Marshall University Athletics
Doc Holliday
Photo by: USA Today Sports Images
Quotes/Notes/Video from October 16 Press Conference
10/17/2018 2:01:00 AM | Football
Information below and right
Opening Statement:
Captains this week will be Ryan Bee and Malik Gant on defense, and Levi Brown and Marcel Williams on offense. Just to recap that game last week real quick, I thought that was our most complete game that we played all year. It is going to be critical that we accomplish that again this week against FAU. As you all know, FAU is an excellent team. They have the Conference USA player of the year (Devin Singletary) back and he is a handful. They also have the preseason defensive player of the year, Azeez Al-Shaair. He is also an excellent player. They have tremendous talent on both sides of the ball. It is going to be a challenge for us that I know our kids are looking forward to and of course our fans as well. I know it will be a great atmosphere here on Saturday afternoon.
On Singletary:
I am not sure I have seen a tape yet that someone has brought him down one on one. The thing is, you get him in the backfield and he just breaks tackles. He is just so powerful for how big he is. You hardly see anyone bring him down with just one person. It is important to make sure we get him on the ground. The crazy thing is they put (Kerrith Whyte) in there and he isn't much different. They have two excellent backs that can make the plays.
On FAU's offense:
(Harrison Bryant) is about 6-5 or 6-6 and he creates problems. Durante, of course, just joined them. He is an NFL guy who can really stretch the field. When you add the tight ends and Durante in there with the ability to run the football, they create a lot of issues defensively. I thought our guys had a lot of issues going into that game a week ago and now it is almost totally opposite. Now we have to find out how to get the run game stopped in addition to being able to take vertical throws from Durant and stopping Wright in the slot. Anytime you have an offense that is good with a running back, a receiver that can stretch the field, and a slot that can make plays, you're successful. They have all three of those guys.
On Marshall's run defense:
We have done a great job this year as far as stopping the run is concerned. That was the challenge last week, to unload the box and still be able to stop the run and take away the vertical throws. The vertical throws were usually where ODU was finding their yards. We were able to stop it a week ago, but I don't think you'll be able to unload the box against these guys with what Singletary is able to do so we'll see.
On Tyler King:
He has gotten better every week, as our team has. I think Tyler is starting to settle in. Here three weeks ago we were talking about how we couldn't run the ball but now we are here talking about how we can't throw it. At the end of the day, I think our offensive line stepped up when they had to the last couple of weeks and we've done a better job of running the football. I keep saying you can't be one dimensional and maybe that is a little misunderstood. When I am talking about that, I am talking about being able to take what the defense gives you. If the box is loaded you have to be able to throw it and if the box is unloaded you have to be able to run it at times. And if the box is unloaded the entire game then, possibly, you are going to run it more a little more than you throw it. I thought our kids did a good job at executing that against ODU last week and we are going to have to do that again this week against FAU.
On King's touchdown celebration:
I was okay up to about the one yard line and then I was not really happy with Tyler at that point. That was conveyed to him multiple times throughout the last three days and it will be conveyed against today. We do not practice that, by the way. I don't think you have ever seen that in practice have you?
On unsportsmanlike penalties:
That was the message immediately after the game and we haven't had that. At the end of the day, had he started that deal at the one yard line that ball could have been penalized and brought back to the 16 yard line for first and 10. That touchdown could have been taken off the board and in a critical situation or a tight game, it could cost you the game. Of course that was relayed to them after the game and it won't happen again. Years ago, (Randy) Moss threw the ball over to McDonald's, I guess. That being said, kids are kids sometimes. That happens sometimes, we just have to make sure it gets corrected.
On Marshall's running backs:
I think we are getting Keion (Davis) back today and that's a positive, so we'll add him to the mix. However, there is no doubt that (Tyler King and Anthony Anderson) bring something different to the table and both played really well.
On Singletary:
Singletary is a tremendous back. He is probably a guy you will see in the NFL this time next year. We will have to do a great job at getting hats on him, wrapping him up and getting multiple guys to him because he's a hard guy to bring down.
On turnovers from last year's FAU game:
I think this time last week we were talking about the one thing we have to do is eliminate turnovers. That was one thing we did at the ODU game. I think we were plus one in that game, as far as turnover margin is concerned. Playing a team like FAU, we better be plus in the turnover margin or you probably aren't going to have a shot to win. You take away those four turnovers in that particular game and we probably had a chance to win. If it wasn't for the onside kick and the fake punt, we probably weren't in that game with the four turnovers. That being said, it kept us in the game but we still need to eliminate those things. (Robert LeFevre) has to punt the ball like he did last Saturday and play great special teams and take care of the ball on offense. Also, we have to find a way to get those guys stopped from a defensive standpoint.
On Alex Thomson:
I told you last week that we started to see him settle in during the Middle Tennessee game. I thought he got in that game and got even better. I expect him to be even better this week.
On FAU's defense:
If you look at some of the teams that are scoring on them, Oklahoma and UCF are tremendous offensively. Sometimes early on in the season or even up to the halfway point, stats can be misleading. You line up against Oklahoma or UCF that will score 40 or 50 at times and stats can get skewed a little big. However, there is no question that they are very athletic. All of the linebackers and the secondary is really athletic. The have big defensive ends. They have really good players on that side of the ball. A year ago they did create a lot of turnovers and, unfortunately, we had some against them that we have to eliminate this year. They are very talented though, whether it be the back end or the front seven, so it will be a challenge for us.
