilled athletes may be in the top two or three teams we face all year long. Bernard Reedy is an explosive player, they have running back and the quarterback is doing a great job but it’s not just Reedy at the receiver position. Their skill level is an extremely talented football team and then looking at their scheme; their scheme that they do really falls into the strengths of their players who play an up temple style especially after they generate a first down. They are going to be up and run a play first sound and going to play with an up-temple style so they never allow you to play a great team defense and that’s why each individual has to take accountability for their actions this week. It’s their scheme, it’s their temple and I think it’s their players and they are as a good of a football team offensively that I’ve seen in a very long period of time.”

On the possibility of Saturday being a high scoring game:

“Just looking back at their body of work scoring points we come in with a mindset that obviously we are going to have to score some points. Defensively they are doing a good job by having ten interceptions this year. They are taking the football away defensively. Again, I think this is going to be a game that is going to come down to special teams of big playing special teams and us possessing the ball. We cannot have very many three and outs and its going to be a game of field position. This game is going to really challenge our overall discipline as a football team and how we respond. They are going to get their points and get their yards because that is the nature of their offense and it will ultimately come down to how we respond. We talk about the foundation of our football program; it’s an inning organization and every says its important laying a foundation; well the foundation starts first and foremost with discipline and being a disciplined football team and that is going to be on display Saturday night.”

On UC receivers/offense:

“I’m encouraged because I believe we are number one in the Big East right now in offense, number one in  scoring offense and at the end of the day it’s about scoring points and doing whatever it takes to win football games. I told our team this yesterday is that the byproduct of playing great team defense is that our offense now is putting the defense in bad situations. I like the way we are playing offensively in terms of how we are spreading the football out and our ball distribution has been as good as it’s ever been. Looking at Travis Kelce at the tight end position to our running backs; it’s getting out the ball in different situations and having our receivers complete touches and completions. It’s had actually been very positive with the different number of individuals stepping up. Anthony McClung sits out last week and Danny Milligan steps up and plays a great role in that victory and that was great to see. Our depth right now at the receiver position is as good as it’s ever been since we’ve been here.”

On not having one go to receiver:

“Obviously we need playmakers; I’d like to have three or four Mardy Gilyard’s out there.  But I think that each receiver that we have compliments each other and I think that they are playing to their skill set level and above all else being a former receiver coach usually quite frankly your receivers are your most selfish guys on the football and I think our receivers have really had an unselfish mentality all week.  With Kenbrell Thompkins, there is more than just catching footballs it’s doing the dirty work; its blocking, its having a clear-out route what we call a “buddy route” where you may have a vertical clear and you know that you are not get the football but you are going to dictate whether that play is successful and I think right now they really have an unselfish mentality plus I think that when you have that many capable players it lends itself to competition each and every day in practice and I think we are seeing them improve because of that competition so I like the status right now of our receiving core.”

On Anthony McClung and Drew Frey:

“McClung will play.  Drew Frey will play.  They will be full go full padded today at practice.”

On Alex Chisum and competition:

“I think it’s been healthy, but we’ve challenged Alex because we haven’t seen the sense of urgency from him that he had last year.  We want him to come out and compete in practice as though he has been relegated to second string and have a hunger, and I’m starting to see that now.  I know this about Alex Chisum, he is a very high character individual, two of the greatest parents I have ever been associated with, so I know he is going to get it going. I thought he took a step in the right direction last week, he had a great catch on the vertical route and we are going to need him and I think that competition is healthy. I think that he is just starting now to get that hunger, that competitive drive that he had last year and I just think that he is still a young player he is still going through the everyday process of being a student athlete. But I’m encouraged by what I see and I think you are going to see him step up and even take on a larger role on our offense.”

On Alex Chisum’s progress:

“Just an overall level of consistency though; the way he comes off the football, the way he blocks his man.  And quite simply as a receiver it’s me against you, we call it “got man” it’s me against you and I’m going to keep you away from the pile.  It’s just an overall mentality that we have.  Toledo’s receivers do a great job of blocking; I believe they had three personal fouls last week in their game versus Eastern Michigan, so our corners better understand what they are up against.  I’m slowly seeing a transformation in him, more sense of urgency and I think he is gaining more confidence as he goes. Again you brought up that catch he had, and I thought that was a great play at a critical point in that game as well. It’s an overall maturity stand point and I love Alex, like I said he is one of the highest character individuals that we have on our football team.  But I think lost in this mix is that these are still seventeen to twenty year old young adults working to be adults and they are just like our children they have good days, bad days, different things affect them; they are emotional they fail a test and it means something to them. When you are competitive and want to be the best at everything you do, sometimes those emotions step in and we can’t allow that to happen but it’s an educational process each and every day.  And again not just to take it away from Alex but I think that is the nature of college football; you know I think you see parody and these aren’t professional football players.  They are still young adults; there is more than just football in their lives there are family issues, there is academics, there is girlfriends, there is outside clutter, there are distractions. I think that as fans and as a fan base we all have to keep that in perspective that these are still young adults and we are mentoring them and we are working with them each and every day.”

