Addazio Weekly Press Conference: Georgia Tech

Boston College Football
Head Coach Steve Addazio | Monday, August 29, 2016
Weekly Press Conference Transcript

"We are kicking off the new year and it's happening fast, getting ready to head out to (play) Georgia Tech tomorrow night and kick this thing open with an ACC opener, playing a tough Georgia Tech team that is just two years away from the conference championship game. They too, like us, had a bunch of injuries a year ago and certainly ended in a disappointing season. They have some fantastic football players on their team, starting with Justin Thomas, their quarterback, who's coming back as a three-year starter and he's a dynamic player. Marcus Marshall, their fullback, is a dynamic player. Ricky Jeune, the receiver – they've got a lot of playmakers on offense. And they've got a bunch of lineman back. They've got a number of guys that were injured last year that are back in their lineup. We all know this offense is a tough offense to go against. It will keep you on the field and limit your possessions for your own offense, and can really grind you out if you don't have the opportunity to get them off the field. On defense, Ted Roof is their coordinator. He's done an excellent job everywhere he's been. They're very well coordinated, very well put together, fundamentally sound team. They've got some good returning players: KeShun Freeman at the defensive end, PJ Davis at the linebacker, Brant Mitchell the other linebacker. These guys are real productive players. They're a talented football team and we know that this will be a great challenge for us and we're looking forward to getting this thing going Saturday morning."

On if it's beneficial to play a team like this out of the gate …
"I think it helps when you play a wishbone team to be able to have time to prepare for a wishbone team. But I certainly think it's always a challenge when you open up with a tough ACC opponent for the opening game. Most people like to take an easier non-conference approach – gives yourself the chance to work kinks out. There're lots of things that go on in opening games. I've been a part of a lot of opening games and it's just hard to anticipate what guys will do their first time under the lights. Every team is remarkably different from game one to game three, four, but this is our opener and we start with it and we're both in the same boat."

If the team preparation has changed due to travelling to Ireland …
"Our goal was to get as much done as we could before we left, which we've done. The challenge? The trip. It's a long trip. We leave at night tomorrow night, 10 o'clock at night, fly through the night, get there and go to practice. The sleep you get is what you get on the plane, all in an effort to get yourself acclimated to the time change. It' not a great recovery. It's not like you're sleeping in a great bed, waking up fresh the next day. So you lose, in my opinion, this time of year when you're trying to get your team from training camp to regain its legs you lose a day in travel of that recuperation. I think the key is to have as much done. We can't get off the plane and have a hard rock and sock 'em practice. That can't happen. We'll have the bulk of our work done tomorrow so Wednesday is more of a walk-thru mentality in Dublin and Thursday is much the same. That's our plan of attack. It's forced us to really accelerate everything. When I mean everything, I mean everything. From creating travel, teams, creating this, that, everything has to be done. Game one you usually have game week to do some of these things, because you're usually home to do some that stuff. We've been busy with stuff over the last couple of days, realizing tomorrow that we're leaving. I haven't even personally packed anything. Tomorrow you're leaving, you're going to Ireland. It's kind of bizarre. But that's what it is."

On how to balance the different cultural and pep rallies surrounding the game …
"You're going there to win a game. It's not a bowl game. You take a bowl trip and you have some fun things planned. You give the guys some time. You're generally out there for a week. It's not what this is. There will be a couple of things planned to give them some experience of a different culture and different country. But in the same breath, you're pretty structured with your time so there won't be a lot of that. There will be a small amount of that because you're trying to get ready for game one."

On how the quarterbacks have battled in camp to make the decision to name a starter difficult …
"I think (Patrick Towles and Darius Wade) both had a great camp. They're throwing the ball well. They're leading the offense well. We have confidence in both of those guys. At different times, they've all had their movements performing at a high level. I feel much better going into the season knowing that we have two guys that are game ready. That's pretty comforting knowing that you have somebody that can do that. Then you have John Fadule and Anthony Brown behind that I think have done a really nice job. So I think we have a nice group of quarterbacks. They're talented and they're capable."

On if the offense has made strides this week …
"I think that, obviously, we can throw the football. We can do things on offense that, once (Darius) Wade got hurt last year, it became very difficult for us. I think the only thing that hurt us a little bit at training camp at one point was that we were down a couple of offensive lineman at the end. It took the consistency out for us, but they're back and ready to go. I thought maybe at one point we were accelerating pretty good, but then we leveled off a little bit, but that will come. I think the defense will always be ahead. We have more veteran players on defense, but I think by nature of what defense is, will be ahead. Offense takes more time with rhythm and timing and things like that. But defensively we are just in a unique situation right now playing against a unique offense right now. It's really quite different."

If everyone is healthy …
"Yeah, I think so. I hope so. At this point it looks like we should have everyone on board, which is a good thing."

On the possibility of using all running backs …
"We will use them all between special teams and things like that. But to say every running back is going to be taking a bunch of carries in that game, I'd say it's not necessarily going to be the case. I think you get into a game and all of sudden a guy's in that game and playing well then you're going to give him a chance to play well. Those guys are all capable. That's a pretty talented and a somewhat veteran group of guys. Who don't you feel good about? You feel good about all of them. They are all talented and they have all done it in big games. Well not all of them. Davon (Jones) hasn't yet, but we feel that Davon is a very talented player. But Myles (Willis) has made big plays against some of the biggest opponents we play, Tyler Rouse, those guys. You need them all. Remember what happened last year? We went into Northern Illinois and we lost Jon (Hilliman) and Myles. Because you remember last year against Northern Illinois we lost Jon Hilliman and Myles, Jon with the broken foot for the year and Myles for about three weeks with a separated shoulder. I don't remember what game that was. Game three? Four? You need them all. You need them all, like Rich (Wilson) has had a great camp, a strong runner. I'm just glad that we have a strong stable of backs. You need that if you want to run the ball. You need a stable of backs. In our conference, very physical defensive conference, you need to have talented guys."

