Quotes Following Football's 27-21 Over Southeastern Louisiana
Sep 3, 2010 | Football
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Tulane 27, Southeastern Louisiana 21
Tulane Game 1
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, La.
TULANE QUOTES
HEAD COACH Bob Toledo
Opening Statement
"First of all let me say that we tried to make this game as exciting as we could so people would come back and watch us play. So, we tried to make this as exciting as we could. All kidding aside, it was a hard fought football game. It started off well. we went down the field and scored, ate up a lot of clock, and then we started making some mistakes. Offensively, we had two turn-overs. Defensively, we recovered and intercepted some balls. We had four turn-overs - that was a real plus for us. The things I think that really hurt us were the penalties. It took us out of drives and it kept their drives alive. So, that's something we've got to clean up. Last night I talked about `no penalties, no turn-overs, and work on field position' and those are the things that got back and hit us. So maybe I shouldn't mention those things in the future. Anyway, those are the things that we've got to clean up. We are 1-0, it's been since 2002 since we've been 1-0. I think every point that was scored was by a freshman today. That's pretty impressive. I think you all found out that Orleans Darkwa is a guy that's going to be reckoned with over the course of the next four years. I think that a lot of kids played well: Mackey had a bunch of tackles on defense. I thought our defense did a great job of rising to the occasion. In the past we've had some guys and they have buckled. I basically told them `It's time to stop hoping to win and it's time to start thinking about doing the winning.' I like the attitude of our football team right now. I think they need a little time off right now: we've got a couple guys who have a few sprained ankles. Outside of that, we'll come back to work on Monday and start on Ole Miss."
On Orleans Darkwa's Potential
"He's a little bit more mature than most freshmen. If you talk to him he's very intelligent, he's very composed, he doesn't get rattled, he's got a lot of confidence in his ability, and he's very smart. He knows the offense. He's done a great job and he does it all. He can run, he can catch, he can block, he returns kicks. He's a special kid and we're excited to have him in this program."
On Break-Downs in Offensive Line
"It hurt us on some plays. They had some run-throughs and we weren't coming off double teams fast enough to block the people hitting the gaps. We had two guys blocking one and then when they fire we back we have to have one of those guys come off him for that gap and we weren't doing that fast enough. It's game tempo and we didn't get used to the game tempo fast enough. We made some mistakes because of that."
On Different Emphasis on Defense
"We do stations, or drills if you want to call it that, on stripping balls, recovering balls, intercepting balls. We do it with all three groups: the linemen, the backers, the defensive backs. We emphasis it and we coach it but I think sometimes when you're a little more aggressive and you're a better athlete then I think you have a tendency to make more plays. I've been saying, `I think we're a better football team. I think we're stronger, I think we're more athletic.' We get around the ball a little more. I think it showed tonight."
On What Winning The First Game Does For The Team's Psyche
"I think it's big. They talk about how if you want to get to a bowl game, then you have to win that first game. We've got to win five more to get to have that opportunity now but if we had lost this first one it would have been difficult. Again, they are a Division 1-AA team, a very good 1-AA team, and we beat them at the end. I like the way it happened. I'm glad it was a tough game because we had to fight back, we didn't give into it, and we won."
On Winning The Season Opener For The First Time Since 2002
"We haven't done it since I've been here and it's something that these kids have talked about. It gives credibility to our work-outs, to what we've been saying, what we've been preaching and how they feel right now. I think it's huge. It was a big win for us. Anytime you can win the first one at home it gives you some momentum."
On What The Team Has To Work On
"We'll only get better from this. They always talk about how you get better from first game to second game. We never really knew what type of team we had until we got into the game and watched them play. We made a bunch of mistakes which we need to clean up, particularly penalty wise. Hopefully we won't turn the ball over, hopefully we'll continue to get turn-overs. I think we tackled well, we ran to the ball well. I think we did well except on that first kick-off where we kicked the ball right down the middle, and we're not supposed to, we're supposed to kick it to the corner and kick it deep. I thought the kick-offs were very good after that. I thought our punt covers were good. We kicked a couple field goals. I thought we did a nice job with the exception of that first kick-off."
On If The Defense's Aggression Resulted In Them Being Out Of Position
"No, I just think that sometimes you're looking at a middle linebacker who's never really played in a game, you're looking at a safety who hasn't played safety for a while. You've got some young freshmen corners that gave up a couple big plays. This was experience and they'll only get better from here."
