Post by elp525 on Oct 28, 2011 5:28:45 GMT -5
10/27/2011
Frank Giardina
WVU
Here are some thoughts and observations from the Dana Holgorsen radio show on Thursday.
1. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM RUTGERS THIS WEEKEND...WILL THE MOUNTAINEERS BE THE HUNTED OR THE HUNTER?---Comment---We're finding out what it is like to have the bullseye on our back. Syracuse wanted it more last week than we did. We will face the same kind of intensity this week at Rutgers. Everyone wants to beat us.Last week when we got hit, we didn't respond. This week we will get hit again. I have told the captains, player and coaches that we have to do something about it.
Translation---We are picked to win the league and we are trying to leave the league. We are everyone's "big game". We got pushed around last week and didn't fight back. We won't let that happen again. Syracuse was the more physical team last week and that will not be the case this week.
2. RUTGERS HAS NOT WON IN THIS SERIES SINCE 1994. IS THIS A SET-UP? -Comment--It is and I can't wait. Rutgers is a good team that is well coached. We'll see if we learned anything from last week. We need to stay together and finish the game. We need to say enough is enough and I want to see how we respond.
Translation--I know they are pulling out all the stops for this game and I welcome that. It is a compliment to our program that we are a big game for them. It is a compliment to our program that they have not won in this series for almost 20 years. It will be a tough, physical challenge and I want to see if we respond to that.
3. CALLER QUESTION--WHAT IS GOING ON WITH LEAVING THE BIG EAST FOR THE BIG 12--Comment-I don't watch the shows that are dealing with the Big 12 news. I told the team on Tuesday that I don't know what is going on and I don't care. My job is not to worry about that, but to prepare to beat Rutgers. It is a distraction, though to the players. I walk by the players lounge and every television in there is talking about it.
Translation--I can't stop the players from talking about and reading about it. It is impossible for them not to hear about it. But, I don't have time to worry about it. The coaches have too much work to do to get ready for the game.
4. WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON YOUR QUARTERBACK STAYING IN THE POCKET--Comment--It depends on the situation. If your guy is moble and you might want to get him out there and run him a little more. But, I have never really done that. We maybe should do more of it when teams are dropping back. But we don't want to do a lot of it and put him (Geno) in harms way.
Translation--Our hands a little tied. We only have the one quarterback that we can win with. We can't afford to get him running arond and getting hurt. Geno is athletic enough to run a little, but the only other scholarship quarterback we have is a true freshman.
5. WHAT ABOUT THE RUTGERS DEFENSE---Comment--They do a good job of recruiting players for one position and then swithching them to another position that suits them better. They bring in players and get them bigger, coach them up and then move them to a spot that is best for them.
Translation--Greg Schiano was a young coach at Penn State and he learned this from Joe Paterno. The Penn State staff is well known for putting players in the position that turns out to be the best for them to play at the next level. Telling this story over and over is a big help in recruiting.
6. HOW WAS THE RUNNING GAME VS. SYRACUSE--Comment--I should have called 40 running plays instead of 20. I am the first to admit that i got out-coached last week. I got spooked by the blitz and didn't call enough runs.
Translation---West Virginia abandoned the running game in the first half and get themselves in a hole. The opening drive of the third quarter was the Mountaineers most effective of the game. That drive featured Dustin Garrison and the running game.
7. WAS IT HARD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON OFFENSE DURING THE GAME TO CHECK INTO THE CORRECT PLAY?--Comment--We couldn't call plays to attack what they were doing because they were doing so many things that we couldn't tell what they were doing. We want to eventually get our quarterback comfortable to where he calls some plays.
Translation---I have already admitted that Syracuse did a great coaching job last week. They kept our offense off balance most of the night.
8. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAY LAST WEEK--Comment--After the game, Jeff (Casteel) said that we didn't do a good enough job of winning first down. We could not get them in 3rd and long and they were 12-17 on third down conversions. The job of the defense was to get them off the field and we couldn't do that.
Translation--We weren't very good. We didn't tackle and we got pushed around. We can't let that happen again.
9. IS THE 3-3-5 GETTING ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE OPPOSING QUARTERBACK?--Comment--This is a good scheme. There is nothing wrong with the scheme. It is the same scheme that was a top five defense last year. We just have to get better at making plays. Our safeties and corners were filling against the running game and they missed too many tackles.
Translation--This is a personnel driven game. There is nothing wong with the scheme or the coaching. We are replacing seven starters from last year and maybe new guys are not as good a players as last year's guys.
