Excited for the chance to go on the road and play a tough opponent
It’s easy to have distractions on road trips
Sight lines are different on field
They have to be mature and focus on their process
They had a good practice today but mentality was not where it needed to be
Georgia State beat an SEC team in 2019 (that was Tennessee-my note)
Coach Del McGee has been in the SEC
Knows Jim Chaney, their OC
“We need to level up in terms of mentality so that we can reprise
PAVIA HEALTH
He’s fine, was in the injury tent but it’s bumps and bruises
KEEPING HIM HEALTHY
He is concerned but he doesn’t want to take away from what he does
Diego needs to be a competitor that he’s going to be
They have to prepare the other guys, too
Nate Johnson only had a couple of snaps but made a dynamic play with his legs
He just needs to keep progressing
STATUS OF SYDNOR AND TAYLOR
Sydnor “getting better,” but “questionable” and is progressing faster than they thought
Taylor was back at practice today, had a good day, should be available
OTHER INJURIES
WR Brycen Coleman “On a path back”
Mo Hampton has soft tissue
CJ Williams is long-term
“Little attendance in the injury pit
HOW DO THEY APPROACH THE HOT START
They’ve had good energies and the guys are excited
Don Meyer used to talk about planning and preparing as if they lost their past game
“We want a special season and that means we have to continue to improve.” 5-minute mark
It’s his job to keep the team’s focus on what matters most
Thought the work on the field was intentional
ON DEFENSE SATURDAY
The word “focus” is the right word
They’re proud of putting performance on display and that reflects mission-centered focus
These guys are trying to become unit and a team known for good defense
The number of guys they’ve played and the fact their standard never slipped made him proud
A couple of times ASU had space and they caught a break
But how effective do you contest space and down the ball (is the key)
Forcing third downs tests a team’s ability to execute
Really proud of their focus
NATE JOHNSON
They’d have liked to be able to throw the ball more
There’s always a balance there
They’re trying to get game reps because practice doesn’t afford those opportunities as much
Getting the two non-offensive TDs took away from Nate’s opportunity
Had there not been penalties at the end Nate could have played more
PENALTIES
Some need to be eliminated
When you are in a tight football game a penalty in the margins can be the difference
Sometimes you grab a face mask and it’s circumstantial and not a lack of discipline
The hands-to-the-face and pre-snap penalties have to get better
Pre-snap can be related to early-season chemistry but he doesn’t want to use that as an excuse
They’re sustaining drives and staying on schedule and that’s critical to their success
You’re not going to erase every penalty but the un-disciplined and pre-snap ones can get better.
The roughing call vs VT on Patterson, he didn’t see anything wrong with how he played
THE NEW RULES AROUND COACHING/ON-FIELD COACHES; RE: SPECIAL TEAMS
ST assistant Shane Gallant is a superstar
Good teacher, good coach
MARTEL HIGHT ON RETURNS
Very good athlete with legit speed
Thought the way he answered presser questions—“It’s a game of tag”—was fascinating
With their design and strategy the return unit becomes huge
The margins of field position with punt return are huge
Only possible with the other 10 guys playing well
They should improve with more talent
NO TURNOVERS ON OFFENSE
It’s everything to how they want to win
They left it on the ground too often in Game 1 and got away with things
Cleaner in Game 2
They’ve left some takeaways on the field defensively, that can be a difference in wining and losing down the line
PLAYING ON THE ROAD, WHAT”S THE KEY?
You have to have a good team
Believe in your team
Team has to see and believe in position for success
Minimize distractions and focus on the work and the spirit of that they’re asked to to
The routine doesn’t shirt much but the spaces do
Good teams play to standard no matter where the ball is put down
That’s how they want to approach things
They’ll talk about it and live it out this weekend
But if they’re mature in their process it can galvanize them
ON TARGETING AS AN AUTOMATIC EJECTION
Said he hens’t put a ton of thought into it but doesn’t like the ejection
It’s hard to judge the spirit of the foul and understand the need to protect players at the same time
They want to coach targeting out of the play
He’s heard talk of an NHL model with this
Likes that kids aren’t escorted off the field any more, that was over the top
SUCCESS IN THE RUN GAME, ESPECIALLY WITH EXTRA OL
“It’s the magic of Charlie Clark.”
Performance starts with your OL
They have the best OL coach in the country in Klenakis
Says Larry Black and Jovan Haye have their DL in good technique in practice and that’s helped
He’s an inspirational teacher (Klenakis)
WHAT DOES HE WANT TO LEARN BEYOND RESULT ON SATURDAY
The challenge this season is to grow each game
Always built on the last performance
Don’t skip steps here
This is an important week for them
Want to play to a level they’re proud of
They’re not putting thought into how this prepares them for what’s next, it’s how they prepare for this game
Once they get into SEC schedule that’s another level of excitement and energy
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