On Playing The No. 2 Line
"That's what I've been saying about how we now have some quality back-up depth. It would have been over for us in the past but now we've got some guys who can go in and we don't drop of the face of thee earth like we have. We still have some ankle sprains that we'll have to look at tomorrow."
On Griffin Recognizing The Blitz
"I think he saw them coming because I asked him every time when he came off: `Did you see what they were doing? Did you see what they were doing to you?' and he kind of knew what they were doing, we just didn't pick them up fast enough. They did some things that we hadn't practiced a lot of. They came after us a little bit more than they had in the past."
On Griffin's Short Passes and Using The Run
"It's part of what we're trying to do on the spread offense. We're trying to throw the ball and run after catch yards. We tried to take a couple shots deep and got sacked a couple times because we were trying to throw it deep. We didn't have enough protection. We spread the ball around quite a bit. We try to get the ball into guys' hands and let them run."
On Linebacker Trent Mackey
"We're playing with better players. Trent had to red shirt last year. I told a lot of people that if he had played last year, he would have been a starter. He's an outstanding sophomore and we have a lot of young guys around him."
On Darkwa's Run On Fourth-and-One
"I got on the headset and I said `Steve, we're going to go for it. Can you hold them?' and he said `Go for it!' so I said `Dan, get it called' and he called the play and it obviously worked. I talked to both coordinators real quick and they were both in favor of doing it, it worked, and it was a big play."
On The Overall Performance of The Defense
"I think our defensive line is a lot more physical than it's been. Austen Jacks has got an ankle sprain and one of our other defensive backs has got an ankle sprain, and of course Eric Jones on offense has got an ankle sprain. Our defensive line is a lot more physical. Steve Standard is coaching our defense line and he's got them to do what he wants them to do. I think they're playing with better technique and they're much more physical than they've been in the past."
On Darkwa Being As Compared To Mewelde Moore
"He's there. He's a little faster and quicker, I think. He catches the ball really well. I didn't see Mewelde Moore in college, but a lot of people liken him to Mewelde."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Dan Dodd
On The Offense Not Being Able To Convert The Long Pass
"I thought we ran the ball okay, but the thing that was disappointing was that we couldn't take many deep shots. We had quite a few of them called and we got pressured. We had one that I thought a legitimate shot to get a ball thrown over the top and we got sacked. We called one on the very first series, as a matter of fact, and we took a sack. I think (Ryan) was very efficient tonight. I think he was very good on third down. I liked his demeanor, he's very calm and I think he handled the game very well. He comes off and he has real clarity on the headsets and I thought he did a good job."
On Calling Plays From The Press Box Rather Than The Sideline
"That was not an issue, not a problem at all. I felt very comfortable up there tonight. I though the mechanics of it were very good for our first time doing it that way. I thought the staff handled it very well and we had some good communications."
On Relying On The Defense Late In The Game
"In 31 years of doing this, the one thing I have always been about is winning and our defense was playing great tonight. There were some times later in the ballgame that we could have been more aggressive, but they were playing so well that we ran the ball and turned it back over to (the defense). That proved to be a good formula for us."
On What Southeaster Louisiana's Defense Did In The Game
"I will say this, that I though Southeastern did a great job. There blitz packages were very different than what we had seen heading into the ballgame. I thought we picked up a lot of (their blitzes) on our short calls, but it just seemed that when we tried to get a vertical ball called we had some pressure issues. It is something we will address.
On Next Week
"Everybody always talks about the improvement between week one and week two. It's not Mary's home rolling in here next, it's a pretty good football team and we are going to have to make some pretty healthy strides in order to compete with (Ole Miss)."
On Using Orleans Darkwa & Albert Williams In The Same Backfield
"Basically we were going series for series with those two. Orleans was taking all of the heavy package stuff, the two tight end stuff, he was in on all of those (downs). He is a little bit more physical at the point of attack and can run through arm tackles. Albert is more of a lightning bug, so there really wasn't a huge difference. I really didn't notice who was in the ballgame. I had one series that I said, `that was a nice catch by Orleans' and someone said `that's (Albert) in the game'. So there wasn't really a difference in the way I was calling (palys) with either backs in the game.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Steve Stanard
On Forcing Turnovers
"I think we had four takeaways today and if we can stay at that pace we'd be pretty happy. That was one of the main focuses coming into fall camp. That we really needed to give our offense a better opportunity and take the ball away from the other team and it sure seemed like it paid off today."
