Marshall University Athletics
Quotes/Notes/Video from Doc Holliday's October 8 Press Conference
10/8/2019 4:55:00 PM | Football
Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Opening statement:
As you know, this Old Dominion team is completely different than what it was a year ago. A year ago, they were throwing it all over the place with a couple of NFL receivers. This year, they are totally the opposite. They have one of the top two defenses in our league. They are not giving up a lot of points. It will be a tremendous challenge. We have to be ready to go.
On ODU's defense:
They've taken a tight end (Keion White) and moved him to defensive end. He's about 6'6", 270 pounds. They had an NFL draft pick there last year and this kid is playing better, to be honest. They've done a nice job of getting personnel in the right fits. The defensive coordinator (David Blackwell) was at East Carolina a year ago and he's done a nice job (at ODU). They have a lot of new faces in the secondary who do a good job of tackling in space. They've played Virginia, Virginia Tech and some good people. Stat-wise, they've held up against those guys. They were leading Virginia (17-7) at the half. Virginia came back and beat them but they've played everyone tough.
On ODU quarterback Stone Smartt:
He's a bigger kid than what we've played against. He's longer, taller and had tremendous stats coming out of the JUCO ranks. He can run with the football. They like to get him out on the perimeter where he can create some of the issues that we've had the last couple of weeks with quarterback runs and that type of thing.
On Marshall's offense struggling with turnovers, finishing drives at Middle Tennessee:
That's the frustrating part of it. If you look at our plan to win, the two things we have on that board offensively are, number one, take care of the football and, number two, score in the red zone. If you take care of those two things offensively, the points take care of themselves. I don't think I've ever been a part of a game where you gain 578 yards and the quarterback has (460) yards of total offense himself and you score one touchdown. We have to do a better job in the red zone and we have to take care of the football. We'll work hard on getting those two things improved this week because it wasn't an issue moving the football. It was an issue scoring once we got down there. And when you get down there, you have to get touchdowns, not field goals. We didn't get that done and have to get better at doing that.
On Marshall:
Just go be yourself. Your best you will be good enough. We talk all the time about being consistent on the field and off. Don't try to be anything else. We work on interceptions every Thursday. When you get an opportunity to make a play, you have to go do it. You've heard me say it many times, it's called competitive excellence. When your number is called to go make a play, that's what you have to do. The only thing this team (Marshall) is a win. I have tremendous kids. They are an unbelievable bunch. They are great kids who work extremely hard. They'll have a great Tuesday practice and get prepared for an Old Dominion team coming in on Saturday.
On Tavante Beckett:
He's a guy who brings a lot of energy. He makes a lot of plays. He's a guy who plays extremely hard who hadn't played a lot of football, to be honest. He gets better every week and that will have to continue Saturday.
More on Marshall:
All our guys need to be energized for this team coming into here. We have to find a way to get a win. These kids will find a way to play extremely well and to work hard this week. They'll be ready to play.
On Marshall's offensive struggles in the red zone:
It's extremely disappointing. We spend a lot of time working on the red zone and we just didn't get it done. We have to go back to work to get that done. When you get down there, you have to score points, especially touchdowns. We've been pretty good at it in the past but were not good at it last week. Old Dominion plays really good defense in the score zone/red zone as well. You just have to look at the stats against the people they've played. They've done a good job down there.
On Isaiah Green:
Right now, we feel like he gives us our best chance to win. When you look at his four turnovers, and don't get me wrong, one turnover is too many … he'll work to get that fixed. On the first turnover, the receiver ran the wrong route. Sometimes when those things happen, it isn't all on him but he's responsible for it. On the last one, he was just trying to throw it up and make a play. If you eliminate those two, you have two others that are still two too many. You can't have any. He'll work to get that fixed. He takes great pride in what he does. Football is important to him. He'll bounce back and I think he'll play great on Saturday.
More on Marshall:
We just have to play better. Score in the red zone, don't turn the ball over. Follow the plan to win. We talk all of the time … it starts with playing great defense. We also have to play great special teams. The special teams was kind of a wash Saturday. We didn't make a big play in special teams … nothing really happened either way … at some point you have to go make a play. We had an opportunity where a guy came free to block a punt and we didn't get it done. If you get your hand on that punt and take it the other way for a touchdown, it can change that game so we just have to keep playing. We'll be all right. I like this team a lot. All it needs is a win and we have to find a way Saturday to walk out of here with one.
On ODU's defensive approach:
You watch the way they play, they're going to take away the run. They're going to put eight in the box and force you to throw the ball. That's what they've done to everyone else, and I'm sure we won't be any different.
On Saturday's game:
It's two teams looking for a win. Bobby's (Wilder) probably having the same conversation in his press conference that I am now. We'll go play Saturday and see what happens. I'm sure his kids are saying the same thing. They're playing really well on defense. They have to score more points on offense and are probably saying the same thing I am about having to score more in the red zone. WKU turned it over to them in the score zone twice and they didn't stick it in the end zone.
On Marshall's tight ends:
We're getting a lot of production out of those guys. If you look at the number of targets, catches and touchdowns those guys have, it's been one or most productive positions out there. We have to continue to get that done.
On Marshall's wideouts:
Talik (Keaton) made a couple of nice plays there. Broc Thompson is also just a freshman but is starting to come along. Those guys have to step up and grow up quick. But no doubt, we'd like to see more production out of those guys and continue to be able to run the football with (Brenden) Knox and Sheldon (Evans).
