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00:00 Thought guys came out, had a good work day, third down situations,
00:05 a little too minute early to start practice.
00:07 You're trying to once again, you push as much speed on speed as we can.
00:12 Really, I think that's something that's so
00:14 important as you get to this time of year.
00:17 Yes, I mean, our guys were going into our eighth game.
00:20 I mean, there's some bumps, there's some bruises.
00:22 There's things that you got to deal with, but it's still about progression.
00:24 It's still about growth.
00:26 We talk about the work that's necessary, and
00:28 that's what we're trying to continue to pour into.
00:31 Yeah, but there's some things we're gonna have to clean up,
00:34 just still comes down to the communication, the little things, the fundamentals.
00:38 And those things that have to build throughout the year.
00:41 Obviously, as we talked about earlier in the week, I mean,
00:44 this is a unique scheme that we're gonna face defensively.
00:49 And with what they do offensively, it's as multiple as what we've seen.
00:52 You gotta play with your eyes, you gotta play, and
00:55 be confident in your fundamentals of what you're getting.
00:58 And then you gotta go out there and play fast in the best of your ability.
01:01 But I thought our guys had a good day overall, but
01:05 still some areas that we gotta continue to improve.
01:07 >> How much does having experience on the roster,
01:11 especially on key events, benefit you in breaking away from that kind of something?
01:15 >> I mean, it helps.
01:16 The guys that have seen it before, that can understand and
01:18 kind of tell guys maybe that happened.
01:20 What that could look like.
01:23 But I mean, every year is gonna be unique to itself.
01:27 And maybe some of the things we're asking guys to do,
01:29 some of the things will be unique to this year.
01:34 And so ultimately, that's always a part of it.
01:37 But it does help to have some experience in guys that have at least
01:41 gone through and faced a little bit of this offense.
01:43 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:54 >> Yeah, I mean, it's, let me,
01:57 that was kind of a statement at the beginning of it.
02:02 But there was a couple things on that play that should have been better, and
02:05 it wasn't just all on him.
02:06 So, but he's somebody that I'm seeing grow, I'm seeing steps.
02:14 We tend to forget, Marquise, coming out of high school,
02:16 you play one year of football.
02:18 And then the first year here, he was unavailable,
02:20 just to be able to do really anything physically.
02:22 And you sit there and you go through his growth,
02:26 the production of what he's brought, his brightest days are in front of him.
02:30 And I try to push him really hard,
02:33 because I just believe so much in what he can become.
02:36 But you see the response, and I thought he played harder than what he's played,
02:41 just in blocking and a couple good catches, a couple impact plays.
02:47 And so I like the progression I'm seeing, but you still want more.
02:52 >> Coach Atkins talked about trying to run in the,
02:56 being able to run in obvious running situations.
02:59 Do you feel like you have to get exposed to being able to do that?
03:03 >> I mean, it's absolutely, you wanna be as efficient and
03:06 productive in all situations.
03:08 When somebody knows you're gonna run, let's go finish it.
03:12 And whether it's at the end of the game or
03:14 whether it's at some point throughout the game,
03:17 we've gotta be able to have that as a mentality.
03:19 And look, we're gonna go get it.
03:23 And that's something we're still working on.
03:25 You get different looks, you get different things that you gotta
03:29 prove upon in those times as coaches.
03:32 Like, we've played a lot of multiple teams.
03:35 And there's some times that you'll have a play call, and I'll sit back and
03:39 I'm like, man, how many times have we repped this?
03:42 Did we give them the foundation to be able to go execute it to the best of our
03:46 ability with the number of reps in practice?
03:48 Now, I'm not a fortune teller.
03:49 I can't always see what somebody's gonna do.
03:52 But we can anticipate a lot of different looks.
03:55 And there's things, whether it's individual rep,
03:56 make sure we're talking through it on video.
03:58 But then there's also times where I feel like guys are,
04:02 you gotta go out there and you gotta trust it.
04:05 You gotta trust it in the moment.
04:06 And it's all a great balance.
04:09 But we absolutely wanna be able to take control in situations where somebody
04:14 knows we're gonna run and we're coming to run.
04:16 So, yeah, that's something that is important for our growth.
04:19 >> Can you see how much time you spend on special teams every day out of your
04:23 practice?
04:23 How validating is it seeing how many different ways that's shown up in success
04:27 this season?
