University of Houston Athletics
Houston vs. Memphis: Press Conference
11/19/2018 2:09:00 PM | Football
HOUSTON FOOTBALL
Monday, Nov 19, 2018 • Houston
Carl Lewis Auditorium • Athletics/Alumni Center
HEAD COACH MAJOR APPLEWHITE
On the situation with D'Eriq King and the quarterbacks
"We'll have to start the game the way we finished it. I don't want to be too formal, but D'Eriq has been incredible for us this season - for us, for himself and for the team. It's been so fun to watch him, his love and dedication to this team, his teammates, the level that he's played at, how he has brought others with him, how he has inspired us as coaches, how tough he is and how much he loves to win. You hate to see that happen. He's going to bounce back from it. I know it. I've been fortunate enough to be around him. I know what type of person he is and how he'll respond. I know he will be fine. We have great quarterbacks in that room. Clayton Tune has done a great job. Quinten Dormady is a great quarterback as well. Both of those guys will get prepared and ready to roll this week for Friday."
On if there is more information on D'Eriq King's fall during the game
"I don't know that. There's some opinions that maybe it could have happened on that fall. That taking a step later changed something different in the way the knee is constructed and actually showed up. I have no idea. I heard someone said he fell. I saw him continue to jog afterwards. I thought, 'Okay, that happens.' You see guys slide in their cleats in stadiums. He seemed fine until he came off the field on the next play. When he started to come off, I knew he couldn't play because he's going to stay out there. That's just the type of young man he is."
On D'Eriq King's mood after his injury
"He has a very strong faith. He knows that he's not going to be put or stuck in a situation where he's not going to be provided a way out. He'll work himself into a great situation. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's going to be fine. He's down a little bit. I sensed it on Saturday. He was talking about trying to play but I said to him he couldn't. It's really hard and sad to read that kind of text message. You can tell it's just in him, boiling to play, but I know he's very tough minded. He's going to take that and flip it in the next three, four or five days. He's going to turn it into rehab and being ready. He'll be better than ever."
On the conversation that will have to have with Clayton
"Just be ready to play and help his team earn an opportunity to play for a conference championship. That is where his mindset is. We have said it all along. Most everyone has believed it and if you haven't, you are a believer now, but back in the beginning of June we said, 'Everyone is going to have to play.' We are at that point with our roster but I don't think people listen but when you have the turnover that we have had in this football program with three different coaches in four years, he is doing everything he needs to do to be a great football player and help his team win. That's where is mindset is and I am happy that is where it is. It's not on this or that – redshirt this – it's 'What do we have to do to beat Memphis?'"
On update on Ed Oliver
"It's just the same situation we have had in the last few weeks, in terms of getting healthier every week, but it is still day-to-day. There have been practices in the last two or three weeks he has been able to participate in, so I don't think that it would be bizarre if he was able to practice this week. We are just going to monitor it and look at it day-to-day."
On if Ed Oliver is concentration on the draft
"I am sure he has talked about it. I am sure that his family has talked about it or people have talked to them about it. I've told Ed – we have sat down and have had several conversations – I see both sides. I am just telling you exactly the way it is in our office; I see both sides. You are playing for a championship, you got guys you love on your team, you are going after it and you want to win a championship. Then you also have spent all this time with your family, years upon years of being an NFL superstar, first round pick and everybody else is involved in that, not just you but your family and everybody. You have worked your butt off for it and now you are four months from it. So I see both sides of it.
"Just understand this, all I am focused on our team. Whatever you decide to do, I am behind you 100 percent. I am just focused on my job to help Houston win football games and that is all that I am focusing on, so if you want to play great. If you don't you don't, I get both sides. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and if I knew he was going to make $35-50 million in four months it's hard now. Let's just be honest about the situation. I want him to feel comfortable. If he wants to be able to play, or can play, and is healthy to play and wants to play, great. If he can't then we have won games without him before. That is just the facts of the matter and those are the things I am going off of. As long as him and I are on the same page, that is all that really matters."
On if Ed Oliver being out is a distraction for the team
"It's not. If you were in these walls the way we are, as players and coaches, it's not. Our team is focused on beating Memphis. It may seem like that on your phone, if you're trying to figure it out, but in here, we're very clear about what we're doing, how we practice, who we're going to play and where we are moving forward.
"We haven't played as well. We played a lot better last Thursday but it has not been the difference in us winning and losing football games. Yes, you're going to lose that production on the field because he's a great player but it has not been something where we're up in arms trying to figure out if he's going to play or not play. We're focused on our opponent, what they do offensively, defensively and on special teams. We move on and get ready to play them."
On Bryson Smith injury status
"We're continuing to monitor Bryson as well. He's one of the guys who got banged up in the first half, and we felt like we didn't need to throw him back out there in the second half. We're going to try to get him healthy for this week."
On determining if Quinten Dormady should burn his redshirt
"He has two games left to not burn his redshirt, so he can play two games. There's a potential for three games left in our season. If he was to use the first two, then he would not want to burn his redshirt and would not be able to play in the third. This is the first year we're dealing with it. Nobody is perfect—player, institution, coach. Trying to make everybody right is what we're trying to do as coaches and make sure everybody can play when they need to play and when they earn the right to play. When they're trying to redshirt, they should have the opportunity to redshirt and do those things."
