Boston College Athletics
Clemson Game Week: Addazio Addresses Media
October 12, 2015 | Football
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College head football coach Steve Addazio addressed the media at his weekly press conference on Monday in the Conte Forum Media Suite. With offense was on everybody's mind, the third-year coach talked about the quarterback situation, determining to stick with one in the bout at No. 5/6 Clemson on Saturday. He also talked about the strength of the Eagles- the defense - and the challenges the undefeated Tigers and playing in Death Valley would pose to the young squad.
On the upcoming matchup with Clemson…
"We're getting back at it. We have a tough one at Clemson, as you all know. It's a tough place to play at night. They're an outstanding football team. On offense, [Deshaun] Watson is playing great. He's the key to their offense and one of the huge keys to them being 5-0. He's a fantastic dual-threat quarterback that is throwing the ball well. They've got other great players like Atavius Scott, Ray-Ray McCloud and Jordan Leggett. I think they're outstanding on offense and they're explosive.
"Defensively, they are 13th in total defense in the country. They're 18th against the run and 29th against the pass. They only returned four starters, but most of that group that's out there has played a lot of football. They're not new to playing. Their safety Jayron Kearse is an unbelievable player. I think Ben Boulware is fantastic. Can't forget the free safety T.J. Green, defensive end Kevin Dodd; they have excellent talent.
"Without a doubt I would say they're the most talented team we've played this year. It's only our second road trip, but it's certainly one of the most daunting places to play on the road. So that will pose a great challenge for us. We worked yesterday on our silent cadence, which is something we've never done. We'll continue to work and have a great week. We're playing a great football team, so our focus is completely on that and having a great opportunity to go down and play on a national stage and play a great team and improve and play better and let it hang out."
On which quarterback is running the silent cadence better…
"(Laughs) That was a first for both of them. They worked on it yesterday and then of course tomorrow we'll get back to it. We'll give them both ample opportunity.
"It's different when you put that deafening noice out there. I kind of like it from the standpoint that we, as coaches, are so hands on, so it's nice when it's so noisy that no one can be hands on. Everybody is on their own little island out there and it's fun to watch them operate that way when all of a sudden nobody is yelling at you about what to do from the front and from the side. It's interesting watching some of the young players, who you can see that they're unnerved by it since there's not a lot of communication or support going on. You've got to figure it out on your own."
On naming one quarterback going forward…
"I am going to settle on one quarterback. I'm going to announce that later in the week. As I said from the beginning, [rotating quarterbacks] wasn't what I wanted to do, but it's what I needed to do to amply figure out which guy [would start]. First, I wanted to get experience for both of them and also I needed to see if one of them could really separate [himself]. So until that point, that's what we thought was best. I think now we're getting to that point where we're going to settle in a bit and see where that brings us right now. That's where it is.
"We still have to perform though. Nothing is etched in stone. When you watch a guy on the field, and a guy is unraveling, you've got to take care of them when they're young like that. You can't just let that go. It's always a concern, but I think we'd like to move forward with some continuity to the best of our ability."
On whether Clemson's defense will play a role in which quarterback starts…
"I think we have a mindset right now that we're working on. We just want to make sure that where we are now, we're giving ourselves the most opportunity to have success. We are not where we want to be on offense. That would be the biggest understatement made. But in the same breath, we're 24th in the country in rushing offense right now. I mean, we are moving the ball, but we're just not moving it consistently and scoring in the red zone. We're having too many blown opportunities with penalties and turnovers. We turned the ball over four times [on Saturday], and that's uncharacteristic for us, but that was a lot of young turnovers there. We need to get those issues solved and fixed, but I've got to keep pushing this team forward too.
"So there are some things going out right now—obviously, scoring is not happening—and we need to get that fixed. [The issues] are drive-killing penalties and turnovers, and also not being able to kick field goals. That gives you momentum and when you don't, that hurts you. I think we're in a situation right now where we have to get that rectified. You can't just invent somebody. Our goal going into the year was that Alex Howell was going to be with those duties, but unfortunately, he hasn't been able to kick. He started punting in practice for the first time. So we've got some young guys in there, and obviously we're in a situation where we're trying to develop that as well. And we're a couple of field goals away from sitting a lot differently right now. There's obviously a lot of other things that could have us sitting a lot differently, but that's what happens when you play in a lot of close games that come down to the wire."