Frank Giardina
WVU
Here are some thoughts and observations from the Dana Holgorsen radio show on Thursday.
1. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM RUTGERS THIS WEEKEND...WILL THE MOUNTAINEERS BE THE HUNTED OR THE HUNTER?---Comment---We're finding out what it is like to have the bullseye on our back. Syracuse wanted it more last week than we did. We will face the same kind of intensity this week at Rutgers. Everyone wants to beat us.Last week when we got hit, we didn't respond. This week we will get hit again. I have told the captains, player and coaches that we have to do something about it.
Translation---We are picked to win the league and we are trying to leave the league. We are everyone's "big game". We got pushed around last week and didn't fight back. We won't let that happen again. Syracuse was the more physical team last week and that will not be the case this week.
2. RUTGERS HAS NOT WON IN THIS SERIES SINCE 1994. IS THIS A SET-UP? -Comment--It is and I can't wait. Rutgers is a good team that is well coached. We'll see if we learned anything from last week. We need to stay together and finish the game. We need to say enough is enough and I want to see how we respond.
Translation--I know they are pulling out all the stops for this game and I welcome that. It is a compliment to our program that we are a big game for them. It is a compliment to our program that they have not won in this series for almost 20 years. It will be a tough, physical challenge and I want to see if we respond to that.
3. CALLER QUESTION--WHAT IS GOING ON WITH LEAVING THE BIG EAST FOR THE BIG 12--Comment-I don't watch the shows that are dealing with the Big 12 news. I told the team on Tuesday that I don't know what is going on and I don't care. My job is not to worry about that, but to prepare to beat Rutgers. It is a distraction, though to the players. I walk by the players lounge and every television in there is talking about it.
Translation--I can't stop the players from talking about and reading about it. It is impossible for them not to hear about it. But, I don't have time to worry about it. The coaches have too much work to do to get ready for the game.
4. WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON YOUR QUARTERBACK STAYING IN THE POCKET--Comment--It depends on the situation. If your guy is moble and you might want to get him out there and run him a little more. But, I have never really done that. We maybe should do more of it when teams are dropping back. But we don't want to do a lot of it and put him (Geno) in harms way.
Translation--Our hands a little tied. We only have the one quarterback that we can win with. We can't afford to get him running arond and getting hurt. Geno is athletic enough to run a little, but the only other scholarship quarterback we have is a true freshman.
5. WHAT ABOUT THE RUTGERS DEFENSE---Comment--They do a good job of recruiting players for one position and then swithching them to another position that suits them better. They bring in players and get them bigger, coach them up and then move them to a spot that is best for them.
Translation--Greg Schiano was a young coach at Penn State and he learned this from Joe Paterno. The Penn State staff is well known for putting players in the position that turns out to be the best for them to play at the next level. Telling this story over and over is a big help in recruiting.
6. HOW WAS THE RUNNING GAME VS. SYRACUSE--Comment--I should have called 40 running plays instead of 20. I am the first to admit that i got out-coached last week. I got spooked by the blitz and didn't call enough runs.
Translation---West Virginia abandoned the running game in the first half and get themselves in a hole. The opening drive of the third quarter was the Mountaineers most effective of the game. That drive featured Dustin Garrison and the running game.
7. WAS IT HARD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON OFFENSE DURING THE GAME TO CHECK INTO THE CORRECT PLAY?--Comment--We couldn't call plays to attack what they were doing because they were doing so many things that we couldn't tell what they were doing. We want to eventually get our quarterback comfortable to where he calls some plays.
Translation---I have already admitted that Syracuse did a great coaching job last week. They kept our offense off balance most of the night.
8. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR DEFENSIVE PLAY LAST WEEK--Comment--After the game, Jeff (Casteel) said that we didn't do a good enough job of winning first down. We could not get them in 3rd and long and they were 12-17 on third down conversions. The job of the defense was to get them off the field and we couldn't do that.
Translation--We weren't very good. We didn't tackle and we got pushed around. We can't let that happen again.
9. IS THE 3-3-5 GETTING ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE OPPOSING QUARTERBACK?--Comment--This is a good scheme. There is nothing wrong with the scheme. It is the same scheme that was a top five defense last year. We just have to get better at making plays. Our safeties and corners were filling against the running game and they missed too many tackles.
Translation--This is a personnel driven game. There is nothing wong with the scheme or the coaching. We are replacing seven starters from last year and maybe new guys are not as good a players as last year's guys.
