Here are highlights from player and coach interviews conducted after Wednesday's practice. We also snuck in Kyle Whittingham from his conference call yesterday. Enjoy.
Justin Wilcox
On the challenges of playing the Utah offense
Justin Wilcox: “Well they’re playing at a high level. I think the tailback is as good as anyone out there, running the ball. He’s a very strong runner, got great balance. I don’t know what kind of hype he gets, but he’s a talented, talented guy that runs very hard, the quarterback’s playing very well, O-Line is really physical, receivers are making plays in the pass game and they don’t make many mistakes. They utilize RPOs, the run-pass options with the quarterback and he’s done a really good job for them. So they have a good scheme to go with their personal.”
On similarities between Notre Dame and Utah
JW: “Quarterback runs. You’ll see some of that, similar thing, yeah absolutely. Anytime that guy is the eleventh guy to defend in the run game, it changes the math in terms of how you play the run.”
On Travis Wilson’s improvement
JW: “He’s definitely improved. The guy’s played a lot of football, he’s seen a lot of different looks from different defenses and even when people have fit it right, and he’s running the ball, you still have to tackle him. He’s a big, big man. He’s 6-7 and probably 230, 230 plus. He’s a big dude. So you have to get him on the ground. And with the running back running like he is, they’re a physical, physical team. So it’s going to be a brawl.”
On USC’s defense Notre Dame game
JW: “We started poorly, obviously the first ten plays of the game. I think our energy was good, we just had some critical errors and got in a hole early. Then we played good ball and then there’s two drives at the end of the game, couple penalties, a missed tackle, some things that, we looked at it and talked about the self inflicted wounds. This is a very good football team and you can’t make those mistakes. We have to execute better overall. There was some good, like I said, in the meat of the game. We played well, but we just got in a hole too early off some critical mistakes early in the game, and then late, we needed one or two more stops on a third down and maybe better technique just in terms of finishing on the ball. We got a couple PIs, so those things, against a good football, we got to clean those up.”
On Cam Smith and Iman Marshall
JW: “I think they’re getting better every snap they take. I’m glad to have them here. We just have to keep working with them. But those guys have played a lot of snaps for us and I think they’re doing a good job.”
On if his job has changed the last couple of weeks
JW: “No, my job is to help prepare our team to play as best they can. So that’s exactly what I’m doing and we’re doing and our team has practiced with great energy. I thought we had two of our better days of practice these last two days. So, to answer your question, no.”
On how the last few weeks have been on him personally
JW: “I do my job. My investment is with the team and I’m going to do, like all of us, we’re going to do everything we possibly can to prepare our guys to play as good as they can play against a great team this weekend. I think everybody will be excited for that opportunity.”
On the challenge of running his 3-4 system with some 4-3 guys on the roster
JW: “You’re getting into semantics because in four down defense you have, and we play four down against certain teams and certain downs, we played it last week on certain downs. There’s kind of snakes in both worlds. I think a lot of people play both and that’s what we do. So in terms of the recruiting and all that, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say that. You know, your execution is just a result of your preparation during the week and it has to do with technique, alignment and then going out and executing the play when it’s your time. But I don’t see any of those guys not fitting, I don’t look at it that way.”
On Travis Wilson
JW: “He’s playing really, really well. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Obviously they utilize what we call RPOs, run-pass option. So they got runs and they’ll put the pass game on it and you have to defend him as well. He’s a countable guy in the run game. And he makes, he’s playing at a high level. He’s not making a lot of mistakes and when he does pull the ball, he’s a big dude. I know you draw x’s on the board but he’s 6-7 and 235 or 40, I don’t know how much he’s weighing these days, but he’s a heavy guy. So you still gotta tackle him. So when it’s third and one, third and two or even first and ten and we got the right fit there, we still have to go finish the play. And I think there team overall is a physical, physical team. Their running back runs angry. The guy runs angry. I’m impressed with him, even last year. He’s got great balance and he does not go down with the first guy, their O-Line plays physical, they block on the perimeter. You can always judge a team, how physical they, in my opinion, by how they block on the perimeter and those guys block. And then they’re throwing the ball down the field and the receivers are making plays. So they’re playing real well. I know it’ll be a great challenge for us, our guys will be excited to play because it’s going to be a brawl, a physical, physical game. We have to make some plays one-on-one whether it’s run or pass.”
On Iman Marshall’s development
JW: “Iman, really glad to have him. He’s competing and the game’s not too big for him by any means. Is he perfect? No, he’s not. But he’s working at it and he’s extremely competitive. That’s probably, if you ask me one thing about Iman and what’s enabled him to play early, his competitiveness. He is a guy that wants to go play man to man and he wants to go make the tackle on third and three. And I think just that intangible, and not that the other guys don’t, I’m not saying that. But I just think that’s what shows up when you talk about Iman. He’ll keep getting better, I think he’s got a lot of room to grow still. But I’m glad he’s with us and I’m going to keep continuing to push him.”
On handling Marshall’s frustration with contested catches against him
JW: “You can be disappointed, just not discouraged. And he hasn’t shown that he’s been discouraged. I’m not discouraged. It’s going to happen sometimes. It’s a 50-50 ball and they made a catch. Hey man, I’m going to put him out there again. I believe in him, just like I do with the other guys. And he’ll make those plays and I don’t see him getting discouraged at all. I think he’s going to go out and continue to compete.”
