Weekly Football Press Conference
Oct 11, 2016 | Football
A&M has a bye week before traveling to face No. 1 Alabama on October 22nd (2:30 p.m., CBS).
A summary of Coach Sumlin's press conference is posted below.
KEVIN SUMLIN PRESS CONFERENCE SUMMARY
Plan for bye week...
Doesn't change much for us. Focus will be about us. Realistically, fixing issues we've had over course of last 6 weeks, whatever those are, whether they're things we deem to be schematic or things that could be other issues internally. How we've played in certain games or other things that have come up. Really looking at where are health-wise. Getting guys back up to full speed. Like I told team, we are not different than anyone else. I watch games, teams all over the country were missing guys in week 6. What these guys have done is a great job of not making excuses, playing for each other, trying to play when they can, and have done good job of communicating. This is a mature team. As I told a few guys, listen, we want you to play but don't want you to hurt team or yourself with performance. Does that mean you have to be 100%? No. But have to be at certain level to pay in this league. Guys have been able to communicate that and that comes with age, maturity and trust. Have core of guys who've played extremely well and played physical football. Week comes at good time for us to take a deep breath physically, gather thoughts. Got started with that yesterday, put Tennessee game away and talked about things we had to get better. Then we moved on to Alabama.
Takeaways from defense performance Saturday, with 7 takeaways but lots of yards allowed.
We want to play better. Takeaways was point of emphasis going into game. We want to be dominant every week but there are good teams out there and good teams and coaches in this league. Sometimes it goes that way. Chief will tell you, we want to play better and need to play better. Had breakdowns that gave up big chunks of yardage. We haven't done that this year. Was because of a few things but those are things that can be fixed. Like I told our team at halftime, hey, they've got coaches too over there. Whatever you do you're putting on video tapes and it's a resume. Guys are studying that and they are looking for every weakness you have. Week to week, certain things come up and get exposed and you have to fix and tweak those things. Not just defensively, but there are things we can do better offensively and on special teams. Good news is we've won, and we've played some good teams. You can say our quality of opponent is as good as anyone in the country. Been in some good, tight ball games but we also have to look at who we are and what we're doing that's giving us difficulties and try and get those fixed this week.
Impact the Turners (coaches) have made since coming in.
No doubt. Jim Turner recruited a lot of (NFL) guys from his previous stint here. Real technician. Guy who understands what it takes. We're playing really every level of player in the offensive line. Have two redshirt JUCO third-year guys, which you never see. Then we've got a true freshman. Oldest to youngest guys. Ability to get all that to gel, regardless of age level, has been great. Was a line people were really worried about. I said during fall camp this is biggest OL that we've had since we got here. They are big, athletic, strong. Because of that, can get away with a few more things. Noel (Mazzone) has done good job of playing to their strengths to help us with some of the protections. David Turner has come in here and given guys like Reggie Chevis new life. Had barely payed here. Created rotation internally. Everyone asking what's going on with Daylon Mack? Nothing. (Kingsley) Keke and Zaycoven (Henderson) are playing very well right now. Daylon is playing lot of snaps. So is Hardreck Walker. Getting something out of Reggie. Got a real 5-man rotation inside that we've never had since we've been here. Ability to keep them playing and doing what they need to do and keep effort high is lot easier when you can rotate. Those guys aren't here to make a lot of tackles. What they're here for, and it's taken some transition for those guys, is to hold the point, not get run out of gaps, maybe take up a few blockers, and really force the ball to go east and west and not straight through us. And for most part that's been one of biggest improvements in our defense.
What did you see in Armani Watts, Justin Evans, etc. in the offseason that other coaches didn't see? (Not being named All-SEC)
I dunno. I don't think anyone is surprised at way they're playing now. They played like that last year. Donovan was creating big plays all the time. Armani's been a good player, and so has Justin.
Having worked with Coach Stoops and now having his quarterback, how impressed were you with what OU did against Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl?
I haven't watched that game on purpose. May watch a bit next week. Be honest with you, haven't watched that game from coaches' copy standpoint. Not sure that I will. So many different things have happened since then. I did see part on TV that night. Had watched Trevor throughout year at different times. Funny you bring that up. It would be like watching our game in 2012. Not sure what we could get out of that either. Hardly anyone here left from that game. If look at Alabama roster it's about the same. Young DBs have now scored what, 8 or 9 defensive touchdowns? They didn't play in that game.
During the offseason did you think possible to lead conference in total offense at bye week?
I really don't think like that. Maybe some coaches do. Didn't sit down and say we will be leading league in offense at bye week. I thought we had enough weapons on perimeter. Remember I said during fall, got 5 guys that can play at running back and will work through those guys and give them opportunities. Will need all those guys. Skill-wise, in great shape from depth standpoint. Would depend on how our line came along and how Trevor came along. It's up to other guys to help our offensive line and our quarterback, and really scheme and play calling. Been up and down this year, but from sheer numbers standpoint we're in good place offensively. Bunch of things we need to get better though. Noel and offensive staff have done great job of recognizing that, having answers, trying to fix problems during week but also having answers and anticipating some things coming down road. Everyone in this league, first thing they want to do is stop what you do best. If you can't have answer for that you're in trouble. Our offensive staff has done great job of that. Am I pleased where we are offensively statistically? Hard not to be. But know there are things we have to get corrected and have to do better if we want to be team we want to be at end of year.
On the Trayveon Williams run where the ball was punched out of his hands near the goal line, how do you avoid that play happening? Can you coach against a guy knocking ball loose late in ballgame?
I hope so. We've talked about it. He was a little tired right then too. I got all the emails, why did he slow down at goal line? I'm sure he'd like to get two more yards too. Didn't do that on purpose. Little different than dropping ball before crossing goal line. Hell of a play by Tennessee player. Hell of a play. (Trayveon) felt terrible about it. Thank goodness Coach McKinney was able to talk to him. He was distraught. Coach was able to talk him back into getting back on field. Good thing he did because he put us in position to win again with two great runs. It's a learning experience. He learned from it. I can tell you you haven't seen that play a lot in college football. Hell of a play.
Trevor's level of play compared to where you want it to be.
It's good. He wants to get better. Things he knows he's working at that we've all talked to him about. Guy who works extremely hard in preparation. Wants to be great. Biggest deal as I said before is how Noel has gotten to know him little more and what his strengths and weaknesses are. Different when you have a 5th-year guy. Have two plans going. Hey we've gotta win and let's keep developing him. But also we have to play to his strengths because he's not here 3, 4, 5 years to develop. Gotta get on same page quickly and use his skill set as best we can. That relationship has grown every week. He's a winner. A lot of times stats and things like that say one thing. But the win and loss column says a lot more. He's had as much to do with that as any player on this team.
JOHN CHAVIS PRESS CONFERENCE
NOEL MAZZONE PRESS CONFERENCE
