University of Houston Athletics
Sumlin and Keenum Talk to the Media
9/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 28, 2010
Listen to Keenum's Teleconference with National Media
HOUSTON HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin
On Terrance Broadway and the team adjusting to Tulane
"They had film on us. You get one player (hurt), even if it is quarterback, very seldom does any team change what they are doing. There are always going to be wrinkles each week. You go back and watch tape. We were very efficient in the first half with what we did. He was efficient, but we turned the ball over. We came out the second half and they made some adjustments as I told a couple of people. It is one thing to adjust with a quarterback that has had 30 percent of the offense available to him. To adjust to what Tulane presented us in the second half became a little bit more. We had to make changes with our quarterback at that time within the system that was very limited."
On the importance of this bye week for determining the future at quarterback
"People wonder about how we do things. Since I have been here we have been a one-quarterback system. People didn't really like that when we got here because that was the case the first year. We had the advantage to go through spring football and two-a-day practices and evaluate the quarterbacks. We decided that Case (Keenum) was going to start and that guys were not going to just run in and out of the game for a number of reasons, continuity, confidence, repetitions and everything. I can remember when we lost to Colorado State with that interception at the end of the game. The first question I got at that press conference was, Coach did you make the right decision at quarterback? That worked out alright, but that being said, we are going to continue to evaluate where we are at quarterback. That's where we are this week.
Based on the performance Terrance had at the end of the UCLA game and based on the amount of time we had before a conference game that we had to win, we didn't have time to split reps (between Broadway and David Piland).
There are a number of positions that we are looking at this week and next week other than quarterback on this team. Some guys have not been playing well for the past three weeks. That is what the bye week is for. For a lot of people the bye week is for development. Right now, that is not the case for us. We have some positions that need to get going. We have some positions that need to continue to play well. Our linebackers are playing exceptionally well right now. Our running backs are playing exceptionally well right now. We need to be more consistent on the offensive line. The first half they were great and the second half, pretty average. I was very pleased with our special teams last week. The change to Richie Leone kicking off, who kicked seven kickoffs, three of which were touchbacks, and he averaged 50.5 yards a punt. That was a definite factor in the game. Our coverage was excellent. Our return game was excellent. We created short fields for us and long fields for them, opposite of the UCLA game. It was the exact opposite from the UCLA game, so there was some improvement there. We were looking to get everyone firing on all cylinders. That is what the bye week is for."
On open competition for positions during the bye week
"This bye week is important for a number of people. There are players on this team that aren't playing up to their potential. They need to do that here in the next two weeks. This is a performance-based program and a performance-based business. We practiced yesterday, we will practice today, we will practice Thursday and we will practice Saturday. We have some things we need to address. We have to be smart in how we do it. We are not going to wear out players, but we need to practice. We need to get on the same page. We have got to figure out in a couple of areas that if guys are not going to play to a certain level then we need to replace them. I said what I said at the beginning about a one-quarterback system, because that is how we have done things. Whoever that is needs to have confidence that if he makes mistakes he is not going to get the hook the first time that something goes wrong. That is just my feeling about dealing with quarterbacks.
On the defensive improvement
Our first and second-down defense is a lot better. At UCLA, we gave up 5-of-6 (third-down conversions) in the first half and were 1-of-6 in the second half. The key to offense and defense is making third downs or getting off the field on third down - that and eliminating big plays. This past Saturday, we were able to do that pretty consistently. We have gotten better on third down, we are trying to get our third-down percentage down. That has been an emphasis for us. You look at statistics, but you know me, I don't really look at them until the end of the year when you compile all of them. Just based on where we are right now, how we are playing defense and the feel of the game right now, it's different. We are better. We are not the '85 (Chicago) Bears, which everybody wants, which is ok. We are getting better. We have some time. This week is not about Mississippi State; it's not about the rest of the season. It's about us. We are practicing for our team to get better."
On playing more freshmen in the defensive backfield
"I have considered playing them. They are playing on special teams, which means they are on the two-deep (depth chart). They're all being considered."