On what was seen in the Wake Forest game film…
"I saw a lot of improvement. I saw a lot of improvement on special teams, our kickoff return and punt returns took a step forward and offensively, in crunch time especially, I saw some drives. I saw some consistency and we just have to keep getting better and be steady in the boat and try to build right now. It's that simple. "
On the field-goal kicking situation…
"We have some kickers here that can kick. It's just a little bit of a confidence issue. I talked to [former Boston College kicker] Nate Freese a little bit and he talked about how in his freshman year he really struggled. Nobody wants to hear that, I understand that. But that's what happens. Does it happen all the time? I'm sure there are some freshman kickers out there who aren't struggling. But that's where we are right now. I watch what goes on in practice and I see a guy banging every kick from all over the field, I'm feeling like we're going to be okay in that game. That's all I can judge from. It's not like they're not [making kicks] in practice, because they are.
"We all know the grand stage can bring about some jitters, and when you're young that really can affect you. But it's part of that development, that maturity, that scarring; but we have a lot of that going on right now. To just knee-jerk and yank someone like that always isn't the best answer. But I understand that we need some productivity. But I also have a bigger picture that I'm trying to stick with here."
On whether the team will stick with freshman kicker Colton Lichtenberg…
"I'm going to watch practice, but in [the Wake Forest game] we would have gone with Mike Knoll in the end, because I think after missing a couple as a young kid, Lichtenberg looked a little rattled. So that was the appropriate thing to do at that time. But now we have to go back and evaluate the week. That's all you can do, because I don't have a crystal ball. So what do you do? You evaluate what you see. You look at it for what you see and you try to make the best-educated decision as you can from what you see. I can't account for the unknown.
"There are situations where if we were a little veteran on offense, I might just go for it. But based on the down and distance and the confidence level in the game, you're making the best decision that you can. Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're not. But that's life."
On maintaining the confidence level for the quarterback who doesn't start…
"That's hard but what you're doing is giving both guys ample opportunities to show you what they can do. That doesn't mean it's over forever. We've got a body of work now and you're evaluating that and trying to go in the right direction. Now, if you pick a guy and he fails miserably, we'll be back at it for another week. But I think that's all you can do. Usually when you pick two it's because you don't have one that's ready. So in the same breath, you're trying to develop young players. You're trying to give them some experience that matters."
On trying to limit penalties at crucial times in the game…
"Six of our seven penalties last week were before the snap. That's not been a part of our history—my short history here. But we're having those issues right now and there are a lot of reasons why that happens. We've got to get that rectified. The irony of it is, sometimes [those penalties] have occurred because of the older players. But we've got to fix that. That's not a problem in practice, but it came out of nowhere, to be honest with you.
"Right now, we're dealing with the silence cadence, so that problem is going to show up even more. Especially when you have these young linemen they're going against these big-time ends with great speed. Even on a veteran team that can elicit some challenges. So that's what we're going up against this week."
On running back Myles Willis' health…
"He's just about good. We really miss him. You're talking about an explosive guy. He's someone with that home-run hitting ability. And we're lacking that right now. So we'd love to see him rolling again. But I think other guys have been doing a good job.
"We're looking forward to getting him back. He'll probably still be hampered with that injury, but he's much better. I would anticipate that he would play."
On freshman Michael Walker in the return game…
"I think he's going to be an exciting player. I love him and Myles Willis as a return duo. But I think the big question is whether or not we want to expose Willis back to those high-velocity, explosive hits right away. I think [Walker] has done a great job. He's an exciting young player. He makes some plays in practice that grab your attention.
"I think we're really coming on at the wide receiver position. I really do. I'm quietly very excited at where we're headed. We're not there yet, but you're really starting to see it. I think we made some improvement last week. There's reason for good optimism that we're going to develop a very exciting receiving corps."
On the team's opportunities and the projection looking forward…
"We had a couple of real opportunities in last week's game. When you watch the films from last week's game, both on offense and on special teams, we had some unbelievable scoring opportunities. That's why you know they're right there. I mean, they seem farther away and I understand why you would think that. I get it. The fact of the matter is we're not scoring touchdowns. But, the film doesn't lie either. Now, how do we get those to happen? But they're there. They're really there. We watched a series of plays yesterday that there was three plays where all three of them should have scored.