On The Knicked-Up Secondary In The Second Half
"We were without Philip, Alex and Shak (the entire second half) and I think that the Washington's and Devon Walker went in and did a good job under the circumstances. I think we are going to look back on the second half and say `we really grew up today'. I have only been here a couple years, but I saw a different team in the second half. We made some mistakes...but I saw a team and a defense really grow up and find a way to close out a game. I was really encouraged by what I saw today."
SENIOR CORNERBACK Phillip Davis
On Winning The Season Opener
"It feels great. In my first three years we didn't start out on the right note, but this year it helps give us a leg up on being a bowl team. So to start out 1-0 it gives us a leg up to get to (that win total) and get to a bowl game. To be 1-0, it feels really good."
On The Different Feel The 2010 Defensive Has
"From summer workouts to fall camp, I really feel that we have come together as a defense. We put a lot of emphasis on creating turnovers, because that's one thing we didn't do last year and it was something we really wanted to turn around. For us to come out with four turnovers in the first game, I think that is big for our defense and for our confidence that we can give our offense more opportunities to put the ball in the end zone."
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK Ryan Griffin
On The Pressure He Faced From SLU
"I feel like we were prepared (for the pressure). We made a lot of adjustments throughout the game to make sure we were picking up everything. The fumble was my fault, I set the protection one way and it should have stayed on that side. There were a lot of mistakes that I made that can be fixed and that should fix the pressure issues. But just like coach Dodd said, it seemed like every time we tried to go deep they would overload one side and it was just bad timing I guess."
On The Game's Opening Drive
"That was great. Hopefully, we don't have to get a third-and-18 and convert, but that really showed what we have been working on all spring, summer and fall camp. That is hopefully a sign of things to come."
On What SLU Did After The First Drive To Make Things More Difficult
"As you could see, there safeties were really shallow and they did a great job of disguising single safety coverage's. They had guys up five yards that would shoot back to the deep third, so they did a great job. Our defense played unbelievably, too. It is really a credit to (our defense), because they stepped up and really carried us throughout the game. We weren't able to move the ball and they got us all of those turnovers."
On Being 1-0 To Start The Season
"It's a pretty big deal, but you can really see how we have matured over the years. We are happy with the win and it feels great to be 1-0, but we are still really hungry because we have a lot more to prove. Offensivley we have a lot more to prove, we have a lot of room to grow and we can come out next week and show that. It feels good to be 1-0, but there is still that feeling in your stomach like, `man that was pretty ugly', but it feels great to win that way and to know you can count on your defense."
On The Young Talent Around Him This Season
"You saw it tonight. D.J. Banks is a sophomore, Orleans is a true freshman, Ryan Grant is a sophomore and we just rolled guys out there (tonight) that are really young and they are making plays. It is really nice to see young guys out there that I am going to be out there with for a while making plays consistently. It gives us a lot of confidence now and for the future."
SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER Trent Mackey
On Starting The Season 1-0
"It feels great to be 1-0. The defense made some plays and we need to just tune it up a little and get better every day."
On Making An Impact Tonight After Sitting Out Last Season
"It was a great feeling. Being able to sit out a year and then fall right back into things, being a redshirt sophomore and being able to help the team win games."
FRESHMAN RUNNING BACK Orleans Darkwa
On His Feeling After His First Collegiate Game
"It feels good to be 1-0 and I definitely want thank the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to go out there on the goal line and get the touchdowns. It definitely feels good to be 1-0 right now. I had some butterflies at first. Going into the dome you are going to get those the first time, but as the game went on I started relaxing and getting more into the game. It felt good.
On How The First Drive Helped Him Relax
"It helped a lot. Ryan did a great job of driving us down the field and as the game went on we just kept trying to get into the end zone. That what we had to do."
On His Expectations Heading Into The Game
"I knew going in (to the game) that I was going to have those opportunities to get in the end zone, so it was just a matter of seizing those opportunities. I knew ahead of time, but I am glad to be in this position right now."
On The Fourth-And-One Conversion
"I just wanted to get the first down. It was a situation that I have to get that yard and I just had to put my head down and get that first down."
SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER Casey Robottom
On The Punt Return That He Hesitated On
"There were directional kicking and the punter shanked it in the other direction from where the coverage was playing. So, as I was running over there I knew that if I got a good bounce I would try and make a play on it. Luckily it bounce pretty high and I was able to run up under it."