04:28 >> No, I mean, it's one of the foundations of our program.
04:32 And we talk about that.
04:33 I think Coach JP does a wonderful job in how he attacks,
04:39 but how he also builds a system for our guys.
04:45 And I'm gonna be in every special teams meeting there is.
04:50 I think that our guys understand the importance from the top down of what
04:54 that's gonna be, how we teach the technique, the fundamentals.
04:59 There's a lot of buy-in around this program because the guys have seen
05:02 the impact, they've seen the difference.
05:04 And you look into this year and it's been very positive for us.
05:07 And I'm telling you, there's still so many times you look back already up to this
05:12 part of the year and like, man, we could have been so much better.
05:15 And so there's still ultimate growth that's necessary.
05:18 But I'm really proud of our guys and just their confidence in what we ask them to do.
05:22 Cuz if you want it to be good, you gotta invest in it.
05:24 And I think we do when it comes to the work in practice and
05:28 obviously the way our guys, they implement that into each game.
05:33 >> Have you been frustrated with the two minute,
05:35 one minute drills at the end of the first half?
05:39 You've been very good on offense overall, but
05:41 like those situations maybe the last few weeks.
05:43 I feel like you've gotten the ball in the final minute a few times and
05:46 not been able to get down and bring it back.
05:48 >> Yeah, I mean, you wanna be able to consistently execute down.
05:51 We've had, this last week I thought we moved the ball well, but
05:56 then obviously there was a play that's been what showed up.
06:01 Cuz we've been able to move, we've been able to do some good things, but
06:05 we've got to be more consistent.
06:06 So yes, anytime we don't score, it frustrates me.
06:09 But on the flip side of it, I don't feel like it's a,
06:14 I don't feel like it's something that's restricting us.
06:19 Cuz I mean, there's also some situational things that we need to be aware of.
06:24 Like this last game, obviously we wanted to make sure that we could
06:29 gave ourselves a chance, Duke was getting the ball coming out.
06:33 Obviously there's some other factors that we don't wanna take a chance of
06:38 throwing into something that could have been a negative play that allow
06:42 another possession.
06:43 And I think basically the same thing, I think Virginia Tech,
06:47 we took a first play negative, which never want to do.
06:50 And so we were a little bit more, I guess, reserved in our attack.
06:55 So yes, we need to not give up the negative plays in those situations.
06:58 And if we'll do that, I think we'll be much better.
07:02 >> With the recent news with Michigan sign stealing,
07:05 is that something you guys are worried about?
07:08 And how do you guys safeguard from that potentially being a problem?
07:11 >> I mean, I think when you sit there and
07:14 you look at sign stealing within games, that has been forever.
07:20 Like that is, when people started going no huddle, people started staying,
07:25 spreading out and communicating everything from the sideline.
07:29 People look at the sideline and if you consistently do this and
07:32 then you run the same play every time and that's it,
07:35 somebody's gonna pick up on it just like a normal attendance.
07:37 It's our job, we have a very elaborate way of how we communicate.
07:43 Now, accusations of people going and watching games, well,
07:49 that's just unethical thing.
07:51 And it's not, it's against all parts of the rules of what's stated.
07:56 So I mean, I can't defend this.
07:57 Somebody chooses to come and watch our games and that's, you can't defend it.
08:04 You do all the things that you control within the game.
08:06 But ultimately, it's the same deal when it comes to, I mean,
08:13 you can't keep somebody from doing that other than what the rules are in place.
08:19 >> With Morlock, so you're not allowed, if you go out of bounds at all,
08:22 you're not allowed to come back and get an establishment ticket?
08:25 >> No, if you step out on your own terms,
08:29 then you cannot be the first to catch the ball.
08:30 >> But if you're pushed out.
08:32 >> If you're pushed out, that was my question, I would say.
08:38 >> [LAUGH] >> But they reviewed it and still.
08:42 >> [LAUGH] >> You all see that?
08:49 I mean, it was like, I don't know.
08:51 >> [LAUGH] >> None of the kids just said.
08:54 >> So you don't teach him to just run straight out of bounds?
08:56 >> That would be a really good play.
08:58 Go run out of bounds, let everybody leave, and then you jump back in.
09:00 Yeah, no, we don't teach him that.
09:03 >> We're good?
09:03 >> Yep, thank you, Mike.