University of Houston Athletics
Sumlin Meets the Press
10/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2010
Head Coach Kevin Sumlin
On replacing James Cleveland
"Justin Johnson, right now, has been the primary replacement. He has done a lot for this football team, filling in at a lot of areas. He is a very versatile player. Kenneth Bibbins, Jr. has played a lot this year. He has played in every game. I look for those two to pick up the slack. And the statement (regarding his suspension) I made was it is for this game. As he (James Cleveland) continues to handle business this week. Then I would look forward to seeing him next week."
On Mississippi State
"Mississippi State provides us with a chance to step out of our league and play an SEC team. With that comes some big fast guys. It starts with their head coach Dan Mullen, who I have a tremendous respect for. A really good coach. A guy who has been successful, knows how to build programs. (He has) worked with Urban (Meyer) ever since Notre Dame, at Bowling Green, at Utah, and building (a program) at Florida. They are in year two and you can see what they are doing offensively and how they have come on.
They lost to Auburn by three points. Anyone who has seen Auburn play knows they are a good football team. They have played LSU and blew out Memphis
They are a big, fast and talented defense. You look at their linebacker core and they are all seniors. They are probably the strength of their football team right now. (Chris) White and (K.J.) Wright are excellent college players, obviously pro prospects. They have big, strong and fast guys, 6-4, 240-pound and 250-pound guys that can do a lot of damage. They are an SEC, big, physical football team.
They have an added dimension this year. That is their defense. I have tremendous respect for Manny Diaz. Obviously he did a great job at Middle Tennessee last year. Anybody who watched them play, watched the bowl game against Southern Miss, saw his ability to create confusion with his blitz packages. Chris Wilson, who is a guy I have worked with at Oklahoma. They bring some attitude and that's the difference in the way they do things now.
They are in year two of what they are doing offensively. They are a better football team than a year ago. It's going to be a challenge for us and having been on the field with them last year our guys understand what we are getting in to. Based on practice yesterday these guys are excited to play."
On the naming of a starting quarterback
"I said on Sunday that we are going to go through the week and name one on Saturday."
On the team having to prove something
"I don't think any program is ever outside of trying to prove something. That is never going to happen. I watched a game Saturday in the Cotton Bowl (University of Texas vs. Oklahoma University) where both teams still had to prove something and they have won as many games as anyone in the country. That's what college football is all about. Every week that you play, no matter who you play against, you are going to have to prove something. Whether we win this game Saturday or not, we will still have to prove something the next week because we are going to have to beat Rice. So nobody's ever beyond proving anything. I cant speak for anyone else. In our situation, just like everybody else, you have to prove each week where you are and who you are. That comes with winning and losing, and or how your team performs."
On issues about getting ready for a non-conference game
"We approach each week as an opportunity. Our guys should be the most excited team to play on Saturday. If we are the most excited team to play on Saturday then, first of all, that gives you a chance. You watch a lot of games where teams just don't look like that. I know our first year was not that case. Even looking back at UCLA we scored first so we were excited early and they did some things to take the excitement out of us. As long as we continue to do that (be the most exciting) and realize where we are in opportunities with this being opportunity number five. We are only guaranteed 12, we are playing for the right for 13 and 14. They are all important because you have so few of them. If you look at it that way, one (game) is not more important than the other one. From a fans standpoint, people value things differently, people think this game is more important than next week's. We have found out, the more you win the more important the next game is."
On the challenges he faces in tailoring his game plan for each quarterback on their strengths and weaknesses
"Nothing will change, it's not going to be any different no matter who we put out there."
"That's just how we do things. It's kind of a catch-22. We could put more runs in there for them. Case (Keenum) was a running guy before he got here, but the catch is that when you run guys, they get hit. We work a lot on sliding, but obviously they don't want to do that. You don't want to expose your guys too much because we're running out of them. Let's be honest, it's a great idea to let the guys use their legs and move the chains, but how much of that do you want us to do. We've got to be smart with what we do. Our guys (David Piland and Terrance Broadway) can both move very well, both of them are excellent in the pocket. The grasp of the offense becomes the key. I've seen both of them push each other very well. They both came here to play."
On the possibility of new faces getting some playing time this Saturday
"We haven't really made any changes. I think that Thomas Bates, moving in behind Jamal (Robinson), practiced extremely well last week. I think Jamal accepted that competition. I think Thomas getting more reps has put him in position for our coaching staff to get him in there if Jamal can't get it consistently done. I don't think that was a problem beforehand. I think a lot of times - like with sacks - a lot of people think that if someone gives up sacks that it's the line's fault and it's not always that way."
On reasons behind the home-win streak
"I think it's a combination of a lot of things. I think it's the energy in our stadium, I think it's how our guys do things. Since we've been here the advantage has grown, like attendance. I think it's a combination of all those things. I think our guys are comfortable here also. From year one until now, the electricity in the stadium has really, really helped us."
