Opening Statement
Well, we obviously met this week, had a simulated practice yesterday, we’ll have (one) again today and then we’ll start Monday prep on Florida. We’ve done a lot of film work on them as well. Obviously they haven’t played their latest game coming up against Georgia, but it’s been a good week. We’re trying to get some guys healed up and things of that nature. And obviously with an offensive coordinator change, we’re going through that, as well.
Thoughts on Derek Kief? (Interim WR coach)
He’s a mature guy. Has a good relationship with the kids. Knows the offense. Went through the offense. Knows the terminology. I think any time you make a change during the season, I think the biggest thing is the terminology is the same for the kids, do we have coaches that can coach that terminology, what we’re trying to get done, so they’re able to continue to play fast and things of that nature. He played in that system and he also has obviously been an analyst in that system, so he was an easy choice regarding that.
How do you go about cutting down the playbook? Look at most efficient plays? Talk to KJ?
I think you are right with what you’re saying. Obviously we did. We went to our most efficient runs and what they may be and then we looked at does that fit what Florida’s doing, like you would any weekly game plan. Certainly have talked to the quarterbacks, or KJ specifically, about what he feels good about running in the offense, about his throws, about his potential to run. And then we obviously have to take into consideration our offensive line, what we can do and what we’re not doing well. If we’re not doing it well, it doesn’t matter what the design of the play is, if we can’t block it, then it’s not going to have success. So we’ve obviously done a lot of soul searching inside, trying to find out how we can be an efficient offense and we’ll continue to work on that as we go forward.
What is your stance on radios being used in college football?
I’m all for it.
Easy enough, thank you.
Thank you, 100% for it.
Why are SEC teams struggling in short yardage situations? Is it tougher to succeed in short yardage situations than previous years?
Well, I think it has a lot to do with who you’re playing, obviously. We’ve tried fast sneaks, we’ve tried inside zones, we’ve tried stretch plays, and obviously our fourth down conversion rate is not bad until you go to one yard, and then at that point I think we’ve not made four of them. I don’t really know exactly why, I think the D-line are certainly bigger than they have been but your O-line usually is bigger than it has been too. I just think we all have to have the possibility to toss the ball outside and do some things that probably old school is not comfortable with. The closest way to get a yard is to go up the middle. So I think we are reevaluating that as well, but it’s not a big deal if you go first down and get no yards but boy it’s big on fourth and one. I just think that the intensity and the practice and the kids understanding and everybody understanding that this is not a ‘you have another down after that,’ it’s a big deal. Sometimes the defense is better than you, but I think it has a lot to do with all those things.
Can you talk about the possibility of implementing the Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push play?
Pittman: Well, we ran it twice on Saturday. One it worked, of course the second one we fumbled. I do believe we would have had the first down if we didn’t, but we fumbled on it which brings the spot back. They got it anyway, but we have tried using that as early as last week.
MEASURING ENTHUSIASM/SPIRIT FOR THE CHANGE?
I think the kids are excited. Again, that’s nothing negative towards Coach Enos. It’s just I think they’re excited. Obviously, when things have been difficult, one of the answers is change. The other answer is to get better at what you’re doing and those things. And we’ve tried that. I feel like the kids feel like there’s the opportunity for new life maybe or whatever you want to say. We weren’t doing what we… our offense, we weren’t doing it well so the only way I knew how to do it was try to change it and certainly the kids have bought into that well the last two days.
CHEATING?
Well, I don’t believe in feigning (injuries). I don’t think it’s part of the game. I don’t believe in stealing signals. I don’t think it’s part of the game. So I think the helmet situation would help tremendously in those aspects. I don’t know why we can’t do it. We should be able to do it and it would take some of those situations you just mentioned out of the game and make sure that it’s all fair.
What’s this week been like for Kenny Guiton?