As you know, this Old Dominion team is completely different than what it was a year ago. A year ago, they were throwing it all over the place with a couple of NFL receivers. This year, they are totally the opposite. They have one of the top two defenses in our league. They are not giving up a lot of points. It will be a tremendous challenge. We have to be ready to go.
On ODU's defense:
They've taken a tight end (Keion White) and moved him to defensive end. He's about 6'6", 270 pounds. They had an NFL draft pick there last year and this kid is playing better, to be honest. They've done a nice job of getting personnel in the right fits. The defensive coordinator (David Blackwell) was at East Carolina a year ago and he's done a nice job (at ODU). They have a lot of new faces in the secondary who do a good job of tackling in space. They've played Virginia, Virginia Tech and some good people. Stat-wise, they've held up against those guys. They were leading Virginia (17-7) at the half. Virginia came back and beat them but they've played everyone tough.
On ODU quarterback Stone Smartt:
He's a bigger kid than what we've played against. He's longer, taller and had tremendous stats coming out of the JUCO ranks. He can run with the football. They like to get him out on the perimeter where he can create some of the issues that we've had the last couple of weeks with quarterback runs and that type of thing.
On Marshall's offense struggling with turnovers, finishing drives at Middle Tennessee:
That's the frustrating part of it. If you look at our plan to win, the two things we have on that board offensively are, number one, take care of the football and, number two, score in the red zone. If you take care of those two things offensively, the points take care of themselves. I don't think I've ever been a part of a game where you gain 578 yards and the quarterback has (460) yards of total offense himself and you score one touchdown. We have to do a better job in the red zone and we have to take care of the football. We'll work hard on getting those two things improved this week because it wasn't an issue moving the football. It was an issue scoring once we got down there. And when you get down there, you have to get touchdowns, not field goals. We didn't get that done and have to get better at doing that.
On Marshall:
Just go be yourself. Your best you will be good enough. We talk all the time about being consistent on the field and off. Don't try to be anything else. We work on interceptions every Thursday. When you get an opportunity to make a play, you have to go do it. You've heard me say it many times, it's called competitive excellence. When your number is called to go make a play, that's what you have to do. The only thing this team (Marshall) is a win. I have tremendous kids. They are an unbelievable bunch. They are great kids who work extremely hard. They'll have a great Tuesday practice and get prepared for an Old Dominion team coming in on Saturday.
On Tavante Beckett:
He's a guy who brings a lot of energy. He makes a lot of plays. He's a guy who plays extremely hard who hadn't played a lot of football, to be honest. He gets better every week and that will have to continue Saturday.
More on Marshall:
All our guys need to be energized for this team coming into here. We have to find a way to get a win. These kids will find a way to play extremely well and to work hard this week. They'll be ready to play.
On Marshall's offensive struggles in the red zone:
It's extremely disappointing. We spend a lot of time working on the red zone and we just didn't get it done. We have to go back to work to get that done. When you get down there, you have to score points, especially touchdowns. We've been pretty good at it in the past but were not good at it last week. Old Dominion plays really good defense in the score zone/red zone as well. You just have to look at the stats against the people they've played. They've done a good job down there.
On Isaiah Green:
Right now, we feel like he gives us our best chance to win. When you look at his four turnovers, and don't get me wrong, one turnover is too many … he'll work to get that fixed. On the first turnover, the receiver ran the wrong route. Sometimes when those things happen, it isn't all on him but he's responsible for it. On the last one, he was just trying to throw it up and make a play. If you eliminate those two, you have two others that are still two too many. You can't have any. He'll work to get that fixed. He takes great pride in what he does. Football is important to him. He'll bounce back and I think he'll play great on Saturday.
More on Marshall:
We just have to play better. Score in the red zone, don't turn the ball over. Follow the plan to win. We talk all of the time … it starts with playing great defense. We also have to play great special teams. The special teams was kind of a wash Saturday. We didn't make a big play in special teams … nothing really happened either way … at some point you have to go make a play. We had an opportunity where a guy came free to block a punt and we didn't get it done. If you get your hand on that punt and take it the other way for a touchdown, it can change that game so we just have to keep playing. We'll be all right. I like this team a lot. All it needs is a win and we have to find a way Saturday to walk out of here with one.
On ODU's defensive approach:
You watch the way they play, they're going to take away the run. They're going to put eight in the box and force you to throw the ball. That's what they've done to everyone else, and I'm sure we won't be any different.
On Saturday's game:
It's two teams looking for a win. Bobby's (Wilder) probably having the same conversation in his press conference that I am now. We'll go play Saturday and see what happens. I'm sure his kids are saying the same thing. They're playing really well on defense. They have to score more points on offense and are probably saying the same thing I am about having to score more in the red zone. WKU turned it over to them in the score zone twice and they didn't stick it in the end zone.
On Marshall's tight ends:
We're getting a lot of production out of those guys. If you look at the number of targets, catches and touchdowns those guys have, it's been one or most productive positions out there. We have to continue to get that done.
On Marshall's wideouts:
Talik (Keaton) made a couple of nice plays there. Broc Thompson is also just a freshman but is starting to come along. Those guys have to step up and grow up quick. But no doubt, we'd like to see more production out of those guys and continue to be able to run the football with (Brenden) Knox and Sheldon (Evans).
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