University of Houston Athletics
Cougar Football Weekly Press Conference
10/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2010
HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin
On the improvement of the defense being able to force turnovers
"We played the same scheme. Statistically we were better against Rice, as far as yards and things like that. It gets down to what I talked about last week. We were below 50 percent on third down conversions on defense, which is not stellar, but it is an improvement. We were 67 percent on offense on third down. We were efficient with the ball. Statistically, both sides we were better against Rice, but we didn't win the game (Rice). There were plays against SMU that we made in that game at critical moments, particularly on third down. Penalties didn't stop drives and we didn't turn the ball over. That's why we won."
On the adjustments during the season
"We've got to deal with our team. How we prepare is as important as who we play. That is not disrespectful to our opponents. It is where we are right now with a team that is trying to redefine itself. I know for our fans it is frustrating. I know for a lot of people outside it is frustrating. It is frustrating for our team. Reality is as of three weeks ago we have a new team. New quarterback, new defensive line, new players and new leaders. Anytime you take away probably your best players on both sides of the ball during the middle of the year (QB Case Keenum and NT Matangi Tonga), you have got to try to as coaches, try to fill that void as quickly as you can. You can fill it physically, but you have to be able to fill it with some leadership. To lose those two guys in the middle of the year is tough. But you have to be able to fill that void, and we are still working on that. By no means are we a finished product. This is a work in progress. It is not disrespectful to our opponents, but we are spending more time on ourselves and our preparation and developing who we are, because our identity has changed. With that, some players have to step out of their comfort zone and be leaders in critical situations. The only way to do that is in games. So we could practice all we want, but unless your are under fire and there are no coaches around and you're in those situations, that's the only experience that will help you with. Did we make some steps last week, yes. Are we there, no. We can only handle one week at a time and we need to be able to handle it a day at a time."
On Memphis
"They are a well-coached team. I've got a lot of respect for Larry Porter. There are a lot of guys on that staff that I have either worked with or know. Anybody who saw them in their stadium last year knows they are an East-side (C-USA) looking team. They are big, athletic and really trying to put it all together in a new system. They are explosive in the return game, their kick return game especially. Really kind of similar to last week in that stage. They have had a bye week. They have changed some guys around. Moved some guys to offense, probably trying to generate more offense. Moved a guy from linebacker to running back. With a bye week, just like us, it is a week to get better, particularly with a freshman quarterback and, hone in on what you are going to see that week. We are going to have to be ready to go. They will be ready to go after a week off and practicing, really having a chance to work against our looks that we have shown. We are going to have to get on the road, work fast and handle whatever comes at us early. Usually after a bye week you can expect something different. You can expect some trick plays. You can expect fakes or something like that in the special teams. We can't be tentative anymore, we have to go out and play on edge, but we have got to be smart in how we do it.
On Sammy Brown
"It is about the right time, (to make progress) game six as a junior college player midway through his first major year of major college football. He is starting to play the way he played when he first got on campus. Usually what happens when you recruit a junior college player, and in our situation, we don't recruit junior college players for depth, we see them as free agent signings. We recruit junior college players to come in here and start. There are two types of guys. There is a January guy, and then there is a June guy. We, just like every other program, would like to have a guy join our program in January so he goes through the winter conditioning, gets with coach (Larry) Jackson and goes through spring football. What you usually see is the athleticism, everything that you recruited the first two days of spring practice. Then as the defenses start to get put in and things start to change he disappears because now it is more than just "sick-em" football. There are pass protections, blitzes, there is "if this guy goes this way and if this guy goes this way" and you have to slow down. You get to two-a-days and it usually starts out the same way. Then as we get into preparation, school starts, and all kinds of other stuff happens and they kind of start to level out. I told him a week ago that he screwed up, because (by playing well) everybody has seen what he is capable of. He started that against Rice, and that is the expectation now. He said he is fine with that. He is starting to come on. He understands how to play with leverage. We understand his pass-rush ability more now, what he can and can't do. I look for him to get better and better as the season goes on."
On Matangi Tonga's injury
"He is doing good. We see this week. He looks pretty good, but you know how that is. I'm not a doctor, so to me he looks great. He looks really good. Based on our doctors he is on schedule, and that is standard. Three to four weeks, which is amazing. He is riding the bike, starting to run around a bit and the thing that happens in that deal is you have to first worry about getting strength back, which scopes are good for. Obviously now you have to get back in to football shape."
On Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes as a running back duo
"These two guys are playing as well as anybody on our team right now. They are really complementary players. This week they played hard for each other without the ball in their hand. They did a good job of blocking. It is very gratifying as a coach to be able to see guys like that at the same position that actually enjoy playing the game and playing together. One of the great pictures I saw off the TV copy was off of the last touchdown when Michael Hayes scored, the picture of Bryce running down there being one of the first guys to meet him at the bench. It is a learning process. I could not be prouder or happier with the way Bryce Beall has handled this year. How he has comeback and matured not only as a player but as a person. His ability to lead by example, say "come on, let's go." His ability to take in a guy who basically got here in the week of two-a-days, couldn't practice cause he was still getting his paper work processed. Coach (Clarence) McKinney does a great job with our running backs. We have had back-to-back Newcomers of the Year, the last two years and with Mike coming here it takes more than a coach, it takes players. Mike is a guy that didn't say a word for three weeks. We would just hand him the ball and he ran, and he got the respect of our players. He has been accepted. Those two guys are not real big guys, but they run extremely hard. They play the game the way it is supposed to be played. They have really made a statement to our whole football team that no matter what happens we can get it done. That is important."