"That, with the field goals. You're kicking a couple of field goals and you're scoring a couple of touchdowns, you might not be the highest scoring outfit in America, but you're 5-1 and you're young and you're growing. The difference between where we are and there is not as grand as everybody thinks, although it looks that way and I understand that. I understand that. I'm not happy about that.
"We are not scoring points right now. But you have to look at [whether] you're a long way away or a little bit away. Right now, I'd say we're a little bit away. Now, that little bit can be grand, especially when you're playing the defenses that we're playing. We're talking about a top-10 defense, a top-20 defense, a top-15 defense. We are playing some of the finest. This defense we are playing this week is sensational. That's not coach speak. They just are. Put that in perspective for a minute now. We're going to go down there and play a great defense on their home field on a Saturday night, one of the hardest places to play in America. That's a fact. I'm not complaining about it. It's just what it is. You have to think that through a little bit. It's all a part of it. Just like Duke's defense was in the top 20 when we played them. They're a top-25 team right now. We had a great opportunity to beat Duke in a lot of fronts. Wake Forest's defense was ranked in the top 25. Florida State's defense was in the top 10. We are measuring ourselves against some pretty good foes right now, which, when you're struggling, that combination sometimes can be a bit overwhelming. But that will all come through.
"The key is keeping people's confidence. And really just growing. Just grow. And I think that's our focus right now: to build confidence and grow. And when you're where we are with the youth of our offense and with the changes and the injuries we have had, it can create a lack of rhythm. And that lack of rhythm can really be exposed when it comes time to extending drives. We are that style of that offense by the way anyways. We are not an up-tempo, don't huddle, put your defense at risk [kind of team]. That's just not who we are. We are, by nature, a drive-it offense. That's difficult when you break down because you have a lot of youthful mistakes going on. Now, we're not going to all of a sudden go philosophically make radical shifts. We tried to make some. We've probably thrown the ball more than we have in a couple years, to be honest with you. Which isn't a ton, but more. We've tried to make some shifts here, but you can't just radically [make shifts]. You can't go head and put your defense at risk right now. The one strong suit you have, you're going to expose them. And I don't think that is right.
"And furthermore, we had four turnovers. We had four turnovers, a couple of which were because we are trying to do a couple of things to create some explosiveness in our offense. I won't go into much more detail than that. But they created turnovers. Early on I said we have a young football team. We are going to be a little conservative here to try and grow this team. Now we're taking a little bit more risks. Just because of injuries we almost have to. And it shows up with these young guys. But these investments, you're going to get these investments back. They'll come back. They will all come back. They'll all come back with great experience."
On the challenges Deshaun Watson brings for the defense…
"He's got a great arm. He is really talented. He is athletic and he can extend plays and he has a really good supporting cast around him. So I think he is a real good player."
On the strength of the defense…
"I don't think there is any question. I think our defense is playing great. We felt that would be the strength of our team going in. It's the most veteran part of our team. We have future draft picks on that team and we're playing well. Some of the areas we were really suffering with a year ago we were able to sure up with some older players that are playing their best ball. And some younger players who we had to suffer with in the back end a little bit last year, as young players are now much more veteran players. They've played a bunch. And so it's the strength of our team. We knew it would be the strength of our team. I mean, we're all completely aligned with that and that's a great thing.
"That's our plan to win. We don't make any bones about it. It starts with playing great defense. So that's a plan. That is our philosophy that I brought in here. Put your best players on defense. Play great defense. It all starts there and I think we've worked and built towards that and hopefully we'll be able to hang onto that. Not just now, but in the future.
"When I first got here, we tried to really build around a few older guys on offense, but we had to put it together the right way to fit their talent. And I think we did a really good job with that. And in year two, I thought we pieced it together really well, kind of combinational. And in year three, I knew that we were going to have this blip on offense. I just couldn't account for the amount of injuries we took on, so early in the season. But I knew that we would have this. We don't have a veteran quarterback here. That guy is not on the [roster]. Last year, we had Josh Bordner who we switched position but we always knew he could play [quarterback]. If Josh was a year younger, he would be here. That's what we would be doing right now. I knew we had this blip, I just couldn't account for the injuries. And the young offensive line. That wasn't some shocking thing that happened. You don't just flip that thing around. It just doesn't happen like that. What's happened is the severity of it has increased because of the injuries, not just one, so that is what is kind of striking right now. But with that being said, playing some of the best defenses in America, we're like 24th in the country rushing. So there are some positives in there. If we can just find a way to score more in the red zone, I think we can start to gain a little traction. Sometimes you need a little momentum there and we're still going to try to kick those reasonable field goals. Because I really believe that we have to develop that piece. It's a hard piece and within reason, we have to get that developed."