On replacing the leadership of Case Keenum and Cotton Turner
"It is hard to do that in a week, especially in a short week with us getting back on Sunday. The way things transpired and the way I handled things, there was not enough time for anybody to step forward and handle all of that. Our team's goal was to hit the ground running Monday and win the game Saturday, then take a deep breath and figure out everything. That is how we approached the week. It worked out. Now, over the course of the next couple of weeks, you will see who that is."
On electing a new captain
"No, we didn't (elect a new) one a year ago for Matt (Nicholson). If anything, we will probably have the special teams player of the week from the week before represent us, but we will not elect a new captain. Case's role is a lot like Matt's role with the players. He is still a part of this team. What he thinks, how he feels and how he is able to talk is still important. Like all the emails and messages I get, which I appreciate, he is not done with us and we are not done with him, either."
On Case's legacy here at the University of Houston
"In these conversations you need to be very open and blunt. Just like a conversation we had last January (regarding the NFL Draft). I will give him my opinion if he asks. Our job is to give him as much information as possible. I also relayed to him that at this point you need to make your decision based on Case Keenum and what is best for him, which is completely different from how he thinks. He is always thinking about the good of everything else, the good of other people. At this point, that is what is important, and it is ok to do that, because he has done so much for this program and for the University of Houston. I told him not to worry about that because you don't owe us anything. You have done a tremendous amount both on and off the field for this community. This decision needs to be based on what is best for you. You can't put into words or dollars the amount of publicity, the amount of pride, everything he has brought to the University of Houston. I feel fortunate to have been around him for the last three years. We will see what happens. He is going to be successful no matter what happens. It is just a matter of time. You never understand why things like this happen, but it's not what happens to you, it's how you react that defines you. He is going to be fine."
On the Tulane game
"I was happy with winning the game based on what happened (at quarterback the week before). When it's getting to a point where people are complaining about us winning, that is pretty good. (It was good) for us to respond defensively the way we responded. You go back and look at the number of times we hit the quarterback. They had their third-string guy in at quarterback (at the end of the game). Their first-string quarterback and running back were out of the game. Our defense was much more physical than most people believe. We basically gave up two big plays in the first half. That changed the game and gave them 14 points. The defense played well in the first half. Those are the kind of things we haven't done and need to get corrected. Hits on the quarterback took their toll, the pace of the game took its toll and our guys hung in there and played very well. We had a lot of guys who are playing as true freshmen on special teams that are doing an excellent job. Freshmen and redshirt freshmen that are making plays for us in the kicking game which are critical in games like that. The weight shifts all the time, the weight of responsibility, and to win a game like that and struggle on offense in the second half, you need your other two phases to come through and that happened."
Senior Quarterback Case Keenum
On his plans for the future
"The first thing I did was start thinking about the future and all the possibilities. It's constantly been running through my head, but the fact is that I don't know. There are a lot of things that are unknown now and this is obviously not the best situation or something that I wanted to happen, but it did happen. Now I just have to make the best of it. There is a lot of stuff I don't know about, so I can't make a decision right now. I'm just going to take it one day at a time and try to get healthy."
On the possibility of getting a medical redshirt
"There are things out there I don't know about and like coach said, a lot of those things are out of my control. I don't know all of the information that goes with that. This is not the senior year I wanted to have, but it happened, so I'm going to make the best of it."
On how fast he plans to come back
"We'll know a lot more after surgery. We have to see how that goes. Obviously, there are a lot of guys that had this injury, including guys on the team. It's nice to get to talk to them and hear what their timetables were and what goes on with that. I have one of the best, if not the best, doctor that will be doing my surgery. I will go through the rehab process as quickly as I can. I'm going to push on the things I can push and be careful with things I need to be careful with, so it's hard to say."
On how much his decision to come back will be affected by the outcome of his surgery
"I have complete trust in the doctors and my ability to get back. I think I'm going to come back stronger mentally and physically. After the first one or two days out, I was hanging out with my friends and we talked about how this was a really good time to get back to the basics of things--the basics of my life spiritually, physically and in other areas."
On how he's dealing with his injury
"This is not a fun experience and I don't wish this upon anybody. At the same time I've said this a lot--it's never as good as it seems and it's never as bad as it seems. I feel that way about a lot of different things and I think this is God letting me live that out. He's put that in my path and now I have to walk the way I've been talking. It's not fun, but we're going to get through it one day at a time. I don't think it's ironic, but I just read Drew Brees' new book that's called "Coming Back Stronger" and I may have to re-read that pretty quick because he talks a lot about adversity. He had a shoulder injury and had to have surgery, but he said that adversity is really opportunity."