On The Coverage From Southeastern Defense
"The safeties were definitely playing up, but the corner backs weren't pressing us. (The cornerbacks) were playing off but it seemed like every time we tried to push the ball down the field they would blitz and give us a lot of pressure. The corners weren't really in our faces, they were just dialing up pressure at the right times."
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA QUOTES
HEAD COACH MIKE LUCAS
Opening Statement
"The kids played their heart out. We turned the ball over four times. I thought Tulane did a good job hawking the ball. You can't turn it over like that. We had a bad punt early. Beau (Mothe) is too good of a punter to do that. It was a lack of concentration. He said he had a bad drop. When the punt goes off the side of his foot and we come on the field, defensively, at the 16 yard line. That was a big swing in the ballgame. That put us down by two touchdowns. The kids came back. Coach Webb did a good job of halftime adjustments. The second half could have gone either way."
On How The Overturned Call Affected The Game
"The officials, what are you going to do. Can't live with them, can't live without them, right? You can't ask for a review on a forward progress call. That's one, on Simmie (Yarborough), that I thought forward progress was stopped. They knocked him back five yards running and then they stripped the ball out. You can't review forward progress. That's what I was told. We are FCS, we only get to do this one time all year. I am going to use that review. I'm going to use it. Our quarterback is hurt pretty bad right now. I feel bad for our team. They left it all out on the field. I've been telling our kids, we have conditioned them very hard. It's been 120 heat index in Hammond and we have been grinding it. They have given everything they had. We told them we were going to run Tulane in the ground. Tonight, Tulane had a bunch a kids cramping. I think that had an effect on the second half. We were completing some balls because their secondary guys were cramping. We didn't have a cramp. We worked. We worked hard and I'm proud of my kids."
On The Health Of Quarterback Tyler Beatty
"He got rolled up on his knee. He will have an MRI on Monday and we will see what they say. Even if it's not serious, I doubt he will be ready by next week. We will have to get B.J. Young or one of the other freshmen ready to go."
On If It Was Hard To Defend Tulane's Offense
"We didn't know what they were going to do. They talked about being in the spread. That first drive, they had a third down and 20 that we let them get a first down on. We tried a three man rush, drop a linebacker in the hole, and we didn't do a good job of holding up the receivers. We didn't do that again the rest of the game. We went to pressure. We felt like the more pressure we could bring from then on, the better. They were throwing a lot of short routes, so we tightened down our coverage. That first series, we backed off them, not knowing what they were going to do. Then we tightened down and I feel like that made a pretty big difference the rest of the game. They ran a lot more power stuff than what I expected. They ran a lot of two tight end power stuff. More than what I expected. They got some big plays on that too."
On What He Takes From This Game
"I think it's evident that we have a good football team. We never gave up at the end. There was never a doubt on the sidelines that we were coming back. I wasted a timeout for the review. We wasted a timeout early, offensively, because of a personnel deal. If we have another timeout there at the end, it might be a different outcome. We have to learn that we need to have all three timeouts at the end of a ballgame, and that's the reason why."
On Why The Offense Could Not Find a Rhythm
"I thought their d-line did a good job against the run. I'd thought we would have run the ball better. They were pretty physical up front on the run game. We went to throw it. We scored 21, our goal was 28. If we scored 28, we win."
On The Performance of the SLU Special Teams
"I thought we punted the ball poorly. I thought our coverage units were pretty good. Punt and kickoff coverage, I don't see where there is anything bad there. On kickoff returns, we had too many penalties. We had a couple of returns to the 40 yard line that were called back for holding or a block in the back which is uncalled for. Unacceptable. We will get that corrected."
FREE SAFETY RE'KEEM WILSON
On How The Defense Played Overall
"I think we played pretty good. We didn't come out and play like we wanted to. We started off slow, and it didn't help us at the end."
On How The Defense Can Clean Up The Penalties
Starting next week, practicing. Getting better and better. Finishing the season."
RUNNING BACK ZEKE JONES
On How The Team Played
"I thought we came out and played hard. We made some mistakes. We got ourselves back on the 20, and that hurt us. I think we came out and we fought hard. We didn't close the door like we should have. I think we are going to have to go back, gameplan, and just work harder."
On The Success Of The Running Game
"I thought we ran the ball good. I think we ran the ball pretty well. The linemen were doing their job and we were just reading blocks off of them and doing what we could do. The fumble hurt us, and that's on me. You have to put it behind you and go to the next play."
On What He Takes From The Game
"We are not going to let this hold us down. This is just going to motivate us and get us ready for the rest of the season. We are going to go out and play hard every game."