On whether the past struggles of the defense is a template for offense going forward…
"Absolutely. I think the biggest struggle you are going to have on defense when you're young is that some inexperienced players are going to be in the back end. That's where it shows up. And it showed up. We were pretty good against the run because we could blitz and put a lot of guys in the box, plus we're a running team on offense so it helped our defense. I think on offense, we're the two biggest areas you are going to struggle with when you're young: the offensive line and quarterback. You should start with the quarterback and then the offensive line. And those are the two areas that are going to be the toughest to develop. What we're doing right now though is, on the offensive line, we're really working hard right now on playing a lot of young guys. And you're going to see that continue because we're going to get them experience. So that we're not going to go into next year with a bunch of guys that haven't played any football. We're going to change that. So we're going to continue to play a lot of youth.
"I think the hardest thing of all is that Darius [Wade] never got a chance to get going. He played in the opening game, which are opening games. And then we played Howard, which I don't even know how many snaps he played but it wasn't very many. And then he got hurt. He never really got a chance to get going. He didn't get a half of season under his belt or something like that. We're not getting him back. That's the hardest thing of all and the thing that makes it tough. You're not developing on the sideline on your crutches. I don't care what anybody says. You might mentally. You're studying football and you're involved, but there is a lot to playing. You have to play. That is a little concerning but there is not a lot we can do about that. But he is a very bright, very mature guy. So I think that if anybody can develop within that scenario, [Darius] probably can. In the meantime, you're playing these young guys so you're developing your depth for the next year, something we didn't have the luxury to have this year."
On the updates to injured players…
"I think that [Jon Hilliman's injury is season ending]. I wouldn't say 100 percent, but I'd say it's a pretty high percentage that it is. I'm going to say with [Ben Gline's injury], we're not going to take him at less than 100 percent. That's one of those injuries of when it's healed, it's healed. When he is cleared, he is cleared. The question remains of how many games we have left and where you're at and we haven't made that decision yet. We're not forced to yet. He hasn't been cleared yet. Like anything else, sometimes you wait and see. You have to remain somewhat fluid. I'm not one of those guys who like to say this is the way it's going to be. At this time of year, especially when you don't have bye [weeks], things change rapidly."
On how the team has fared with the bye week still four weeks away…
"Well, I think pretty well on defense. I think not well at all on offense. That might be an understatement. I've never seen this many season-ending and long-term injuries occur in such a short period of time. Sometimes they're cumulative over the season maybe, but not like bang, bang, and bang. This all went down in about three weeks. They are just different kind of deals. You anticipate more a week here, two weeks there, 10 days. Louie [Addazio] has a high ankle sprain. They said he'd be out 3-4 weeks. He made it back in a couple of weeks, hobbling a little bit. Myles [Willis] is battling right now. And obviously it will have taken a toll and be a three-week injury. We've already talked about Glines and [Chris] Garrison still not cleared. He's a couple of weeks out, so that might be really late in the year.
"And the Alex Howell thing. That might be one of the more quiet big hits when you talk about big hits. When you consider the fact that he has handled all phases: kickoff, field goal and punt. That's a pretty sizeable hit. He worked really hard in the off-season on his field goal kicking and was really doing a great job. He was the most consistent by a long shot. And to not be able to kick a field goal or an extra point or on a kickoff in over three weeks now, that is hard. That is one of those silent killers. Even punting for the kid: He is not himself. You can see that. The last couple weeks, you've maybe seen one [Alex Howell-type punt]. It's because he doesn't have confidence in that leg right now. We're hoping we're going to get over this thing. It's dragging on pretty good. It's been a real quiet issue. I say quiet because no one is really talking about it. But for us, it's been major, especially when you're a couple of field goals away from being 5-1. It's pretty sizeable."
On whether there was any thought to bring Howell in to kick against Wake Forest…
"I would have loved to have trotted him out. He can't do it. Not now. Maybe that'll change in the next week or two. But not now. Can't do it. Trust me. We would do it. Are you kidding me? We want the veteran guy out there. He has not kicked a field goal, an extra point or kicked off in over three weeks. Foot has not hit the ball to do it."
