Charlie Strong on the first day of fall camp:
“We know we still have to get better.
Quotes from Strong as camp progressed:
“I just like the way our attitude is right now and how guys are out competing. Offensively, we continue to get better. Defensively we are still putting it together.â€
“Just surprised on how well right now that we are functioning. The thing about it is that we are going out and each day we are getting better. We haven’t taken a step back yet.â€
“It looks good out there in practice where everything, all the parts are moving and you’re kind of putting it all together.â€
And finally, Strong on Saturday (8/22):
“That’s more than anything, I just can’t wait because I just want to see how this team’s going to go out and perform. But it’s getting done for us. We are not a million miles, but we’re better off right now at this point than we were last year.â€
Reading between the lines: Strong isn’t predicting a conference championship, but the transition of his mindset throughout camp is remarkable. These are public statements, meaning that Strong, like most coaches, tones down his enthusiasm when talking with the media.
+++
Strong: “The thing Jerrod has to do is be patient and let the game come to him. I think right now he’s just trying to force it. It’s going to happen because he’s such a great athlete. Great things will happen for him just because of his athletic ability.â€
Reading between the lines: Patience and confidence. There is no question of “ifâ€, it’s a matter of “whenâ€.
Strong: “I was teasing Heard today, I said, “Let me tell you right now, when you go in that game, and something happens and it isn’t good, I’m just going to do that right there [points to the side] and that means you just keep going to the locker room.” (laughter) He goes, “I’ll show you, Coach. I’ll show you.”
Reading between the lines: Then there’s this – a glimpse into why Strong is confident in Heard.
+++
Vance Bedford: “We cut way back because of so many young guys and so many first-time starters, so we are slowing down our install. We’re just trying to get our foundation in. If we can get our foundation strong, we will be strong on defense at the end of the day. You see the drop off as far as guys knowing what to do. Even though we had a new defense last year, as far as our install, those guys had played a lot of ball here. You can see those guys in the NFL right now. We have a lot of young guys learning what to do and how to do it. We have some drop off.â€
Reading between the lines: Bedford is being honest about his defense and specifically why fans shouldn’t expect that side of the ball to play perfectly in South Bend.
Strong: “If you look at our defense, it has to start with our seniors.â€
Reading between the lines: Everyone is excited about the freshmen, and for good reason. But, a big part of the reason for Strong’s improving confidence is the leadership of Tank Jackson, Shiro Davis, Peter Jinkens, and Duke Thomas. Those four players are mentioned by Strong consistently as having an outstanding camp. That there is a senior at all three levels of the defense is a tremendous asset. This quote is even more telling when taken in context with Bedford’s quote above.
+++
Shawn Watson: “We’re playing really fast, and when you play fast it really simplifies the game because you’re playing to the abilities of your athletes – the quarterback, the receivers, the tight ends, the backs. You’re helping, you’re aiding your offensive line because you minimize and numb up the defense. We’ve streamlined things.â€
Reading between the lines: Going back to last season’s national championship game, Ohio State continually gouged Oregon using only a handful of plays. The Buckeyes used formations and motions to give the Ducks different looks, but basic play design was consistent.
When Watson says “simplification†he’s talking about only doing a handful of things. By running a minimal number of plays, but maximizing players’ skills and putting the OL at advantage by using formation and motion, an offense doesn’t need to be complex to be effective.
+++
Kent Perkins: “Right now, we are just trying to be as nasty as we can. We move fast and we are focusing on getting our assignments done, hitting, making contact and doing what we need to do.â€
Reading between the lines: “Hittingâ€, “Making contactâ€, and being “nasty†– there’s a reason that one of the first words out a defensive player’s mouth when describing the OL is “physicalâ€.
‘”
- n”.self::process_list_items(“‘.str_replace(‘
‘, ”, ‘
[*]Vance Bedford on the OL: “They are playing extremely physical right now. We have had some bumps and bruises from the offensive line.â€
[*]Poona Ford on the OL: “They have a more physical presence this year; a lot of physicality.â€
‘).'”).”n
“‘
+++
Vance Bedford: “It brought a different attitude and different mindset because they hadn’t been in the program. They brought an attitude that we want to play now and we want to win now. That spread into the players that hadn’t been in the program and hadn’t won for a while. You had a combination of old and new, different attitude, different enthusiasm and that got the program turned real fast.â€
Reading between the lines: That’s Bedford describing what happened in 2011 at Louisville when they played a lot of freshmen. The fact that this group of coaches played a season with a roster filled with freshmen, and had success doing so, will be a benefit to the team, players, and program this season.
+++
Strong: “You’re going to come to work, because we are not going to take a day off. If you don’t come out here with the right attitude, we are going to start practice all over again, and I’m going to get it in. So I’m going to get mine out of you.â€
Reading between the lines: Strong doesn’t sugar coat it, here. When Duke Thomas and others talk about being a “tough†team this year, they’re taking on the personality of their head coach.
+++
Strong: “Just overall, it’s amazing just watching those young guys. Kris Boyd is the one that keeps them going. He has so much just liveliness to him.â€
Reading between the lines: Solid insight into the locker room. When coaches and players talk about the freshman class, Boyd’s name has been a mainstay at media availabilities.
+++
Strong: “Well, the thing about on defense, you’re good up front right now. I was teasing [DL coach] Brick [Haley] the other day. I said, my God, we have 12 or 13 guys that can go in the game and play and be effective playing where they run out there.â€
Reading between the lines: In 2014, the DL rotated minimally to help players like Malcom Brown and Ced Reed stay fresh. This season fans can expect a heavier rotation of players, but because there are plenty of bodies that can make plays to help the team win games. 13 guys is likely a stretch – look for 8 players to emerge (based on production) as the primary rotation.
+++
Alex De La Torre: “Energy is high. We’re competing. I have high hopes for this season.â€
Reading between the lines: Simply put, there weren’t players saying things like this before last year.
Dylan Haines: “Duke Thomas had a quote and he said we always had dogs but now we have a team. You really feel that and from the outside looking in it may be hard to understand but everyone has just improved so much. There isn’t one area of this team you can look at and see weakness and I think everyone has improved. We are going to have a great year.â€
Reading between the lines: This is De La Torre’s quote on steroids. It’s also insight into why the players expect to turn things around this fall.