On if Toledo’s offense is the best UC has faced so far:

“To date, yes, hands down.  I think when you add everything in; their physicality, their skill set of their players, their scheme they do a great job schematically and they keep you on your toes because they give you a little bit something different each and every week.  So hands down this will be the biggest test we have had to date from a defensive standpoint.  And just overall team, you know going on the road and playing in a hostile environment it’s going to be a great atmosphere.  They are already talking about storming the field and so I think it’s going to be a great test for us to go on the road play in a hostile environment on a Saturday night. It’s going to be a great test for us and I’m looking forward to in and I know our players are too.”

On playing in the Glass Bowl:

“It’s a challenging place and having gone there for a few years, Toledo is a great home team and I know their players take great pride of playing in the Glass Bowl, it’s a great home field advantage for them.  That is college football; that’s the challenge of going on the road and winning and great teams can go on the road manage the distractions have a bull’s-eye focus and mentality and win on the road and that’s what it’s going to take.”

On playing two road games in the next two weeks with both teams with a combined one loss:

“Well you already know what I am going to answer, I don’t even know who we play a couple weeks down the road and I mean that.  That’s the focus that we talk about and this game is the most important game because it’s the next. You can never get a head of yourself because it takes so much effort and energy to prepare on a week to week basis to play your best. It’s hard to be up emotionally for a twelve game season and that’s where you have to rely on your training of what you do in the off season, what you do in spring football, and what you do in training camp and you have to go back and rely on your training.  That’s what makes football different is it’s not like baseball or basketball where you have a number of games you work an entire year for twelve opportunities working to get to thirteen and every opportunity is sacred.  This opportunity we have Saturday night is sacred, all our effort energy and focus is on that and if you get a head of yourselves and you look down you let something sneak up and there is not reset button.  You can’t play Playstation and push restart or reset, and you are going to live with this game the rest of your life so that’s why we focus on the now and all we can control is today. I think as a young football team, not to go on with your question, but I think sometimes we get a head of ourselves and we worry about the end result instead of the process.  I said it last week, when we are talking shut out, you can’t have a shutout unless you win that one play then you move on to the next play.  It’s that snap and clear mentality and when you get a head of yourself that’s when negative things start to set in.  You look at motivation; when are most people motivated in life?  When something bad happens and that kind of refocuses them and they buy in.  Why can’t we focus in on the task at hand and put everything we have into that, why does something negative have to happen.  I told our football team this, I wake up every day and I come to work as though we are an 0-5 football team.  And we have to have a hunger and an approach that we are an 0-5 football team, and if you do that, good things are going to happen.  We can’t become infected with success.  Success has to drive us.  Success affects people in different ways, you can become infected with it or you can be to where you want more and you put the throttle down and you work that much harder.  We have to have an 0-5 mentality on this football team.”

On success of football in the state of Ohio:

“Well I think it stems from the high school, the high school products that our programs receive from this great state.  It starts with great coaching and I just think we have great talent in the state of Ohio and for us Northern Kentucky and all the regions that we recruit to.  But I think it’s a by-product of our location of where we are at and we have some very talented football teams collegiately obviously in this area but also again it stems with the high schools.”

On Kevin Brown:

“I just left my office meeting with Kevin Brown. He is a very talented young man, he’s a true freshman and I think his role is going to continue to grow on our defense, but not only on defense but on the special teams game.  I had a long talk with him; with his daily approach and his intensity with which he brings.  We don’t need any energy vampires. You are either a fountain or a drain, everyday.  We just talked about his overall demeanor; how he attacks the day, he is a very prideful young man and we are going to need him down the stretch.  He understands his role and what he needs to do and I think it all stems from practice, the more he improves in practice the more you are going to see him on gameday.”

On Toledo Coach Matt Campbell:

“He is very young and has done a great job. He has a great pedigree; has won everywhere he has gone. It started with Mount Union.  He is very respected in our profession and he has done a great job there.”