On the upcoming matchup with Clemson…
"We're getting back at it. We have a tough one at Clemson, as you all know. It's a tough place to play at night. They're an outstanding football team. On offense, [Deshaun] Watson is playing great. He's the key to their offense and one of the huge keys to them being 5-0. He's a fantastic dual-threat quarterback that is throwing the ball well. They've got other great players like Atavius Scott, Ray-Ray McCloud and Jordan Leggett. I think they're outstanding on offense and they're explosive.
"Defensively, they are 13th in total defense in the country. They're 18th against the run and 29th against the pass. They only returned four starters, but most of that group that's out there has played a lot of football. They're not new to playing. Their safety Jayron Kearse is an unbelievable player. I think Ben Boulware is fantastic. Can't forget the free safety T.J. Green, defensive end Kevin Dodd; they have excellent talent.
"Without a doubt I would say they're the most talented team we've played this year. It's only our second road trip, but it's certainly one of the most daunting places to play on the road. So that will pose a great challenge for us. We worked yesterday on our silent cadence, which is something we've never done. We'll continue to work and have a great week. We're playing a great football team, so our focus is completely on that and having a great opportunity to go down and play on a national stage and play a great team and improve and play better and let it hang out."
On which quarterback is running the silent cadence better…
"(Laughs) That was a first for both of them. They worked on it yesterday and then of course tomorrow we'll get back to it. We'll give them both ample opportunity.
"It's different when you put that deafening noice out there. I kind of like it from the standpoint that we, as coaches, are so hands on, so it's nice when it's so noisy that no one can be hands on. Everybody is on their own little island out there and it's fun to watch them operate that way when all of a sudden nobody is yelling at you about what to do from the front and from the side. It's interesting watching some of the young players, who you can see that they're unnerved by it since there's not a lot of communication or support going on. You've got to figure it out on your own."
On naming one quarterback going forward…
"I am going to settle on one quarterback. I'm going to announce that later in the week. As I said from the beginning, [rotating quarterbacks] wasn't what I wanted to do, but it's what I needed to do to amply figure out which guy [would start]. First, I wanted to get experience for both of them and also I needed to see if one of them could really separate [himself]. So until that point, that's what we thought was best. I think now we're getting to that point where we're going to settle in a bit and see where that brings us right now. That's where it is.
"We still have to perform though. Nothing is etched in stone. When you watch a guy on the field, and a guy is unraveling, you've got to take care of them when they're young like that. You can't just let that go. It's always a concern, but I think we'd like to move forward with some continuity to the best of our ability."
On whether Clemson's defense will play a role in which quarterback starts…
"I think we have a mindset right now that we're working on. We just want to make sure that where we are now, we're giving ourselves the most opportunity to have success. We are not where we want to be on offense. That would be the biggest understatement made. But in the same breath, we're 24th in the country in rushing offense right now. I mean, we are moving the ball, but we're just not moving it consistently and scoring in the red zone. We're having too many blown opportunities with penalties and turnovers. We turned the ball over four times [on Saturday], and that's uncharacteristic for us, but that was a lot of young turnovers there. We need to get those issues solved and fixed, but I've got to keep pushing this team forward too.
"So there are some things going out right now—obviously, scoring is not happening—and we need to get that fixed. [The issues] are drive-killing penalties and turnovers, and also not being able to kick field goals. That gives you momentum and when you don't, that hurts you. I think we're in a situation right now where we have to get that rectified. You can't just invent somebody. Our goal going into the year was that Alex Howell was going to be with those duties, but unfortunately, he hasn't been able to kick. He started punting in practice for the first time. So we've got some young guys in there, and obviously we're in a situation where we're trying to develop that as well. And we're a couple of field goals away from sitting a lot differently right now. There's obviously a lot of other things that could have us sitting a lot differently, but that's what happens when you play in a lot of close games that come down to the wire."
On what was seen in the Wake Forest game film…
"I saw a lot of improvement. I saw a lot of improvement on special teams, our kickoff return and punt returns took a step forward and offensively, in crunch time especially, I saw some drives. I saw some consistency and we just have to keep getting better and be steady in the boat and try to build right now. It's that simple. "
On the field-goal kicking situation…
"We have some kickers here that can kick. It's just a little bit of a confidence issue. I talked to [former Boston College kicker] Nate Freese a little bit and he talked about how in his freshman year he really struggled. Nobody wants to hear that, I understand that. But that's what happens. Does it happen all the time? I'm sure there are some freshman kickers out there who aren't struggling. But that's where we are right now. I watch what goes on in practice and I see a guy banging every kick from all over the field, I'm feeling like we're going to be okay in that game. That's all I can judge from. It's not like they're not [making kicks] in practice, because they are.
