Marshall University Athletics
Quotes from Doc Holliday's Oct. 21 Press Conference
10/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game Notes vs. Florida Atlantic
On Saturday's game against FAU:
Our captains for this week are Eric Frohnapfel and Clint Van Horn on offense and Jarquez Samuel, this is the first time for Jarquez, and Corey Tindal on defense. It is going to be a good game. It is going to be critical that these guys do a great job this week in practice, which I am sure they will along with all the captains because you have to have a great week of practice. That Florida Atlantic team is a very athletic team. They got a lot of guys back from a year ago that their defense led the conference. Their quarterback, Jaquez Johnson, he is a pain in the neck. He can run it, he can throw it, and I am sounding like a broken record because it seems like we get that type of thing every week. He is a hard guy to tackle and get on the ground. They have a receiver named Lucky Whitehead, who's leading the conference in receptions, all-purpose yardage. He is a big time punt returner, kick returner. He is a guy that we have to know where he is because he can score from anywhere on the field. He did against Alabama. He did against Western this past weekend. He is a really good player. I have said many times, anytime you're located in Boca or Miami and all the players around them, they are going to have really good players. They are athletic and can run. We are going to have our hands full. Again, the game will not be won on Saturday but the game will be won by the way you prepare this week. We have to do a great job Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and continue our mental preparation until Saturday at 3:30. That's where we are.
On Jaquez Johnson:
There's no question. He had over 600 total yards and total offense in that game. They were down at half and they were able to rally back during the second half and score a bunch of points. He is a good player. We know going in. We had problems a year ago, so we know exactly what we are getting into. They made quarterback runs that he executes well. He can also throw it. Like, I said, they have some skilled guys. Those wide-outs are really good along with Whitehead so they have a really good offensive team. I thought last year, he (Johnson) made all the throws. If you remember going into our game last year, he just had a tremendous game coming off of UAB, I think, where he just lit it up a year ago. He probably played his best game this week against Western. He is a good player. We thought that a year ago, and he was. Our opinions haven't changed this year. He is going to be a handful. Anytime you have a guy who can beat you with his feet back there, they have designated power runs for him. They have quarterback power in their offense that are designed runs. Then again, if he is pressured he can also get out of the pocket and make throws down the field. Anytime you get a quarterback, and it seems like around the country, people are recruiting guys who can beat you with their feet to get out of trouble and out of pressure and that type of thing. He is dangerous. Not only can he run it but he does a good job at keeping his eyes down the field on the open receivers. He does a good job taking care of the football. He is a good football player. We knew that a year ago and he was. Unfortunately, he didn't disappoint us. We have to make sure our guys do a great job of, number one, containing him and, number two, when you tackle him you better wrap him up. When you tackle him it is not like tackling a quarterback but it is like tackling a fullback with the ball in his hands. We have to do a great job of getting him on the ground. He has a great lower body. He is bigger now than he was a year ago, to be honest. He has extremely strong legs. He ran through us a year ago when we were trying to get him on the ground. I've seen him running through people this year. He hasn't changed. He is probably a little stronger because he is a year older.
On FAU last year vs. this year:
They had a different coach and a different team so I don't if they will worry about last year. They will have them prepared. They will do a great job. I know Charlie (Partridge) will do a great job in making sure they will be prepared. They will play extremely hard, we know that. So, we need to make sure that we do too.
On FAU's ability to stay in games and come back from deficits:
They have done that several times. They came back against UTSA and took the last drive down there to win. They know how to win. They are well-prepared. They play extremely hard. They are in great shape, evidently, because they do a great job coming back in the second half. They have athletes everywhere. They won six games a year ago and were bowl-eligible and most of those guys are back. Again, they have good players. Anytime, you have good players, who are coached extremely well then they are going to be a good team.
On Lucky Whitehead:
I've seen it. He just ran away from everybody. It was a jailbreak screen, where he came back inside and he caught it. He ran away from Alabama, too. He has some pretty good guys chasing him. He can run. He is having a tremendous year. He leads this conference in all-purpose yardage as a punt returner and kick returner and leads the conference in receptions. They make an effort to get the ball in his hands and, after seeing him play, I can see why. They just try to find ways to make sure that he gets touches throughout the game. They do a good job of giving him the ball. Like, I said he is a tremendous player. We have to make sure we do a great job of getting him on the ground when he gets the ball in his hands.
On Jarquez Samuel:
When defensive linemen are in the weight room, they are going to work hard. Sometimes, defensive linemen take a little longer to develop. He started to come around last year in fall camp. He just continues to get better and better. He is just playing at a really high level right now. We challenged him and (Joe) Massaquoi, Steve Dillon, and Armonze Daniel a little over a year ago. All four of those guys have met our challenge and are playing really well for us. Again, those defensive linemen tend to develop a little later than other kids. Jarquez has become a really good player. His mental toughness. Defensive line is not a whole lot of fun. You get beat up every day in practice and you are constantly pounding on each other. It is fun on game day when you get a chance to go in there and play. But there is a lot of work that goes into it through the week. Those guys have to be mentally tough to go through our practices with J.C. (Price) and Sean (Cronin). Just his mental toughness. He goes to work every day and practice every day and it is just paying off.
