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Aug. 30, 2004
Al Groh
Press Conference
August 30, 2004
Previewing the game with Temple
Is Temple ripe for an upset?
They’ve got what all teams really want to have- they have a really good quarterback. If you have one of those, you’re in every game. Plus they have 16 junior college players coming in, so their team will be heavily personneled with a lot of players that we don’t have much background on. We always like to know who we’re playing against as well as what we’re playing against. In this particular case, we know more about the ‘what’ than the ‘who.’
Talk about Temple LB Rian “Goo” Wallace:
He’s a very good player. He was sixth in the country in tackles last year. He’s cut in the mold of our guys- big, tall, can run, 6-4, 245-lb. He certainly would fit right in with us.
Will you change the defense for QB Walter Washington?
We’ve got to pay special attention to him. There was a game last year when he had 36 carries or something like that. You have to pay attention to that. This is almost like back in the days of the single-wing where the tailback had the ball on every play and it was an exception when he didn’t. That’s really pretty much the case here. I’d say he?s pretty close to being the principal runner as well as obviously the only thrower.
LG Brian Barthelmes is listed ahead of Ron Darden on the depth chart:
It’s just what happens in training camp. You just keep taking a look at different combinations until you find the one that you like the best. That’s Brian. He’s tough, he’s dependable, he always keeps resurfacing. (He moved back to guard) sometime last week.
Does S Marquis Weeks think more like a safety (after playing four years at running back)?
He’s got to see like one and think like one. He gets better all the time. It’s just how fast can we accumulate the looks. This offense we’re playing against is very different in structure from what we run. So he got pretty good exposure through spring practice, training camp. He?s gotten really good exposure to what we do, and that will serve him well down the road. This is another learning chapter for him; that’s good. But by the same token, it is so diverse from what we do which means there?s not a lot of continuity in what he’s experiencing.
Is Brian Barthelmes a special case?
I think if you’ve ever met him, you’d say yes. This will be the fourth position he’s played here. While we do certainly preach and work to develop versatility, he’s taken it to the nth degree for us. That’s what makes him so valuable. There’s a saying, ‘the more you can do,’ and he certainly has applied that. He does a lot for us. He?s just a good part of the team personality.
Have you received encouraging news regarding TE Patrick Estes?
He has participated since the game preparation started.
TE Jonathan Stupar is not listed on the depth chart:
He’s not; he broke his foot.
Have you put in new things with the returning offensive line?
No, we haven’t changed dramatically what we’re doing with them. It’s more a case of what they can do themselves. Their skill level has increased and their strength level in some cases. Yes, their versatility has increased, but it’s the versatility of their techniques and their skills rather than different things we?re doing with the scheme.
Talk about freshman S Nate Lyles:
For a young safety, I’d say Nate?s pretty advanced. He’s got an idea all the time. It may not be the right idea, it is a lot. But he’s got an idea all the time. That might not seem like much, but sometimes with those young safeties, this early in the season they take a look at some of these formation changes and adjustments that must to be made and they have no idea. He’s always got an idea what it should be; he’s usually pretty close to it. He’s going to be a good player.
Talk about the punting situation:
I think it’s whenever we decide to make a final call on it. Both punters (Sean Johnson and Kurt Korte) have had a good camp. This is another one of these situations that final determination will probably only come from game competition. With athletes, that establishes a lot who plays well in the games. So we might want to see both of them here in the early going of the season. Each one of them might have a different role.
Talk about QB Marques Hagans:
Using the previous preseasons as a foundation for him, without which any of the progress this camp could not have been made. Probably the degree of his improvement in these three weeks has been equal to or exceeded any of the time frame that preceded it.
What’s he doing better?
I think in his overall awareness and presence.
How has LB Ahmad Brooks played since returning to camp?
Very well. He plays the same as when camp started.
What has CB Mario Moore done to get on the depth chart?He’s a spunky kid. He’s another first-year player. There’s a lot to like about him. He’s got a lot of energy. We’ll see what happens when we play the game.
Has C Jordy Lipsey turned the corner?
He got off to a slow start last year. His pace has been good here in camp. For all the players who play early, there is a significant jump between the first year and the second year. That jump doesn’t occur in three weeks of training camp. There is a process involved in that jump, and he would seem to be in that process.