I think Kenny is ready. He obviously knows the offense. He’s more knowledgeable even than what I thought in the run game. Obviously, I’ve been in every meeting. I stepped out of the one I was in now to talk to y’all, but I’ll go right back to it. So, I’m trying to help him in every aspect I can in the running game. He’s ready for it, but more importantly than that, he believes that he’s ready for it and the players believe that he’s ready for it. I go back to Auburn last year and Cadillac going and him becoming the head coach, and you know they beat A&M, they beat Western Kentucky and they played Mississippi State real tough, who was a real fine team, on the road. We lost our spirit on offense and we’ve got to get it back. Kenny’s got great rapport with the kids, and he’s very knowledgeable and I think kids believe in him. That’ll make us play better right then and there. We obviously have to block them better and do things like that, but you also have to have the enthusiasm to do that and I think that’s what he’s bringing to our offensive staff.
Why do you think things didn’t work out with Dan Enos?
I can’t really put my finger on it because he’s a hell of a coach, a good man, and he’s had great success in his career. I really don’t know. Maybe we aren’t a pocket protection team. You know, we ran it, I don’t know, probably averaged 8-10 dropbacks a game in the previous three years. Maybe a little more when Felipe Franks was here. It’s just, our quarterback wasn’t great at just sitting in the pocket. Our wide outs weren’t getting open. We couldn’t protect. A lot of things. Maybe that’s part of it, but I just think everything was hard for us. Everything was very difficult. Three yards were very difficult. I don’t know exactly why, because Dan is a fine coach. So, I can’t really put my finger on it, but I do know we lost our spirit. How we did that, I can’t really put a finger on that, but we’ve got to get it back.
Anything you would evaluate differently next time you go hire an OC?
I don’t think so. I mean, we hired a defensive coordinator when Barry was fortunate enough to go get the job at UNLV, and it worked out. Doing a great job. And we hired an offensive coordinator, and for whatever reason, it didn’t. I don’t think so, because I liked the offense they were running at Maryland. I liked the offense we ran when I was with Dan here. You hate to admit that it didn’t work out and that you did your research on what you thought was correct, but I did, and it didn’t work out, so I don’t know that I would change the way I made the hire, so no.
Well, we obviously met this week, had a simulated practice yesterday, we’ll have (one) again today and then we’ll start Monday prep on Florida. We’ve done a lot of film work on them as well. Obviously they haven’t played their latest game coming up against Georgia, but it’s been a good week. We’re trying to get some guys healed up and things of that nature. And obviously with an offensive coordinator change, we’re going through that, as well.
Thoughts on Derek Kief? (Interim WR coach)
He’s a mature guy. Has a good relationship with the kids. Knows the offense. Went through the offense. Knows the terminology. I think any time you make a change during the season, I think the biggest thing is the terminology is the same for the kids, do we have coaches that can coach that terminology, what we’re trying to get done, so they’re able to continue to play fast and things of that nature. He played in that system and he also has obviously been an analyst in that system, so he was an easy choice regarding that.
How do you go about cutting down the playbook? Look at most efficient plays? Talk to KJ?
I think you are right with what you’re saying. Obviously we did. We went to our most efficient runs and what they may be and then we looked at does that fit what Florida’s doing, like you would any weekly game plan. Certainly have talked to the quarterbacks, or KJ specifically, about what he feels good about running in the offense, about his throws, about his potential to run. And then we obviously have to take into consideration our offensive line, what we can do and what we’re not doing well. If we’re not doing it well, it doesn’t matter what the design of the play is, if we can’t block it, then it’s not going to have success. So we’ve obviously done a lot of soul searching inside, trying to find out how we can be an efficient offense and we’ll continue to work on that as we go forward.
What is your stance on radios being used in college football?
I’m all for it.
Easy enough, thank you.
Thank you, 100% for it.
Why are SEC teams struggling in short yardage situations? Is it tougher to succeed in short yardage situations than previous years?