On Jeff Smith and Michael Walker separating themselves from wide receiver pack …
"Well I don't think you can use the word separated from the stand point that Mike Walker missed the first half of training camp with a groin strain and Jeff (Smith) has missed almost all of camp with a hyper-extension. So you can't say they have really had the opportunity to happen. Now, thank god they are back and are practicing full-go right now. But you're talking about two young guys who missed half and all of training camp. So you can't say they separated. From sheer opportunity alone it did not happen. Now they are talented guys and they'll have to play themselves. Mike has had a little better go of it because he missed half of it, but they will have to play themselves in to shape. It's not conditioning I'm worried about, but into playing form is the word I am looking for. They'll have to play themselves into playing form. Both those guys had an unbelievable summer and we had high, high expectations. It'll work itself out, but it will take a little time to get them back. There is a reason why we have training camp. We have 26 practices in training camp. Just look at it through the sheer amount of practices you miss. If you miss 23 practices, that's the equivalent to missing three months in game weeks. It really is. It's a long time so we've got to get that generated back. But they're talented guys, they will make plays and they will get better each week."

On seeing the Georgia Tech style offense for the first time …
"We played Army here. We played Army when I was at Temple and I ran this offense. So I have a good feel for this offense. I'm pretty comfortable with it but I'm not playing. We have to get the team. The kids have to be comfortable with it. I think our staff has a pretty good understanding of it but it is a tough offense. It has answers to everything and once they get it going sometimes it is very hard to stop it – really, really difficult. Especially when they have a veteran quarterback like they do, who is really dynamic. He's a really dynamic athlete so we have had to simulate him this week and it's tough. It is a very tough offense. Nobody wants to play that offense, nobody. Just because it takes so much time to devote. You're in a scheme that is not necessarily the scheme you are going to play against other people. It is a scheme specifically for that offense. So that is the other issue with. It kinda gets you out of your flow.

On who simulated the offense for us …
"Myles (Willis). We had a couple different. We called it a fast jacket team, which was some of our starters on offense. Then a scout jacket team, which was some of our back-up guys, so we could give them two different speeds."

On how the defense looked …
"Good. It is a work in progress. We've been working at it for a long time but it is just one of those deals where they'll hit you on some plays. That's what happens with that deal. It's hard. You take them down into four-down territory and they are going to take four downs to get 10. So we've done some really good things against it and they have been able to hit some plays, too. But we've got some pretty good guys running it – guys who understand it and how to run it. So the good news is that we've been able to at least give them a good look at it and what they are going to get. That's half of the battle. Imagine doing that in a game week? Woof! Two padded practices to get ready to play that offense? Not easy. It would be hard to do. The good news is we've had more than that. Of course the bad news is you spend so much time to work on it you're not working on your base. It's different. If you go and blitz 10,000 times against the wishbone, it's not going to turn out too good for you. It's an assignment football operation. That's what it is. That's why they run it. They force you into whole deal. It's a different deal. Everything is different: third down is different, everything is different, a completely different animal. So opening day for our defense for what we are going to do is a week from now. Opening day for what we're going to do against Georgia Tech's coming fast. That's this week.

On blitzing the wishbone and if it is possible …
"Sure you can, but you've got to be really careful. Somebody's got to get the dive, someone's got to get the quarterback and someone's got to get the pitch. People don't like to pressure hard option teams. You get toasted. You get caught in it, so it is difficult to do. You get a lot of people who want to run option against a blitzing team. When you zone off the ball, pitch it off to the end of the line and get the on the perimeter and go. You get the blitzes all caught up inside. So, a lot of people, their answer to those blitzing teams is the run option. So you have to be careful blitzing against that kind of operation."

On the second string and guys who are competing for a spot …
"They're talented. I like them a lot. Noa Merritt has had a great camp. He's really an improved player. I think our whole defense line has really improved. The fundamentals and the technique and their ability to play with their hands has really been incredible to watch. Our linebackers' fundamentals in terms of using their hands to shed blocks has been great. A lot of attention to detail on fundamentals, which is the development of your team. And so some of these back-up guys who haven't played a lot of ball have had a great training camp. I really like their progress and where they are right now. It is really a tribute to the coaches. Coach (Paul) Pasqualoni has really done a phenomenal job with the defensive line in terms of their fundamentals. Coach (Jim) Reid is really a fundamental guy with the linebackers and shedding blocks. I think it's really important. It gives you an opportunity to develop a base defense and not just rely on blitz patterns to confuse people. Because if they hatch you up you've got problems on your hands and you can get a lot of big strikes against you. There has been a lot of fundamental growth on that side of the ball and it has been fun to watch. I enjoy it."

Boston College Athletics

Addazio Weekly Press Conference: Georgia Tech

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Players Mentioned

Anthony Brown

John Fadule

Jon Hilliman

Noa Merritt

Tyler Rouse

Jeff Smith

Patrick Towles

Darius Wade

Michael Walker

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