Weekly Football Press Conference: Ole Miss
Nov 08, 2016 | Football
A&M hosts Ole Miss on Saturday (6:30 PM, SEC Network).
Coach Sumlin's press conference is posted below, as well as a summary of his comments, along with the press conference videos for Coach Chavis, Coach Mazzone and Christian Kirk.
KEVIN SUMLIN PRESS CONFERENCE SUMMARY
As we've done in past will bring you up to date on season ending injuries and surgeries. Noel Ellis had surgery last Thursday, had torn upper leg muscle. He's done for year. Extremely painful injury that happened in previous game. Connor Lanfear tore ligaments in knee in game Saturday. Will have surgery in couple weeks. Trevor (Knight) left game Saturday, injured his shoulder. He's done for season. Will be able to at best get him back for bowl game. That's status of us from injury standpoint.
Jake Hubenak came into game and performed pretty well. If there was bright spot from Saturday it was how he approached everything. In light of how we played he gave us an opportunity to win game. Moving forward coming out of this game he's our guy. To answer your other questions, had conversation with Nick Starkel and his family. He's on board with whatever we want to do and whatever he wants to do. He wants to play. We've got enough guys on roster that are talented enough. Been through games so far this year with guys that have played. Trevor will still be part of this program. Opportunity for him maybe toward end of year, but with three games left in short period of time, best chance for him to play will be bowl game. Still part of leadership team. Still working with our guys. Like he did Saturday he's done really good job of being part of this team and that's not going to change.
Confidence in Jake Hubenak, and should he go down would Starkel enter game.
Just answered that. Probably we're much like Ole Miss right now. Haven't been on field yet in pads (practice). In pads today for fist time this week. Monday was review of what happened his weekend. Will get in to practice this week. To answer question further have to assess where we are in offensive line. Moved guys around previously. Fortunately we've done that. Got some other combinations. Can't tell you for sure what that lineup will look like Saturday. Can't tell you for sure Nick's going to play. Can tell you have had that conversation wth him. All these situations and scenarios since I have been a head coach late in year, when you're looking at guy's redshirt year, those decisions are discussed with family and with player. Nick has been on every trip this year. Warmed up, bounced back and forth from the scout team. Been with our guys lot of year. Whenever we play games against quarterbacks that can really throw it he helps our scout team. Preparation piece in this thing becomes different for guy like that. Have to prepare for anything like that. Saw what happened Saturday. That's where that is. Know there's not a true answer right now but best I can give you today.
Looking at film what is most disturbing about the run defense.
Saturday for whatever reason, there were combination of things. Wasn't one thing here or there. Not talking defense specifically, I'll get to that. Combination of things. Didn't coach very well, didn't play very well. That's on me (and) whatever approach I took last week, and being consistent in the approach we took, which I thought we did. Didn't approach differently than any game I did this year. Whatever I did to approach that game, this is a results-oriented business. The results were not indicative of how we played all year. That being said, would be bigger concern if that was as a football team how we've played all year. Consistent approach had worked for 8 straight weeks. Thought we played hard against Alabama, just didn't play good enough. Played hard in (Mississippi State) game, even though ball was on ground early, not getting to other side of 50, made it look like that. Effort on video was really, really good. That's why I always say want to see it before I say anything. Effort wasn't lacking. Doing what you're supposed to do and executing, that was an an issue. Why that is and what happened, we talked about it as staff and as team. That has been addressed schematically. Been addressed with our players. Where we are right now, we're moving on. Have to move on. Playing in the SEC. What happened Saturday, we can't change. What we can change is what goes on from here on out.
At one point Trevor came back in game, but was dragged down on sideline, did that reaggravate the injury or make it worse?
Made it worse.
Have you had conversations with someone about that play.
We sent the film in.
With the interior offensive line being so young, being in 5th year and you look back at that why you feel they're so young? Injuries, bad luck, recruiting misses?
