Post by WVUfanPHILLY on Aug 13, 2007 11:10:53 GMT -5
Defense, Bednarik provide bright spots
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN — Rich Rodriguez thought the defense did some good things but that the offense “didn’t execute really at all” on Saturday afternoon in West Virginia University’s first football scrimmage behind locked gates.
In what clearly was his shortest media briefing of his tenure, the seventh-year head coach sounded deeply disappointed during the four or five minutes he spent with reporters.
“I don’t have much to report,” he said. “It was a very average scrimmage. They were very undisciplined today. Way too many penalties — stupid penalties.”
He thought the defense was getting to the ball pretty well and created a couple of turnovers. But he wasn’t certain whether it was a matter of the defense dominating or the offense just not performing well.
Rodriguez did think that quarterback Adam Bednarik, coming back after missing all of last year, did some nice things. There were a couple of touchdowns by either the second or third group, he said, but none by the No. 1 unit.
“Outside of (Bednarik), there wasn’t much of anything out of the offense that I liked,” he stated. “Special teams did a nice job with a live rush. And I saw a couple good things on kickoff returns.
“All in all, though, it was a poor scrimmage. We’ve got to get back to work. That’s why I’m in a hurry.
“I don’t think anybody really looked good today. We have too much work to do.”
Rodriguez insists that his team is not even close to where it should be after eight days of preseason practice.
“Our camp has been too easy,” he charged. “It’s like a country club.
“We’ve got to get back to getting this camp the right way. Get focused on assignments and playing with discipline. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Lightning and heavy rain nearly every day disrupted practice and forced the Mountaineers indoors all week. That bothered him, although the weather was sunny and clear Saturday for both sessions.
There will be no practice Sunday. But the players will have meetings.
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN — Rich Rodriguez thought the defense did some good things but that the offense “didn’t execute really at all” on Saturday afternoon in West Virginia University’s first football scrimmage behind locked gates.
In what clearly was his shortest media briefing of his tenure, the seventh-year head coach sounded deeply disappointed during the four or five minutes he spent with reporters.
“I don’t have much to report,” he said. “It was a very average scrimmage. They were very undisciplined today. Way too many penalties — stupid penalties.”
He thought the defense was getting to the ball pretty well and created a couple of turnovers. But he wasn’t certain whether it was a matter of the defense dominating or the offense just not performing well.
Rodriguez did think that quarterback Adam Bednarik, coming back after missing all of last year, did some nice things. There were a couple of touchdowns by either the second or third group, he said, but none by the No. 1 unit.
“Outside of (Bednarik), there wasn’t much of anything out of the offense that I liked,” he stated. “Special teams did a nice job with a live rush. And I saw a couple good things on kickoff returns.
“All in all, though, it was a poor scrimmage. We’ve got to get back to work. That’s why I’m in a hurry.
“I don’t think anybody really looked good today. We have too much work to do.”
Rodriguez insists that his team is not even close to where it should be after eight days of preseason practice.
“Our camp has been too easy,” he charged. “It’s like a country club.
“We’ve got to get back to getting this camp the right way. Get focused on assignments and playing with discipline. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Lightning and heavy rain nearly every day disrupted practice and forced the Mountaineers indoors all week. That bothered him, although the weather was sunny and clear Saturday for both sessions.
There will be no practice Sunday. But the players will have meetings.
