Troy University Athletics
Troy Football Press Conference Transcript and Video - Navy Game
11/5/2012 6:18:00 PM | Football
Troy Head Coach Larry Blakeney
Opening Statement
We had a great opportunity and a great challenge and couldn't quite deal with it. We probably played about as good as we could play on offense, little bit sub-par on special teams and not very well on defense which resulted in a shootout and we came up short by a touchdown. It's hard to say the things that I asked the defense to do - line up, cover your assignment, cover your man and don't give up big plays, so obviously I don't need to talk. We haven't been bad about getting off the field which defense is all about these days. We did get some possessions back and got some stops in the second half, but not enough to do with what we wanted to do.
(Tennessee) is very prolific on offense. (Tyler) Bray can get it down the field. They've got three of the best receivers on one team and Cordarrelle Patterson might be the three best receivers on one team. He's a dynamite guy. Justin Hunter and Zach Rogers are pretty good too. Sometimes you got to understand the circumstances and you got to understand what you're dealing with and it sort of looked like we had our head in the sky a little bit. Our devotional was even about that. Our chaplain Lonnie Cochran is always on cue and he talked about the arena, keeping your head in the game, keeping your head on the field and he always gives Biblical examples of things, but we didn't do enough to win.
Now we are going from a team that spreads it out all over the field to a team that is very different. That is dynamic option, play-action pass team that is very, very disciplined and normally very prolific. So we will have our hands full and we've already spent extra time today and yesterday, defensively trying to lock down on what we need to do and can do to execute. We are getting into some must-win area and I hope we respond well to it.
Positives of Troy's performance against Tennessee
Conversely, on the offensive of the ball I asked them to block their front. Our offensive line played over 100 snaps each and we had no sacks and no turnovers. I asked our quarterbacks to play together and they played as good as they could play, the two of them. We asked our receivers to get off the press and make plays and everybody they did, but those two outside guys (Chip Reeves and Eric Thomas) put the game on their backs. Shawn Southward rushed for over 100 yards. The draw play became big. There were some really good things there. We didn't kick the ball well. What we were trying to do, and I know it looks crazy, but we were trying to pooch the ball to the 20-yard line. We just under kicked it. Sometimes it happens; when a young guy has never played in a place like that. We were lining up and trying to see where Patterson was and kick it away from him. In retrospect, if you could just kick it to him and see if you could tackle him, but that is easier said than done, tackling him.
I'm proud of our kids, we talk about resilience they popped right back and had good work in last night. We are not as good as we need to be, which is very obvious. It's still the same coaches that won five straight championships coaching and I happened to be there for those five also. It's the nature of the beast. If you're going to be in the arena, you might as well get ready for criticism. You've got to be able to handle that. I try my best to protect our coaches and players from that. It's part of our job and Troy is the one that needs to be the winner in this thing in whatever happens, and we are going to do our part to try to win these last three games.
On stopping Navy's option offense
Number one, you've got to get lined up. We are going to be very simple. Somebody every time they snap it has to have the fullback, someone has to have the quarterback, and someone has to have the pitch and the pass. They'll run a little reverse here and there. They're a good football team, offensively, but the main thing they are so disciplined with their attack they make you be discipline. If you get out of whack or you get out of position they are going to take advantage of it. They are well-oiled. Their defensive coordinator I've known for years, Buddy Green, he understands what they are doing on offense and he tailor's that to his defense. Their head coach (Ken Niamatalolo) he was raised in this offense by Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech and they know all the nuisances. They know what they are doing, they are very good football team and well-coached.
On what can be learned from Troy's game last season with Navy
We've watch last year's tape and we've watch every game they've played this year. You try to take what other things other teams have done, but you've only got so much you can do. It's all about offensive responsibility or they will run you out of the stadium every time.
On how Navy's run-first offense can affect the passing game
Your guys in the secondary have to know who they are looking at. If there is a guy who releases up field they've got to have him. There are a lot of nuisances to it.
Opening Statement
We had a great opportunity and a great challenge and couldn't quite deal with it. We probably played about as good as we could play on offense, little bit sub-par on special teams and not very well on defense which resulted in a shootout and we came up short by a touchdown. It's hard to say the things that I asked the defense to do - line up, cover your assignment, cover your man and don't give up big plays, so obviously I don't need to talk. We haven't been bad about getting off the field which defense is all about these days. We did get some possessions back and got some stops in the second half, but not enough to do with what we wanted to do.
(Tennessee) is very prolific on offense. (Tyler) Bray can get it down the field. They've got three of the best receivers on one team and Cordarrelle Patterson might be the three best receivers on one team. He's a dynamite guy. Justin Hunter and Zach Rogers are pretty good too. Sometimes you got to understand the circumstances and you got to understand what you're dealing with and it sort of looked like we had our head in the sky a little bit. Our devotional was even about that. Our chaplain Lonnie Cochran is always on cue and he talked about the arena, keeping your head in the game, keeping your head on the field and he always gives Biblical examples of things, but we didn't do enough to win.
Now we are going from a team that spreads it out all over the field to a team that is very different. That is dynamic option, play-action pass team that is very, very disciplined and normally very prolific. So we will have our hands full and we've already spent extra time today and yesterday, defensively trying to lock down on what we need to do and can do to execute. We are getting into some must-win area and I hope we respond well to it.
Positives of Troy's performance against Tennessee
Conversely, on the offensive of the ball I asked them to block their front. Our offensive line played over 100 snaps each and we had no sacks and no turnovers. I asked our quarterbacks to play together and they played as good as they could play, the two of them. We asked our receivers to get off the press and make plays and everybody they did, but those two outside guys (Chip Reeves and Eric Thomas) put the game on their backs. Shawn Southward rushed for over 100 yards. The draw play became big. There were some really good things there. We didn't kick the ball well. What we were trying to do, and I know it looks crazy, but we were trying to pooch the ball to the 20-yard line. We just under kicked it. Sometimes it happens; when a young guy has never played in a place like that. We were lining up and trying to see where Patterson was and kick it away from him. In retrospect, if you could just kick it to him and see if you could tackle him, but that is easier said than done, tackling him.
I'm proud of our kids, we talk about resilience they popped right back and had good work in last night. We are not as good as we need to be, which is very obvious. It's still the same coaches that won five straight championships coaching and I happened to be there for those five also. It's the nature of the beast. If you're going to be in the arena, you might as well get ready for criticism. You've got to be able to handle that. I try my best to protect our coaches and players from that. It's part of our job and Troy is the one that needs to be the winner in this thing in whatever happens, and we are going to do our part to try to win these last three games.
On stopping Navy's option offense
Number one, you've got to get lined up. We are going to be very simple. Somebody every time they snap it has to have the fullback, someone has to have the quarterback, and someone has to have the pitch and the pass. They'll run a little reverse here and there. They're a good football team, offensively, but the main thing they are so disciplined with their attack they make you be discipline. If you get out of whack or you get out of position they are going to take advantage of it. They are well-oiled. Their defensive coordinator I've known for years, Buddy Green, he understands what they are doing on offense and he tailor's that to his defense. Their head coach (Ken Niamatalolo) he was raised in this offense by Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech and they know all the nuisances. They know what they are doing, they are very good football team and well-coached.
On what can be learned from Troy's game last season with Navy
We've watch last year's tape and we've watch every game they've played this year. You try to take what other things other teams have done, but you've only got so much you can do. It's all about offensive responsibility or they will run you out of the stadium every time.
On how Navy's run-first offense can affect the passing game
Your guys in the secondary have to know who they are looking at. If there is a guy who releases up field they've got to have him. There are a lot of nuisances to it.
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