On who would play at quarterback in a bowl game situation
"Right now, it's about this week and all of those other things are secondary concerns. Those are Saturday and Sunday discussions. Everyone wants to get ready for this week's game and has the eligibility to get ready for this week's game, so that's where our mindset is."
On clarifying of who is out due to injury
"I know that Payton Turner is out with a foot injury for the rest of the year, and I know that D'Eriq King is out. As for the others, they could go either way and they remain questionable."
On Grant Stuard's ability to play on offense
"He played quite a bit of tailback in high school. If you look at his highlight video, there're a lot of great plays but there're a lot of it in the return game and at tailback as well. It came up in the hallway when he mentioned it to Coach Briles and then Coach Briles mentioned it to me. I was immediately for it because I'd seen his highlight videos and he played 50/50 offense and defense. He's incredible. Briles then went to the defensive staff to see how much they needed him and to make sure we could borrow him for 15 minutes at the offensive end of practice, and that's what happened.
"He's a really smart young man and football player as well, on top of having incredible speed and physicality. I told him when he came off the field, that's how you inspire people. I could feel it in the stadium and that's how you get your team going. That's what great running backs do. When they lower their shoulders and run over people for extra yards, it inspires your offensive line, your sideline, your defense and your fans. That's the way you have to run the ball."
On Grant Stuard playing both ways
"He's going to be able to play both ways. He will play defense and offense, and he'll continue to play on special teams."
On Memphis running backs
"It's been leading up to this. With Ryquell Armstead, the two running backs at Tulane, now we have finally got to where it's not one or two running backs, but it's three running backs. There're three great running backs you have to prepare for. They have a tremendous backfield, and their offensive line does an outstanding job as well. Brady White, their quarterback, has done a great job taking care of the ball. I believe he has 24 touchdowns and 5 picks or 25 touchdowns and 4 picks. He takes great care of the football. They have playmakers outside.
"Pop Williams is really good outside. He's really good in the return game. He leads the country in punt returns. Tony Pollard leads the country in kick returns. They are dynamic players, and they can score a bunch of points. That's why they are in the top 10 scoring offenses. Defensively, they have played well. They play good defense. It's about how you have been playing the past two or three weeks. They have been playing great football the past two or three weeks. The quarterback is making a lot of fresh decisions and they have a lot of great running backs."
Monday, Nov 19, 2018 • Houston
Carl Lewis Auditorium • Athletics/Alumni Center
HEAD COACH MAJOR APPLEWHITE
On the situation with D'Eriq King and the quarterbacks
"We'll have to start the game the way we finished it. I don't want to be too formal, but D'Eriq has been incredible for us this season - for us, for himself and for the team. It's been so fun to watch him, his love and dedication to this team, his teammates, the level that he's played at, how he has brought others with him, how he has inspired us as coaches, how tough he is and how much he loves to win. You hate to see that happen. He's going to bounce back from it. I know it. I've been fortunate enough to be around him. I know what type of person he is and how he'll respond. I know he will be fine. We have great quarterbacks in that room. Clayton Tune has done a great job. Quinten Dormady is a great quarterback as well. Both of those guys will get prepared and ready to roll this week for Friday."
On if there is more information on D'Eriq King's fall during the game
"I don't know that. There's some opinions that maybe it could have happened on that fall. That taking a step later changed something different in the way the knee is constructed and actually showed up. I have no idea. I heard someone said he fell. I saw him continue to jog afterwards. I thought, 'Okay, that happens.' You see guys slide in their cleats in stadiums. He seemed fine until he came off the field on the next play. When he started to come off, I knew he couldn't play because he's going to stay out there. That's just the type of young man he is."
On D'Eriq King's mood after his injury
"He has a very strong faith. He knows that he's not going to be put or stuck in a situation where he's not going to be provided a way out. He'll work himself into a great situation. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's going to be fine. He's down a little bit. I sensed it on Saturday. He was talking about trying to play but I said to him he couldn't. It's really hard and sad to read that kind of text message. You can tell it's just in him, boiling to play, but I know he's very tough minded. He's going to take that and flip it in the next three, four or five days. He's going to turn it into rehab and being ready. He'll be better than ever."
On the conversation that will have to have with Clayton
"Just be ready to play and help his team earn an opportunity to play for a conference championship. That is where his mindset is. We have said it all along. Most everyone has believed it and if you haven't, you are a believer now, but back in the beginning of June we said, 'Everyone is going to have to play.' We are at that point with our roster but I don't think people listen but when you have the turnover that we have had in this football program with three different coaches in four years, he is doing everything he needs to do to be a great football player and help his team win. That's where is mindset is and I am happy that is where it is. It's not on this or that – redshirt this – it's 'What do we have to do to beat Memphis?'"
On update on Ed Oliver
"It's just the same situation we have had in the last few weeks, in terms of getting healthier every week, but it is still day-to-day. There have been practices in the last two or three weeks he has been able to participate in, so I don't think that it would be bizarre if he was able to practice this week. We are just going to monitor it and look at it day-to-day."