Talk about the experience of the offensive line:
Elton (Brown) had a very sparse high school background, playing-wise. He came in and started the last four games of his freshman year. D’Brickashaw (Ferguson) started as a true freshman at left tackle and played every play. That’s really remarkable to say about a team that won nine games. Just think about all the first-year players who don?t play football and have difficulty with the transition to college- homesick, tough classes, don?t know where to go to buy toothpaste. This guy has played left tackle as a true freshman every snap of the season. (Brad) Butler is much the same way. He came in to start the latter two games and the bowl game. To do what he did, it’s quite a remarkable thing on the part of those three players.
Talk about walk-on WR Imhotep Durham:
We have some nice human interest stories here. He’s a kid who really had a limited football background before he came on with us. He’s very determined. He’s got a spirit about him that he wasn?t going to be denied. On the ‘show’ team all last year, really too far below the surface to see the light, we never dissuaded him for a second. He kept on coming on. He gave us plenty of fits running patterns against the defense and wasn’t able to participate in the spring. That didn?t deter him; he came back. He’s done a nice job.
How do you approach getting Hagans comfortable as the fulltime quarterback and the need to get the guys behind him some time too?
I’m not even thinking about that. I’m thinking about the quarterback who is going to start the game, and we’ll just take it from there. This isn’t a preseason game; this one counts. So we’re going to play whoever we need to to get the job done.
How good a receiver was Hagans (before he switched back to quarterback)?
He did a good really good job for us at the position. He could catch the ball. That’s the really big thing. That’s why they’re called receivers, not called droppers. Sometimes at that position, you look at height, weight, speed, what?s he do the 40 in, and the guy drops the ball. He’s not a receiver. Receiver means you receive the ball. He’s very good at that. He caught the ball real well. Besides his obvious athletic ability, that’s the big thing that he brought to it.
Are you looking for consistency from WR Emmanuel Byers?
Yes, he’s a lot like the other players in his class who have made a progressive move from where they were last year. But they’ve demonstrated things for the first time. Now you need to see it on an on-going basis.
Impressions of freshman DL Chris Long:
Very positive. I’d say Chris is certainly advanced at the position, technique and strength-wise for a kid coming in. I think he’ll probably get some plays on Saturday.
How many freshmen will play on Saturday?
(DE Chris) Long, (S Nate) Lyles, (S Jamaal) Jackson, (TE Tom) Santi, (CB Philip) Brown. I think there’s a good chance they?ll all play.
What kind of athlete is S Jamaal Jackson?
We’re pretty excited about him. He’s a 6-2, 215-lb. safety who can run. He’s a real find. He’s got a very high upside.
What kind of atmosphere do you expect in a pro stadium like where you’ll play Saturday?
I really haven’t given it much thought. I would think it would be pretty good. We haven’t been up in that area to play. We’re hoping that we get a lot of Northeast Virginia fans. It’s a holiday weekend. People have extra time to travel. We’re hoping we have a large contingency of Virginia fans. From what I can tell, there’s good optimism with the Temple program and their fans. There’s early season excitement for both teams.
Have you scouted the new Marching Band?
They’ve been great. The end of the previous week towards the end of one of our practices, they were over on the astroturf practicing. It sounded pretty good to me. They haven’t been around, so I asked (director) Bill Pease if they?d like to come over. Some of the players were curious. I asked them if they’d like to come over last Monday night and maybe play a few numbers for the team. After practice, we all gathered up. Everyone was unanimous- they were great. That was only their fourth or fifth day. They did four or five numbers, and the players asked for a couple of encores. They’re really good. People are going to enjoy them tremendously.
How has TE Heath Miller improved?
He is better really in every respect. But he was pretty good in all those phases before. I can’t equate to this at all, so I’m just making a fantasy example. I guess it would be like some guy at your country club who regularly shoots 78, 79, and everyone says he’s one of the best golfers in the club. Now all of sudden he consistently shoots 74, 75. He’s doing a lot of little things better to consistently get down there, but everyone thought he was pretty good beforehand. Heath did everything well before.He’s doing all those things real well again. He?s progressed in a lot of subtle areas, and I think his game is better in every respect.
Is TB Wali Lundy underrated?
I guess it depends on who?s doing the rating. Not to me. I thought since the moment he walked in here, this guy’s a real good back. He?s only played two years. He?s got plenty of time, his best time yet in front of him to establish exactly what his rating is. I’ve always felt that most players become really good players around their third year, regardless of how much they played beforehand. He’s in his third year. He’s been pretty good before. He’s a real good, solid, versatile back.