University of Houston Athletics
Coach Dimel Looks Forward to Contest at Memphis
10/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 29, 2002
HOUSTON -
Coach Dimel sat down with members of the media on Oct. 29 to discuss his team and this week's football contest at Memphis.
Despite a win against Army, improvements must be made
"It was good for us to get a win. I critiqued the film of the Army game to find ways to improve our team defensively. We played well enough to win to win the game, but we didn't play very well defensively against Army. However, I felt we played a solid game offensively. We did a lot of good things on special teams, but we didn't cover the kick as well as we should have."
Looking ahead to Memphis
"Since Memphis throws the ball so effectively, we need to go into this game making certain that we can defend the passing game. With that in mind, however, the most efficient way to stop Memphis is to stop their running game and then force them to throw the ball and create some turnovers. They have two very talented running backs, senior Dante Brown and freshman D'Angelo Williams."
"We need to try and continue to run the football. If we can run the ball well, our passing game will start to open up. At this point, the emphasis is to establish our run game early and to create some big plays in the passing game."
"Memphis has not been good at covering kicks this year. Kick off and punt returns need to be something that we do well in order to have success against Memphis."
"It is important that we win a road game and establish ourselves as a road team. If we can do that this week, I think that will get us back in the conference race. We have three home games out of our next four and that is an encouraging part of our schedule."
Q&A
To what do you attribute the way the C-USA teams have played at home and away this season?
The biggest thing is just maturity across the conference. It has been a great struggle for people to play well on the road. Cincinnati has a good football team, but they haven't played very well on the road. If you don't play well on the road and then happen to stumble at home, you find yourself several games below 500. I am not sure what to attribute it to with Louisville. They had a tough non-conference schedule, but the main thing is that they didn't defend their home court when they played TCU.
Last year Memphis looked good and a lot of people picked them to be the team in the conference this season. In your opinion, why didn't they pan out?
The biggest concern they have up until this point is they have 27 turnovers that led to 87 points. This has given them trouble in trying to gain victories. Not being able to win on the road and losing some home games has put them in the position that they are in now. When you look at the film, they have good wide receivers and running backs, the most experienced offensive line in the conference and a quarterback that has had a lot of success in the past. The biggest problem is their turnovers.
It appears that Memphis has been real successful with their passing game in their last few quarters. Are we doing anything to prepare for that?
We made a decision some time last week about which coverages to use. We are going to try to vary what we do to confuse their quarterback.
Cody Thibodeaux was looking good in practice, are you going to use him this week?
In the last few weeks, Cody has really improved. He is starting to mature and progress. I think if he continues this he will get a chance to get in the game and carry the ball. Right know he is helping us the most on our special teams.
When are the midterm junior college signings?
That happens December 15th. Right now it looks like our numbers may be up to where we can have seven mid-year scholarships. We are looking for two offensive lineman, a defensive lineman, two defensive backs, and possibly a tight end, linebacker or running back.
How do you feel about Nick's progress, now that he has a few consistent starts?
I think he has improved immensely after the first few weeks. Starting three games in a row has allowed him to progress. He played outstanding against Army. He just needs to go through a game without any turnovers. Nick can allow us to run the ball and play-action pass and when we need to drop the ball back we can do that as well.
How important is it to work off the momentum of the Army game?
In this conference you have to find a way to scratch, claw, and fight everyday to get a win. The win against Army has put us right back into the pot. With three of our last four games at home, there are a lot of opportunities for us to succeed in conference.
Does the team understand that we are close to being at the top of C-USA?
I am trying to pound it into their heads and I hope they realize it. This game gives them the opportunity to play in November with a lot riding on every game.