"We all know the grand stage can bring about some jitters, and when you're young that really can affect you. But it's part of that development, that maturity, that scarring; but we have a lot of that going on right now. To just knee-jerk and yank someone like that always isn't the best answer. But I understand that we need some productivity. But I also have a bigger picture that I'm trying to stick with here."
On whether the team will stick with freshman kicker Colton Lichtenberg…
"I'm going to watch practice, but in [the Wake Forest game] we would have gone with Mike Knoll in the end, because I think after missing a couple as a young kid, Lichtenberg looked a little rattled. So that was the appropriate thing to do at that time. But now we have to go back and evaluate the week. That's all you can do, because I don't have a crystal ball. So what do you do? You evaluate what you see. You look at it for what you see and you try to make the best-educated decision as you can from what you see. I can't account for the unknown.
"There are situations where if we were a little veteran on offense, I might just go for it. But based on the down and distance and the confidence level in the game, you're making the best decision that you can. Sometimes you're right and sometimes you're not. But that's life."
On maintaining the confidence level for the quarterback who doesn't start…
"That's hard but what you're doing is giving both guys ample opportunities to show you what they can do. That doesn't mean it's over forever. We've got a body of work now and you're evaluating that and trying to go in the right direction. Now, if you pick a guy and he fails miserably, we'll be back at it for another week. But I think that's all you can do. Usually when you pick two it's because you don't have one that's ready. So in the same breath, you're trying to develop young players. You're trying to give them some experience that matters."
On trying to limit penalties at crucial times in the game…
"Six of our seven penalties last week were before the snap. That's not been a part of our history—my short history here. But we're having those issues right now and there are a lot of reasons why that happens. We've got to get that rectified. The irony of it is, sometimes [those penalties] have occurred because of the older players. But we've got to fix that. That's not a problem in practice, but it came out of nowhere, to be honest with you.
"Right now, we're dealing with the silence cadence, so that problem is going to show up even more. Especially when you have these young linemen they're going against these big-time ends with great speed. Even on a veteran team that can elicit some challenges. So that's what we're going up against this week."
On running back Myles Willis' health…
"He's just about good. We really miss him. You're talking about an explosive guy. He's someone with that home-run hitting ability. And we're lacking that right now. So we'd love to see him rolling again. But I think other guys have been doing a good job.
"We're looking forward to getting him back. He'll probably still be hampered with that injury, but he's much better. I would anticipate that he would play."
On freshman Michael Walker in the return game…
"I think he's going to be an exciting player. I love him and Myles Willis as a return duo. But I think the big question is whether or not we want to expose Willis back to those high-velocity, explosive hits right away. I think [Walker] has done a great job. He's an exciting young player. He makes some plays in practice that grab your attention.
"I think we're really coming on at the wide receiver position. I really do. I'm quietly very excited at where we're headed. We're not there yet, but you're really starting to see it. I think we made some improvement last week. There's reason for good optimism that we're going to develop a very exciting receiving corps."
On the team's opportunities and the projection looking forward…
"We had a couple of real opportunities in last week's game. When you watch the films from last week's game, both on offense and on special teams, we had some unbelievable scoring opportunities. That's why you know they're right there. I mean, they seem farther away and I understand why you would think that. I get it. The fact of the matter is we're not scoring touchdowns. But, the film doesn't lie either. Now, how do we get those to happen? But they're there. They're really there. We watched a series of plays yesterday that there was three plays where all three of them should have scored.
"That, with the field goals. You're kicking a couple of field goals and you're scoring a couple of touchdowns, you might not be the highest scoring outfit in America, but you're 5-1 and you're young and you're growing. The difference between where we are and there is not as grand as everybody thinks, although it looks that way and I understand that. I understand that. I'm not happy about that.