Combination of all those things. Have had some guys play well. Able to redshirt some of those guys in those scenarios. Got some misses. Got some injuries. Got number of guys, 3 of which in last 5 years, are no longer playing. (Trevor) Elbert career ending surgery. Number of guys who've been injured. Combination of all those things. Not that we haven't signed guys. Guys we've signed have been good players. Some have been injured to point of retirement. Obviously some of young guys good enough to play now. Able to redshirt those JUCO tackles. Jermaine Eluemunor playing inside. Has been better tackle than guard. Doesn't preclude him from going back inside. Koda Martin one of highest recruited guys around here, his development has little bit slower physically than anyone thought. Not as a player. Just size to play in this league.
Knight just recovery, rest and treatment?
Treatment. Non surgical.
The wide receivers, great play from Reynolds and Kirk. Noil had great fall camp but numbers haven't shown. Ricky Seals-Jones played well but then got hurt.
Don't know that Ricky has been back completely. Off and on has come out of games last few weeks. Think finally feeling better. Speedy had injury. Took shot at Alabama that a lot of people wouldn't have gotten up from. Thought Saturday he made some crucial plays for us Saturday. Kept us alive on a few third downs. Really smart play to get out of bounds and get a first down. We missed some throws early in game. First play of game is a touchdown. There's only one football. Thing is, as you brought up--which is fair to Ricky--is that he was playing very well then he got hurt. Ankle for a guy playing that position or a guy who is a quick-twitch guy can be a real hindrance. He's fighting his way back. Thought from production standpoint overall Josh and Christian are playing at very high level. Christian has 5 touchdowns in last 2 games. Only one football. Speedy still demanding double coverage at times just like Josh. Creates more space to the three-receiver side. Done really, really good job this year of playing without the ball. Being really good blocker. Not becoming guy creating issues off the field. Being a team guy. Plays extremely hard. His time will come. Part of growth process and part of him being consistent. More consistency he shows he'll be rewarded with more production.
With Jake at quarterback does that change the run game.
He's run before. Run pretty well. I don't know if there's 10 guys in country that are the runner Trevor is. Whole first of year people have come out of games saying 'Wow, that guy is faster than we thought'. Jake not as fast but is effective. Will probably change some of things we do little bit. Although many are designed runs, some of them weren't. Trevor had ability to take ball down and do some things. QB read game isn't same for everybody. Sometimes based on matchups. Will change a little bit what we do schematically. But we've also done nice job and Noel (Mazzone) done nice job of giving us opportunity to play to our kids' skill set. Thought for most part Jake was effective in second half. 11-for-17 for guy who had to go find his helmet to get in game. Go run into game like that, down 2 touchdowns on road, to give us opportunity at end of game says lot about him but also says a lot about communication between him and offensive staff at that time. That will continue to get better.
What gives you confidence this team will respond appropriately?
Because of how they've played all year. Because of preparation and how we've approached things every week. Situation being way it is, these guys handled lot of things. Last week was first week we hadn't handled it. I'm going to go based on my conversations with my staff and team with the other 8 weeks of season and not last week.
With Ole Miss' injury problems at QB, how much do you know about their two guys.
Shea (Patterson) is really a talented guy. He's young. As a coach you're looking at playing the 3 regular season games and the bowl game, which gives the guy really 2 complete months of preparation. Want to give your team best chance to win. Coach Freeze will handle that. Lot of tape on Jason (Pellerin) because was used in red zone quite extensively as a runner. Brings attention to what we had difficult time dealing with last Saturday. Another 6-4, 230-pound guy who was utilized as runner in red zone. Think third on team in rushing touchdowns. Guy who is veteran guy who in their offense. Chad Kelly you watched him play in this league, saw something the other day he leaves as number one guy in history of the league. Hell of accomplishment. Chad was physical running quarterback. Could stand in pocket take hits and deliver football. Pellerin has been in critical areas on field and they trust him with the ball.
JOHN CHAVIS PRESS CONFERENCE
NOEL MAZZONE PRESS CONFERENCE
CHRISTIAN KIRK PRESS CONFERENCE