On Malik Gant:
He is as good a tackler as I've ever been around. Just watch the way he practices. He goes to work every day. He practices just like he plays on Saturdays. He is just a great kid who loves football.
Captains this week will be Ryan Bee and Malik Gant on defense, and Levi Brown and Marcel Williams on offense. Just to recap that game last week real quick, I thought that was our most complete game that we played all year. It is going to be critical that we accomplish that again this week against FAU. As you all know, FAU is an excellent team. They have the Conference USA player of the year (Devin Singletary) back and he is a handful. They also have the preseason defensive player of the year, Azeez Al-Shaair. He is also an excellent player. They have tremendous talent on both sides of the ball. It is going to be a challenge for us that I know our kids are looking forward to and of course our fans as well. I know it will be a great atmosphere here on Saturday afternoon.
On Singletary:
I am not sure I have seen a tape yet that someone has brought him down one on one. The thing is, you get him in the backfield and he just breaks tackles. He is just so powerful for how big he is. You hardly see anyone bring him down with just one person. It is important to make sure we get him on the ground. The crazy thing is they put (Kerrith Whyte) in there and he isn't much different. They have two excellent backs that can make the plays.
On FAU's offense:
(Harrison Bryant) is about 6-5 or 6-6 and he creates problems. Durante, of course, just joined them. He is an NFL guy who can really stretch the field. When you add the tight ends and Durante in there with the ability to run the football, they create a lot of issues defensively. I thought our guys had a lot of issues going into that game a week ago and now it is almost totally opposite. Now we have to find out how to get the run game stopped in addition to being able to take vertical throws from Durant and stopping Wright in the slot. Anytime you have an offense that is good with a running back, a receiver that can stretch the field, and a slot that can make plays, you're successful. They have all three of those guys.
On Marshall's run defense:
We have done a great job this year as far as stopping the run is concerned. That was the challenge last week, to unload the box and still be able to stop the run and take away the vertical throws. The vertical throws were usually where ODU was finding their yards. We were able to stop it a week ago, but I don't think you'll be able to unload the box against these guys with what Singletary is able to do so we'll see.
On Tyler King:
He has gotten better every week, as our team has. I think Tyler is starting to settle in. Here three weeks ago we were talking about how we couldn't run the ball but now we are here talking about how we can't throw it. At the end of the day, I think our offensive line stepped up when they had to the last couple of weeks and we've done a better job of running the football. I keep saying you can't be one dimensional and maybe that is a little misunderstood. When I am talking about that, I am talking about being able to take what the defense gives you. If the box is loaded you have to be able to throw it and if the box is unloaded you have to be able to run it at times. And if the box is unloaded the entire game then, possibly, you are going to run it more a little more than you throw it. I thought our kids did a good job at executing that against ODU last week and we are going to have to do that again this week against FAU.
On King's touchdown celebration:
I was okay up to about the one yard line and then I was not really happy with Tyler at that point. That was conveyed to him multiple times throughout the last three days and it will be conveyed against today. We do not practice that, by the way. I don't think you have ever seen that in practice have you?
On unsportsmanlike penalties:
That was the message immediately after the game and we haven't had that. At the end of the day, had he started that deal at the one yard line that ball could have been penalized and brought back to the 16 yard line for first and 10. That touchdown could have been taken off the board and in a critical situation or a tight game, it could cost you the game. Of course that was relayed to them after the game and it won't happen again. Years ago, (Randy) Moss threw the ball over to McDonald's, I guess. That being said, kids are kids sometimes. That happens sometimes, we just have to make sure it gets corrected.
On Marshall's running backs:
I think we are getting Keion (Davis) back today and that's a positive, so we'll add him to the mix. However, there is no doubt that (Tyler King and Anthony Anderson) bring something different to the table and both played really well.
On Singletary:
Singletary is a tremendous back. He is probably a guy you will see in the NFL this time next year. We will have to do a great job at getting hats on him, wrapping him up and getting multiple guys to him because he's a hard guy to bring down.
On turnovers from last year's FAU game:
I think this time last week we were talking about the one thing we have to do is eliminate turnovers. That was one thing we did at the ODU game. I think we were plus one in that game, as far as turnover margin is concerned. Playing a team like FAU, we better be plus in the turnover margin or you probably aren't going to have a shot to win. You take away those four turnovers in that particular game and we probably had a chance to win. If it wasn't for the onside kick and the fake punt, we probably weren't in that game with the four turnovers. That being said, it kept us in the game but we still need to eliminate those things. (Robert LeFevre) has to punt the ball like he did last Saturday and play great special teams and take care of the ball on offense. Also, we have to find a way to get those guys stopped from a defensive standpoint.
On Alex Thomson:
I told you last week that we started to see him settle in during the Middle Tennessee game. I thought he got in that game and got even better. I expect him to be even better this week.
On FAU's defense:
If you look at some of the teams that are scoring on them, Oklahoma and UCF are tremendous offensively. Sometimes early on in the season or even up to the halfway point, stats can be misleading. You line up against Oklahoma or UCF that will score 40 or 50 at times and stats can get skewed a little big. However, there is no question that they are very athletic. All of the linebackers and the secondary is really athletic. The have big defensive ends. They have really good players on that side of the ball. A year ago they did create a lot of turnovers and, unfortunately, we had some against them that we have to eliminate this year. They are very talented though, whether it be the back end or the front seven, so it will be a challenge for us.
On Malik Gant:
He is as good a tackler as I've ever been around. Just watch the way he practices. He goes to work every day. He practices just like he plays on Saturdays. He is just a great kid who loves football.
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