Well, I think it has a lot to do with who you’re playing, obviously. We’ve tried fast sneaks, we’ve tried inside zones, we’ve tried stretch plays, and obviously our fourth down conversion rate is not bad until you go to one yard, and then at that point I think we’ve not made four of them. I don’t really know exactly why, I think the D-line are certainly bigger than they have been but your O-line usually is bigger than it has been too. I just think we all have to have the possibility to toss the ball outside and do some things that probably old school is not comfortable with. The closest way to get a yard is to go up the middle. So I think we are reevaluating that as well, but it’s not a big deal if you go first down and get no yards but boy it’s big on fourth and one. I just think that the intensity and the practice and the kids understanding and everybody understanding that this is not a ‘you have another down after that,’ it’s a big deal. Sometimes the defense is better than you, but I think it has a lot to do with all those things.
Can you talk about the possibility of implementing the Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push play?
Pittman: Well, we ran it twice on Saturday. One it worked, of course the second one we fumbled. I do believe we would have had the first down if we didn’t, but we fumbled on it which brings the spot back. They got it anyway, but we have tried using that as early as last week.
MEASURING ENTHUSIASM/SPIRIT FOR THE CHANGE?
I think the kids are excited. Again, that’s nothing negative towards Coach Enos. It’s just I think they’re excited. Obviously, when things have been difficult, one of the answers is change. The other answer is to get better at what you’re doing and those things. And we’ve tried that. I feel like the kids feel like there’s the opportunity for new life maybe or whatever you want to say. We weren’t doing what we… our offense, we weren’t doing it well so the only way I knew how to do it was try to change it and certainly the kids have bought into that well the last two days.
CHEATING?
Well, I don’t believe in feigning (injuries). I don’t think it’s part of the game. I don’t believe in stealing signals. I don’t think it’s part of the game. So I think the helmet situation would help tremendously in those aspects. I don’t know why we can’t do it. We should be able to do it and it would take some of those situations you just mentioned out of the game and make sure that it’s all fair.
What’s this week been like for Kenny Guiton?
I think Kenny is ready. He obviously knows the offense. He’s more knowledgeable even than what I thought in the run game. Obviously, I’ve been in every meeting. I stepped out of the one I was in now to talk to y’all, but I’ll go right back to it. So, I’m trying to help him in every aspect I can in the running game. He’s ready for it, but more importantly than that, he believes that he’s ready for it and the players believe that he’s ready for it. I go back to Auburn last year and Cadillac going and him becoming the head coach, and you know they beat A&M, they beat Western Kentucky and they played Mississippi State real tough, who was a real fine team, on the road. We lost our spirit on offense and we’ve got to get it back. Kenny’s got great rapport with the kids, and he’s very knowledgeable and I think kids believe in him. That’ll make us play better right then and there. We obviously have to block them better and do things like that, but you also have to have the enthusiasm to do that and I think that’s what he’s bringing to our offensive staff.
Why do you think things didn’t work out with Dan Enos?
I can’t really put my finger on it because he’s a hell of a coach, a good man, and he’s had great success in his career. I really don’t know. Maybe we aren’t a pocket protection team. You know, we ran it, I don’t know, probably averaged 8-10 dropbacks a game in the previous three years. Maybe a little more when Felipe Franks was here. It’s just, our quarterback wasn’t great at just sitting in the pocket. Our wide outs weren’t getting open. We couldn’t protect. A lot of things. Maybe that’s part of it, but I just think everything was hard for us. Everything was very difficult. Three yards were very difficult. I don’t know exactly why, because Dan is a fine coach. So, I can’t really put my finger on it, but I do know we lost our spirit. How we did that, I can’t really put a finger on that, but we’ve got to get it back.
Anything you would evaluate differently next time you go hire an OC?
I don’t think so. I mean, we hired a defensive coordinator when Barry was fortunate enough to go get the job at UNLV, and it worked out. Doing a great job. And we hired an offensive coordinator, and for whatever reason, it didn’t. I don’t think so, because I liked the offense they were running at Maryland. I liked the offense we ran when I was with Dan here. You hate to admit that it didn’t work out and that you did your research on what you thought was correct, but I did, and it didn’t work out, so I don’t know that I would change the way I made the hire, so no.