On whether or not he wants to play for Houston if the NCAA grants him a medical redshirt waiver
"Right now, I want to be on that field. I want to be out there playing, but I can't. We'll just have to see because right now I don't want to make that decision. There are so many emotions going on and a lot of things are still going on. As of right now, I want to play football for the Cougars. I want to play this Saturday, but that's not going to happen. As for the future, there's just no telling. I want to play football, I don't know where yet, but it's a big part of me and I want to continue playing. It's a tough situation no matter what way you look at it."
On Coach Sumlin saying he's still a team leader
"It means a lot, I feel like I've been a big part of this team and this team has been a big part of me. That's something that I'm going to need in the next few weeks and months. It's going to be a good thing to be able to hold on to. The team is really like my family. I live with the guys, and I'm with them all the time. One of my roommates, John McIntyre, tore his ACL and he's having surgery Friday, so we're both going to be limping around the house for a while. I think we'll be able to help each other out, though. Like I said, the team is my family and I'm going to lean on them. I'm still going to be a part of everything that goes on here."
On the support he's received
"You'd be surprised how many people have come up to me and said `we're praying for you' or `we're here for you.' It's amazing to me that there are so many people out there and I want to thank all the people that are supporting me and are in my corner. There are even more people than I even realize. That's comforting to have that many people that support and care about me. One of the bigger issues for me is that I'm not in control. I have to rely completely on my relationship with Christ and knowing He's in control. I'm going to learn a lot about that while I go through this process."
On the person he was surprised to receive support from the most
"The phone calls are still coming in. I've had so many people call me, from everyone in my family to youth pastors I had growing up, to other guys who have had injuries and old coaches I've had. It's really cool. Robert Griffin, the quarterback from Baylor, called me the other night with encouragement. He's a really solid dude. He's a really good player, but he's an awesome guy at the same time. I have a lot of respect for him. The support is still there and I feel it coming in."
On what he and Robert Griffin of Baylor University spoke about
"He's one of the guys I've talked to about the injury and he's kind of given me a heads up on what's coming. He's talked about how to approach rehab and how to come out stronger. He came out stronger and I plan on doing the same thing. He's very talented in the way he plays; he's very explosive. It's good to see someone who had an injury like mine and do so well."
On his timetable for coming back
"For me being a quarterback, football activities are different than a running back or a linebacker who have to run and cut. It should be the normal ACL recovery period. I'm going to push as hard as I can in areas where I'm allowed to push. You see guys from all over the country that play different sports that get this injury. It really depends on the person and how tough they are; I'm about to see how tough I am. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm going to get through it stronger."
On watching and coaching Houston's two new freshmen quarterbacks
"It's definitely a different experience. It was fun coaching those guys and fun seeing them succeed. Terrance (Broadway) is a heck of a football player and he has room to get a lot better. From where he is now, he's a good football player, but he has a lot of room to grow and be a really, really good player. David is a heck of a football player, too, and they are both going to be really good quarterbacks. I couldn't have done what they're doing right now as a freshman. I know for a fact that they are a lot further along than I was at their age. As much fun as it was to watch them, it was a lot less fun than being out there playing. But that's how it goes and I just have to make the best of this year and the team is going to continue to get better. We have eight more guaranteed opportunities and they're going to go out there and play their hearts out every week. It's going to be a good season and I'm really looking forward to it."
On what he was thinking while trying to make the tackle that tore his ACL
"When I was chasing him down I was really thinking about my head. I was thinking about not diving because I didn't want to get kicked in the head. I just kind of arm tackled him. It all happened pretty quickly.
On how he feels about his future
"The good thing is that no matter which way I decide to go is that I'm going to push to get healthy as fast as I can. I would like to know as soon as possible, but I don't think that's the pressing issue right now. The pressing issue right now is just getting healthy and giving myself some time to get back to the basics. I want to get a strong foundation back and get healthy, then just see where it goes from there."