Justin Wilcox
On the challenges of playing the Utah offense
Justin Wilcox: “Well they’re playing at a high level. I think the tailback is as good as anyone out there, running the ball. He’s a very strong runner, got great balance. I don’t know what kind of hype he gets, but he’s a talented, talented guy that runs very hard, the quarterback’s playing very well, O-Line is really physical, receivers are making plays in the pass game and they don’t make many mistakes. They utilize RPOs, the run-pass options with the quarterback and he’s done a really good job for them. So they have a good scheme to go with their personal.”
On similarities between Notre Dame and Utah
JW: “Quarterback runs. You’ll see some of that, similar thing, yeah absolutely. Anytime that guy is the eleventh guy to defend in the run game, it changes the math in terms of how you play the run.”
On Travis Wilson’s improvement
JW: “He’s definitely improved. The guy’s played a lot of football, he’s seen a lot of different looks from different defenses and even when people have fit it right, and he’s running the ball, you still have to tackle him. He’s a big, big man. He’s 6-7 and probably 230, 230 plus. He’s a big dude. So you have to get him on the ground. And with the running back running like he is, they’re a physical, physical team. So it’s going to be a brawl.”
On USC’s defense Notre Dame game
JW: “We started poorly, obviously the first ten plays of the game. I think our energy was good, we just had some critical errors and got in a hole early. Then we played good ball and then there’s two drives at the end of the game, couple penalties, a missed tackle, some things that, we looked at it and talked about the self inflicted wounds. This is a very good football team and you can’t make those mistakes. We have to execute better overall. There was some good, like I said, in the meat of the game. We played well, but we just got in a hole too early off some critical mistakes early in the game, and then late, we needed one or two more stops on a third down and maybe better technique just in terms of finishing on the ball. We got a couple PIs, so those things, against a good football, we got to clean those up.”
On Cam Smith and Iman Marshall
JW: “I think they’re getting better every snap they take. I’m glad to have them here. We just have to keep working with them. But those guys have played a lot of snaps for us and I think they’re doing a good job.”
On if his job has changed the last couple of weeks
JW: “No, my job is to help prepare our team to play as best they can. So that’s exactly what I’m doing and we’re doing and our team has practiced with great energy. I thought we had two of our better days of practice these last two days. So, to answer your question, no.”
On how the last few weeks have been on him personally
JW: “I do my job. My investment is with the team and I’m going to do, like all of us, we’re going to do everything we possibly can to prepare our guys to play as good as they can play against a great team this weekend. I think everybody will be excited for that opportunity.”
On the challenge of running his 3-4 system with some 4-3 guys on the roster
JW: “You’re getting into semantics because in four down defense you have, and we play four down against certain teams and certain downs, we played it last week on certain downs. There’s kind of snakes in both worlds. I think a lot of people play both and that’s what we do. So in terms of the recruiting and all that, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say that. You know, your execution is just a result of your preparation during the week and it has to do with technique, alignment and then going out and executing the play when it’s your time. But I don’t see any of those guys not fitting, I don’t look at it that way.”
On Travis Wilson
JW: “He’s playing really, really well. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Obviously they utilize what we call RPOs, run-pass option. So they got runs and they’ll put the pass game on it and you have to defend him as well. He’s a countable guy in the run game. And he makes, he’s playing at a high level. He’s not making a lot of mistakes and when he does pull the ball, he’s a big dude. I know you draw x’s on the board but he’s 6-7 and 235 or 40, I don’t know how much he’s weighing these days, but he’s a heavy guy. So you still gotta tackle him. So when it’s third and one, third and two or even first and ten and we got the right fit there, we still have to go finish the play. And I think there team overall is a physical, physical team. Their running back runs angry. The guy runs angry. I’m impressed with him, even last year. He’s got great balance and he does not go down with the first guy, their O-Line plays physical, they block on the perimeter. You can always judge a team, how physical they, in my opinion, by how they block on the perimeter and those guys block. And then they’re throwing the ball down the field and the receivers are making plays. So they’re playing real well. I know it’ll be a great challenge for us, our guys will be excited to play because it’s going to be a brawl, a physical, physical game. We have to make some plays one-on-one whether it’s run or pass.”
On Iman Marshall’s development
JW: “Iman, really glad to have him. He’s competing and the game’s not too big for him by any means. Is he perfect? No, he’s not. But he’s working at it and he’s extremely competitive. That’s probably, if you ask me one thing about Iman and what’s enabled him to play early, his competitiveness. He is a guy that wants to go play man to man and he wants to go make the tackle on third and three. And I think just that intangible, and not that the other guys don’t, I’m not saying that. But I just think that’s what shows up when you talk about Iman. He’ll keep getting better, I think he’s got a lot of room to grow still. But I’m glad he’s with us and I’m going to keep continuing to push him.”
On handling Marshall’s frustration with contested catches against him
JW: “You can be disappointed, just not discouraged. And he hasn’t shown that he’s been discouraged. I’m not discouraged. It’s going to happen sometimes. It’s a 50-50 ball and they made a catch. Hey man, I’m going to put him out there again. I believe in him, just like I do with the other guys. And he’ll make those plays and I don’t see him getting discouraged at all. I think he’s going to go out and continue to compete.”
