Defensive Coordinator Todd Orlando



On the Texas defense: When you go back and watch it about 50 times and you're going through it, like I said beforehand, it's on me. It's on me. These kids played hard, they did the things. We just need to clean up some of the fundamental work. That was the biggest thing. I told them, hey, let's not let this game define who we are. Honestly, going through this and coming through fall camp, looking at the way we performed in fall camp, and the way that we practice going up to the game, going out onto that field and starting off pretty fast and going into it, and kind of, going through those stretches, that's tough. But let's not make it define us and we can't have Maryland beat us twice. That's probably the biggest thing. It was very therapeutic for us to get back out on the practice field on Tuesday because we're all hurt. When you go out there and that's your performance, that's gut-wrenching. To get back out there on the practice field and start getting back to fundamentals and back to basics and go really hard in practice, in my opinion, we'll be rewarded.



On the number one area to improve: It would be perimeter support. During the game, we let too many balls get outside of us. We addressed it right on Sunday. We came out for a little, 20- to 25-minute run through and that's what we worked on and then did some of the eye discipline that we have to clean up. But like I said beforehand, those kids fought, scratched, and clawed. This is on me.



On simplification: From what we did in the game to what we've done in the past, if you ask the random kid walking down the hallway right now, it was pretty simple. I wouldn't say it was to the point where it was so vanilla, but it wasn't overwhelming. You expect that in first ball games. That's one thing that we're very mindful of — big crowd. Kids want to prove something. You don't want to have too many wrinkles here or there and do stuff that you've only been teaching for a week or week and a half. It was a couple of things, but for the most part, we did what we've done all fall camp.



On the number of missed tackles: It was probably in the 15-20 range, which was extremely high for us.



On the problems being more of an administrative issue: When things go wrong, it's to the guy who is running it; and that's me. I take full responsibility for it, and like I told the kids, the only way that I know to get anything righted is to go back to work. You sit there on Saturday and, just like everybody in this room felt, that's what I felt. You can imagine what I felt like. So, you try to process the information, look at the film, find out things that you can do better, and one you get into Sunday, get those things corrected with the kids, go out there and physically do them. Then, at some point you have to let it go because you have the next opponent. So that's the biggest thing from our kids' standpoint. We can't sit here. Everyone's embarrassed by it, there's no doubt about it. But to sit here and go into Thursday and still have that, that is a loser mentality. We can't have that here. Like I said, it was very therapeutic to get back on the field on Tuesday and just go back to work and reestablish our identity, fundamentals, techniques, and get better.



On who played well: Holton (Hill) is a guy who comes to the top of my head. I thought Malik (Jefferson) did some decent things at times. There were a couple of plays that I think he left out there; when I evaluated him last year, there were some things that were just okay. But I saw him cut it loose a couple of times out there which was good to see. We had opportunity and we scored three times on defense too. That's mind-blowing to me that you can start a game off that way and then get into these patches and it just felt like when there was a critical play, it was this, that, whatever it was. We had opportunities, going into that game, even when you look at the fourth quarter, third and 19, and we have a chance to get off the field. I think it's a three-point ball game. Get the ball back to our offense because our offense is starting to roll. Just those things, we have to take advantage of that and capitalize. Obviously those things eat at me, they're tough to swallow. I've been a coordinator for 12 years, and been a coach for 22. You have these moments, and the hardest part is letting them go. You have to get it corrected, but at some point — I'll inch myself back in and watch it 30 times, this'll be the 30th time, just because, to me, it works on your brain but you have to get prepared for your next opponent.



On if more guys will be played Saturday: This week, we will because we have to. Ten seconds of play, when they played South Florida, they ran 92 plays. When they played Cal Poly, because Cal Poly is more of a running team, it was a little bit less, but we're thinking we're going to see around 92-95 plays, so we're going to have to. We're going to rotate guys in there, and at that point in the game I think we played in like 62 or 63 at Maryland. But this game, most definitely, we're going to be substituting guys in.



On coaches' expectations from the players: What ends up happening is, when you get into some hard times, it's fight or flee. You look at it and say to yourself, this is the course, this wins us championships. Is it going to be hard? Is this a setback? Absolutely. This shows what we're about. This coming week, this ball game is going to show everybody in the country if these guys have the grit to win a championship. The hard times, it's easy to get on a bandwagon, it's easy to celebrate when things are going great, but when stuff is going hard, it's who is going to be there, who is going to be next to you, shoulder to shoulder. Are you going to turn around and we're about to get in to a fight and I can't find my buddy — he took off. This is what we are going to find out this week. Honestly, Tuesday's practice was as good of a practice as we've had around here and today was a good practice too. The kids responded the way we wanted to. You talk about oh we're not changing and it goes into doing a routine, a consistent routine that has testimony that wins championships. So it's really easy when you get knocked around a little bit to sit there and question and analyze, but we're not going to do that. Our kids are starting to understand that when adversity hits, you square it up. You square it up and you go after it.