On if Ed Oliver is concentration on the draft
"I am sure he has talked about it. I am sure that his family has talked about it or people have talked to them about it. I've told Ed – we have sat down and have had several conversations – I see both sides. I am just telling you exactly the way it is in our office; I see both sides. You are playing for a championship, you got guys you love on your team, you are going after it and you want to win a championship. Then you also have spent all this time with your family, years upon years of being an NFL superstar, first round pick and everybody else is involved in that, not just you but your family and everybody. You have worked your butt off for it and now you are four months from it. So I see both sides of it.
"Just understand this, all I am focused on our team. Whatever you decide to do, I am behind you 100 percent. I am just focused on my job to help Houston win football games and that is all that I am focusing on, so if you want to play great. If you don't you don't, I get both sides. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and if I knew he was going to make $35-50 million in four months it's hard now. Let's just be honest about the situation. I want him to feel comfortable. If he wants to be able to play, or can play, and is healthy to play and wants to play, great. If he can't then we have won games without him before. That is just the facts of the matter and those are the things I am going off of. As long as him and I are on the same page, that is all that really matters."
On if Ed Oliver being out is a distraction for the team
"It's not. If you were in these walls the way we are, as players and coaches, it's not. Our team is focused on beating Memphis. It may seem like that on your phone, if you're trying to figure it out, but in here, we're very clear about what we're doing, how we practice, who we're going to play and where we are moving forward.
"We haven't played as well. We played a lot better last Thursday but it has not been the difference in us winning and losing football games. Yes, you're going to lose that production on the field because he's a great player but it has not been something where we're up in arms trying to figure out if he's going to play or not play. We're focused on our opponent, what they do offensively, defensively and on special teams. We move on and get ready to play them."
On Bryson Smith injury status
"We're continuing to monitor Bryson as well. He's one of the guys who got banged up in the first half, and we felt like we didn't need to throw him back out there in the second half. We're going to try to get him healthy for this week."
On determining if Quinten Dormady should burn his redshirt
"He has two games left to not burn his redshirt, so he can play two games. There's a potential for three games left in our season. If he was to use the first two, then he would not want to burn his redshirt and would not be able to play in the third. This is the first year we're dealing with it. Nobody is perfect—player, institution, coach. Trying to make everybody right is what we're trying to do as coaches and make sure everybody can play when they need to play and when they earn the right to play. When they're trying to redshirt, they should have the opportunity to redshirt and do those things."
On who would play at quarterback in a bowl game situation
"Right now, it's about this week and all of those other things are secondary concerns. Those are Saturday and Sunday discussions. Everyone wants to get ready for this week's game and has the eligibility to get ready for this week's game, so that's where our mindset is."
On clarifying of who is out due to injury
"I know that Payton Turner is out with a foot injury for the rest of the year, and I know that D'Eriq King is out. As for the others, they could go either way and they remain questionable."
On Grant Stuard's ability to play on offense
"He played quite a bit of tailback in high school. If you look at his highlight video, there're a lot of great plays but there're a lot of it in the return game and at tailback as well. It came up in the hallway when he mentioned it to Coach Briles and then Coach Briles mentioned it to me. I was immediately for it because I'd seen his highlight videos and he played 50/50 offense and defense. He's incredible. Briles then went to the defensive staff to see how much they needed him and to make sure we could borrow him for 15 minutes at the offensive end of practice, and that's what happened.
"He's a really smart young man and football player as well, on top of having incredible speed and physicality. I told him when he came off the field, that's how you inspire people. I could feel it in the stadium and that's how you get your team going. That's what great running backs do. When they lower their shoulders and run over people for extra yards, it inspires your offensive line, your sideline, your defense and your fans. That's the way you have to run the ball."
On Grant Stuard playing both ways
"He's going to be able to play both ways. He will play defense and offense, and he'll continue to play on special teams."
On Memphis running backs
"It's been leading up to this. With Ryquell Armstead, the two running backs at Tulane, now we have finally got to where it's not one or two running backs, but it's three running backs. There're three great running backs you have to prepare for. They have a tremendous backfield, and their offensive line does an outstanding job as well. Brady White, their quarterback, has done a great job taking care of the ball. I believe he has 24 touchdowns and 5 picks or 25 touchdowns and 4 picks. He takes great care of the football. They have playmakers outside.
"Pop Williams is really good outside. He's really good in the return game. He leads the country in punt returns. Tony Pollard leads the country in kick returns. They are dynamic players, and they can score a bunch of points. That's why they are in the top 10 scoring offenses. Defensively, they have played well. They play good defense. It's about how you have been playing the past two or three weeks. They have been playing great football the past two or three weeks. The quarterback is making a lot of fresh decisions and they have a lot of great running backs."
Players Mentioned
QB
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QB
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QB
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DB
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QB
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DL
/ FootballMedia Availability: Ashton Porter
Monday, April 20
Media Availability: Kentrell Webb
Monday, April 20
Media Availability: Keisean Henderson
Monday, April 20
Media Availability: Conner Weigman
Sunday, April 19