On who will pick up the offense in the absence of WR James Cleveland
"It surprises you all the time. This team has faced adversity since we've been here. There's a bunch of guys that went through a hurricane during year one, and they stuck together. A few weeks later, Patrick Edwards breaks his leg and then comes back and has a thousand yards receiving. Tyrone Carrier had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and has played three years of football, Bryce Beall has been (C-USA) Player of the Year. We've got some additions in there, and I think we've got plenty of guys on offense that know what it takes to win and prepare. They've been through it and they understand it, we've been through a lot. I think it surprises you every year."
On what (MSU QB) Chris Relf presents that he may not have had last year
"Ideally and conceptually I think they want to do the same thing. They just weren't able to execute it the way they wanted to. Chris gives them a one-two punch at quarterback now. He's an excellent player and an excellent athlete. I bet he's chomping at the bit to play this game after watching last years' video. Schematically, they're the same football team. He adds something that they didn't have last year. Dixon, who is now playing for the 49ers, isn't there but they still have excellent backs. I think conceptually they're going to want to do the same thing as last year. They've got good skill on the outside, and those guys are also return men. It's kind of funny because (Head Coach) Dan (Mullen) and I are both special teams guys, you've got to be awake at all times. He'll run a fake in a heartbeat. We've both worked for two guys at our last two jobs, in Bob Stoops and Urban (Meyer) who kind of condone that kind of thing. We have to be on our toes at all times because there's going to be something coming, and we'd like to give them something, too. We've got to be on edge the whole game."
Senior Offensive Lineman Isaiah Thompson
On the Tulane game
"A lot of stuff went down as far as the injury of our first-string quarterback. So a lot of our issues, such as timing with having a new guy back there, will just take some time for us to get used to each other's rhythms. (Broadway) is not used to stuff we do, and we're not used to some of the stuff (Broadway) does--it just threw us off. Another part of it was in the second half, we didn't come out as jacked up as we did in the first half. I felt as an offensive line, we came jacked up and ready to roll in the first half and we just didn't have that same spark in the second half."
On the second half of the Tulane game
"With the offensive line, we just need to be more consistent. We felt we had a good first half and the coaches thought we had a good first half. We didn't play to our full potential and we figured those things out. We just need to play consistently the rest of the season."
On playing with Bryce Beall in high school and college
"It's great to know as an offensive lineman that your efforts are not going to go forth in vein. I know when I put forth my effort to block somebody, I have someone back there that is going to take advantage of the blocks we're throwing. I'm really relaxed and at peace knowing that when we put forth our effort, he's going to put forth his effort."
Junior Running Back Bryce Beall
On what they plan on doing now that they know Case Keenum is gone
"We're just trying to stay on our feet and keep going. We understand we haven't played our best football yet. We're just trying to build our confidence as a team. We know Case is not coming back and everyone has to look past that and move on."
On the new quarterbacks
"They gained a lot of confidence and we've gained a lot of confidence in them. They've both showed a tremendous improvement in the last two weeks. It's hard because neither of them had the chance to throw a lot of reps or go to fall camp like the rest of us, but they've had two weeks to get better."
On how they plan to help the new quarterbacks
"We're going to do the same thing we've been doing. We just have to make sure to execute well and make it easier for them. We just have to slow the game down and protect them and we should be fine. We worked on getting the same rhythm down as we had when Case and Cotton were here.
On how the team feels about wide receiver James Cleveland not playing in this week's game
"We have to pick each other up and be there for each other. When one of us falls, we all fall."
Senior Defensive Back Jamal Robinson
On preparation for Mississippi State during the bye week
"It's a bye week. We really focused on ourselves. Getting back to football the way we used to play - fast paced and having fun. We really improved that this past week. We started on Mississippi State yesterday. We did a little bit on them last week but not too much. We feel good going into this game."
On the relief of a bye week amongst the commotion of the beginning of the season
"With Case and everything else that has gone on, the season really hasn't gone as smoothly as we wanted it to. During this bye week, we've been able to smooth things out so we can have a good transition heading into next week."
On the confidence level
"We have always had confidence but (got) reassurance of that this past week. We are all excited about this week and getting to play more football."
On what the team has done to prepare for Mississippi State
"They have a big run team. We are going to try and load the box against them and play run first. They are big, physical linemen. We are preparing for a physical game."
Junior Wide Receiver Tyron Carrier
On having to take a leadership role
"It's natural. When your number is called, you have to do your job. That's for anybody on this team. We are used to these situations. It's really nothing to us."
On having to freshmen set to play quarterback
"Whenever you have a new quarterback there is going to be some type of change. Like I said before I have to elevate my game and make sure my route is there so they can get it to me."
On the Cougars getting counted out
"They are counting us out? I didn't know that. We know what we have to do. Guys go down and other guys have to step up."
On playing an SEC team
"You've got to live for those type of games, especially being a small school like us. You got to step up to the occasion."
On the Cougars
"We're still here; people are calling us out. This is the time we show what we have."
On this being a statement game
"Every game is a statement game. From here to the end of the season is a statement game. Spring game is a statement game. Practice is a statement. We are here to work."