On what "let it rip" means to the defensive players: I think when there's an opportunity to make a play there is no hesitation. It should be instinctive to just cut it loose and go. Don't process things as you're going to the football. That's what we're talking about. If you watch the film, you guys saw it, if you watch the film, and you say, "hey finish that thing up" what is that hesitation? And I think that's what we've been preaching is if you sit there and there is any type of doubt in the game where you have a bunch of dynamic guys that you must tackle or defend, that little ounce of doubt costs you a step, a pick, a tackle. So that's the biggest thing is don't go out there and analyze and think. Play free, put your foot in the ground and just go. That's what we have been—came out of the game and we've always preached that defensively. It's like we don't want anybody analyzing anything we just want you to go. But just reinforcing that and say, you know what there's going to be a time when we do fail, it's ok. If we have ten other guys chasing right behind us we'll be fine. So that's "let it rip."



Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck



On what he learned about his offense: We did some good things in the course of the game; we didn't finish off drives and finish off enough plays. I thought initially we came out to play not to lose as opposed to playing to win. I think we settled down a little bit and the flow of the game started going a bit better for us. Penalties hurt us big time, killed a lot of drives. Over the course of the game, at different times we would get a big play, get a first down and goal, then the next thing you look up and its 30-20 and we can't do that. It was one of the things we talked to the team about on Friday; the key to the game is to not beat yourself up. I certainly give credit to Maryland for what they did, much improved and hadn't played them, but we could've done a lot better as well.



On Sam Ehlinger being ready to play on Saturday: You know, Sam is a competitor. Let's start there. He's going to do everything in his power if we need him to play on Saturday. He'll be ready. So the way I look at him and what he's done, he's done nothing but improved since the day he walked in through these doors. As a quarterback, understanding our system. He does a great job; his personality is leadership. All the attributes and characteristics you want in that guy, he's got. So I think when the question comes up, "how does the team feel"? I think the team will follow, I mean the coaches respect him. He's a hard working young man, he's a great student, and he does everything right. How do you not follow one of those guys? He plays really hard, so you love that and that's all you can ask from the guy.



On Shane Buechele missing open receivers: Yeah that was a tough one, it was an interesting trade off that they did. They were in man coverage and the guy playing man on Dorian (Leonard) left him. Just got tangled up and he missed it. But there wasn't very many you know, he didn't miss very many.



On starting Shane Buechele after only practicing two days this week: Yeah you probably could. Shane has started thirteen games here, it would be different if he was a younger guy. I feel really apprehensive of doing it if he started thirteen games. If we felt like he was ready, if you watch he's back there taking every rep, just not throwing the football. He's back there behind the quarterback, running every play, getting mental reps right now. I don't know it's hard to say.



On his confidence on this offensive line: I love the offensive line. I mean it was communication issues, it was the biggest thing. It wasn't the talent, it wasn't toughness, it wasn't heart, it was communication issues.



On feeling confident running behind Connor Williams and Patrick Vahe : I believe so, yes. I think that those guys continue to get better. You know, Maryland did different things so when you install a new offense, you got new guys doing it. Practice a certain style or do a certain thing, you come out there a little different and sometimes it creates apprehension, it creates communication issues and that's maybe a little but of what took place.



On Patrick Hudson playing snaps: He did. He played some, yeah. I thought Pat did pretty well. I know Derek (Warehime) probably felt like we should have played him a little bit more. So, he might be a guy that might see more action. I trust those guys. If Derek feels like he's had a good week in his practice and he comes to me and says, "Hey Coach" we're going to play him more. I'm good with that.



On Denzel Okafor : Yeah, I thought he played pretty well too. The game got out of hand fast, unfortunately. And as a coach you rely on the veterans a lot. You hang your hat and say, "Well I'm maybe a little nervous on putting this guy in. Because we have to get things going." So that may have been a little bit of the case.



On the offensive penalties made and how he is correcting them in practice: We obviously show them why. You know the holding call and the guy who got the penalty we had another guy who didn't execute what he was supposed to do. So, we teach them. This is wrong. This is what happened. He was just trying to protect the quarterback, but he had didn't have help. So, we just have to do a better job at those things. It's hard. When you coach those guys, who play really hard and fast and you mix all the intangibles together. Sometimes that can take place. We never ask our guys to play perfect. That's one thing about Coach (Tom) Herman that I love. He'll never say, "Play perfect." Because the minute you say don't take penalties don't take this or that, everything is negative it's all don't, don't, don't. Just put your foot in the ground and go as hard and fast as you can go. Protect the football. That's it. Talent can overcome speed. Hard work and toughness can win a lot of games. You can do a lot of games doing those things. Build that culture and you continue to coach the fundamentals and techniques—they can't go out the window. You watch the game and some of them did. We got sloppy because we were behind. When you are behind you tend to go back to old ways. I think everybody does. Sometimes some different things took place like that that shouldn't.