"We are not scoring points right now. But you have to look at [whether] you're a long way away or a little bit away. Right now, I'd say we're a little bit away. Now, that little bit can be grand, especially when you're playing the defenses that we're playing. We're talking about a top-10 defense, a top-20 defense, a top-15 defense. We are playing some of the finest. This defense we are playing this week is sensational. That's not coach speak. They just are. Put that in perspective for a minute now. We're going to go down there and play a great defense on their home field on a Saturday night, one of the hardest places to play in America. That's a fact. I'm not complaining about it. It's just what it is. You have to think that through a little bit. It's all a part of it. Just like Duke's defense was in the top 20 when we played them. They're a top-25 team right now. We had a great opportunity to beat Duke in a lot of fronts. Wake Forest's defense was ranked in the top 25. Florida State's defense was in the top 10. We are measuring ourselves against some pretty good foes right now, which, when you're struggling, that combination sometimes can be a bit overwhelming. But that will all come through.
"The key is keeping people's confidence. And really just growing. Just grow. And I think that's our focus right now: to build confidence and grow. And when you're where we are with the youth of our offense and with the changes and the injuries we have had, it can create a lack of rhythm. And that lack of rhythm can really be exposed when it comes time to extending drives. We are that style of that offense by the way anyways. We are not an up-tempo, don't huddle, put your defense at risk [kind of team]. That's just not who we are. We are, by nature, a drive-it offense. That's difficult when you break down because you have a lot of youthful mistakes going on. Now, we're not going to all of a sudden go philosophically make radical shifts. We tried to make some. We've probably thrown the ball more than we have in a couple years, to be honest with you. Which isn't a ton, but more. We've tried to make some shifts here, but you can't just radically [make shifts]. You can't go head and put your defense at risk right now. The one strong suit you have, you're going to expose them. And I don't think that is right.
"And furthermore, we had four turnovers. We had four turnovers, a couple of which were because we are trying to do a couple of things to create some explosiveness in our offense. I won't go into much more detail than that. But they created turnovers. Early on I said we have a young football team. We are going to be a little conservative here to try and grow this team. Now we're taking a little bit more risks. Just because of injuries we almost have to. And it shows up with these young guys. But these investments, you're going to get these investments back. They'll come back. They will all come back. They'll all come back with great experience."
On the challenges Deshaun Watson brings for the defense…
"He's got a great arm. He is really talented. He is athletic and he can extend plays and he has a really good supporting cast around him. So I think he is a real good player."
On the strength of the defense…
"I don't think there is any question. I think our defense is playing great. We felt that would be the strength of our team going in. It's the most veteran part of our team. We have future draft picks on that team and we're playing well. Some of the areas we were really suffering with a year ago we were able to sure up with some older players that are playing their best ball. And some younger players who we had to suffer with in the back end a little bit last year, as young players are now much more veteran players. They've played a bunch. And so it's the strength of our team. We knew it would be the strength of our team. I mean, we're all completely aligned with that and that's a great thing.
"That's our plan to win. We don't make any bones about it. It starts with playing great defense. So that's a plan. That is our philosophy that I brought in here. Put your best players on defense. Play great defense. It all starts there and I think we've worked and built towards that and hopefully we'll be able to hang onto that. Not just now, but in the future.
"When I first got here, we tried to really build around a few older guys on offense, but we had to put it together the right way to fit their talent. And I think we did a really good job with that. And in year two, I thought we pieced it together really well, kind of combinational. And in year three, I knew that we were going to have this blip on offense. I just couldn't account for the amount of injuries we took on, so early in the season. But I knew that we would have this. We don't have a veteran quarterback here. That guy is not on the [roster]. Last year, we had Josh Bordner who we switched position but we always knew he could play [quarterback]. If Josh was a year younger, he would be here. That's what we would be doing right now. I knew we had this blip, I just couldn't account for the injuries. And the young offensive line. That wasn't some shocking thing that happened. You don't just flip that thing around. It just doesn't happen like that. What's happened is the severity of it has increased because of the injuries, not just one, so that is what is kind of striking right now. But with that being said, playing some of the best defenses in America, we're like 24th in the country rushing. So there are some positives in there. If we can just find a way to score more in the red zone, I think we can start to gain a little traction. Sometimes you need a little momentum there and we're still going to try to kick those reasonable field goals. Because I really believe that we have to develop that piece. It's a hard piece and within reason, we have to get that developed."
On whether the past struggles of the defense is a template for offense going forward…
"Absolutely. I think the biggest struggle you are going to have on defense when you're young is that some inexperienced players are going to be in the back end. That's where it shows up. And it showed up. We were pretty good against the run because we could blitz and put a lot of guys in the box, plus we're a running team on offense so it helped our defense. I think on offense, we're the two biggest areas you are going to struggle with when you're young: the offensive line and quarterback. You should start with the quarterback and then the offensive line. And those are the two areas that are going to be the toughest to develop. What we're doing right now though is, on the offensive line, we're really working hard right now on playing a lot of young guys. And you're going to see that continue because we're going to get them experience. So that we're not going to go into next year with a bunch of guys that haven't played any football. We're going to change that. So we're going to continue to play a lot of youth.
"I think the hardest thing of all is that Darius [Wade] never got a chance to get going. He played in the opening game, which are opening games. And then we played Howard, which I don't even know how many snaps he played but it wasn't very many. And then he got hurt. He never really got a chance to get going. He didn't get a half of season under his belt or something like that. We're not getting him back. That's the hardest thing of all and the thing that makes it tough. You're not developing on the sideline on your crutches. I don't care what anybody says. You might mentally. You're studying football and you're involved, but there is a lot to playing. You have to play. That is a little concerning but there is not a lot we can do about that. But he is a very bright, very mature guy. So I think that if anybody can develop within that scenario, [Darius] probably can. In the meantime, you're playing these young guys so you're developing your depth for the next year, something we didn't have the luxury to have this year."
On the updates to injured players…
"I think that [Jon Hilliman's injury is season ending]. I wouldn't say 100 percent, but I'd say it's a pretty high percentage that it is. I'm going to say with [Ben Gline's injury], we're not going to take him at less than 100 percent. That's one of those injuries of when it's healed, it's healed. When he is cleared, he is cleared. The question remains of how many games we have left and where you're at and we haven't made that decision yet. We're not forced to yet. He hasn't been cleared yet. Like anything else, sometimes you wait and see. You have to remain somewhat fluid. I'm not one of those guys who like to say this is the way it's going to be. At this time of year, especially when you don't have bye [weeks], things change rapidly."
On how the team has fared with the bye week still four weeks away…
"Well, I think pretty well on defense. I think not well at all on offense. That might be an understatement. I've never seen this many season-ending and long-term injuries occur in such a short period of time. Sometimes they're cumulative over the season maybe, but not like bang, bang, and bang. This all went down in about three weeks. They are just different kind of deals. You anticipate more a week here, two weeks there, 10 days. Louie [Addazio] has a high ankle sprain. They said he'd be out 3-4 weeks. He made it back in a couple of weeks, hobbling a little bit. Myles [Willis] is battling right now. And obviously it will have taken a toll and be a three-week injury. We've already talked about Glines and [Chris] Garrison still not cleared. He's a couple of weeks out, so that might be really late in the year.
"And the Alex Howell thing. That might be one of the more quiet big hits when you talk about big hits. When you consider the fact that he has handled all phases: kickoff, field goal and punt. That's a pretty sizeable hit. He worked really hard in the off-season on his field goal kicking and was really doing a great job. He was the most consistent by a long shot. And to not be able to kick a field goal or an extra point or on a kickoff in over three weeks now, that is hard. That is one of those silent killers. Even punting for the kid: He is not himself. You can see that. The last couple weeks, you've maybe seen one [Alex Howell-type punt]. It's because he doesn't have confidence in that leg right now. We're hoping we're going to get over this thing. It's dragging on pretty good. It's been a real quiet issue. I say quiet because no one is really talking about it. But for us, it's been major, especially when you're a couple of field goals away from being 5-1. It's pretty sizeable."
On whether there was any thought to bring Howell in to kick against Wake Forest…
"I would have loved to have trotted him out. He can't do it. Not now. Maybe that'll change in the next week or two. But not now. Can't do it. Trust me. We would do it. Are you kidding me? We want the veteran guy out there. He has not kicked a field goal, an extra point or kicked off in over three weeks. Foot has not hit the ball to do it."
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballBC Football Camp Report | Episode 6
Friday, August 22
Football: Offensive Coordinator Will Lawing Media Availability (August 21, 2025)
Thursday, August 21
Football: Special Teams Coordinator Matt Thurin Media Availability (August 21, 2025)
Thursday, August 21
Football: Defensive Backs Coach Cory Robinson Media Availability (August 21, 2025)
Thursday, August 21
