Notre Dame Postgame Presser: Brady Hoke
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[Note: I wasn’t in South Bend, so this was all transcribed from the video provided by the Athletic Department’s site.]
Opening remarks:
“Obviously Notre Dame played a very good football game and we didn’t. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. A lot of credit to what they did on third downs, either defending us or their third down opportunities that they converted on.
“We’ve got to go back to work, and we will as a team. You don’t want to have four turnovers in a game. That doesn’t help you. The red zone, we didn’t help ourselves in there. From the penalty side, we put ourselves behind the sticks offensively. And again, you’ve got to give them a lot of the credit too. But we will bounce back because this is a very resilient, hard-working group of young men who know what it takes to win.”
After [Devin] Gardner started fairly quickly, I think six-for-six, and then did they bring more pressure, did your offensive line struggle; what fell apart?
“I think a little bit it’s never one guy, it’s never one piece of the offensive line, or the quarterback, or the routes, or whatever. When those things happen I think they happen as a team. He started six-for-six. I think we’ve got to give them- we crossed the fifty and they were going to bring more pressure. That’s what they did.”
Can you talk about Ray Taylor and any update on his status?
“I’m not going to talk about any of those injuries. Number one, I don’t know enough about them.”
And then Jabrill [Peppers], he dressed. Could he have played?
“If he could have played we would have played him. We evaluated all those guys before the game.”
And then you dressed him?
“Well, he went out because we were evaluating him before the game.”
You said you’re pretty confident this team will bounce back. How do they bounce back from such a- I mean, this was a pretty humbling loss here.
“Yeah, it is but I think they’ve all been humbled sometime in their life. It’s part of the resiliency this group has.”
Your guys were pretty adamant about how bad they wanted this because of this possibly being the last game. Were you surprised at how lopsided this ended up being?
“This game? Yeah.”
[After THE JUMP: Gardner is still the starter, why Countess was pulled, and bouncing back from adversity]
You talked about Devin [Gardner]. Did you ever consider pulling him at any point?
“No. No. I mean, he’s our quarterback. You know, unless he doesn’t come to work every day, doesn’t come to learn, all those things, he’s our quarterback. We wanted to put points on the board.”
Do you feel like he’s slipping into some of his habits he had last year? Holding onto the ball too long, or…
“Well, obviously- I don’t think he slipped into all those habits. I think he’s a better quarterback- I know he is. He’s a better quarterback than he demonstrated today.”
You talked about how this team will bounce back, but does it need something different? Does it need some changes from you as the head coach, or personnel-wise, or anything like that? I know immediate aftermath it’s hard to know.
“I think that it is hard to know. I think when you evaluate it, and we’ll evaluate it on the bus on the way home; you know, how guys played, who didn’t play well, who played well. You know, because there were some guys who played pretty well. Jake Ryan- I thought he played a pretty good football game. You could feel him out there. You know, Jack Miller did some good things when you watch that.
“The bad part was we got behind the sticks too many times and got out of rhythm offensively, because we were running the ball halfway decent. That was encouraging to see but then obviously, I think at halftime it turned into a game where we needed to throw it a little more”
Evertt Golson is a guy who didn’t even make it out of the first half the last time you guys faced him. He was considerably better tonight. What are the biggest differences you’ve seen in him going against him?
“Well, I think they also use him well. I think Brian [Kelly] does a good job. There’s a lot of three-step game in it, a lot of slants. I think he’s matured. I think I said that this week coming in that he’s a much better quarterback than he was two years ago just from watching the Rice game, and I would say the same thing after our game.”
You shuffled the secondary a lot.
“Some of that was because of injuries.”
But even taking out Blake [Countess] at one point. What did you see there that you didn’t really like?
“Well, we’ve played a lot of guys back there in the past. Stribling, we wanted to get him some live reps in there. Sometimes you take a guy out and he gets a chance to watch from the sidelines a little bit, and maybe he picks up a few things. We didn’t play well in man coverage. You get called for two interference calls- and we’ve got to play smarter- early and the guys get a little bit worried about playing press.”
This is I believe 0-4 against the big three rivals on the road over the last four years. What is this team missing? What does this team need to get over the hump?
“Winning. You win the game. You play. You don’t turn over the ball. You don’t give up big plays.”
Is this a mental thing at this point or what do you guys view this as?
“You talk about it enough into being a mental thing. I don’t think it’s a mental thing.”
What do you think it is?
“Just what I said. You can’t give up big plays. Can’t turn the ball over.”
When the game was that far out of reach, Gardner often puts his body in a position where he takes hits. He takes hits in the fourth quarter. Why were you playing him at that point?
“Because he’s our quarterback. He’s our quarterback. You know, we’re going to play some really big games on the road this year, and for him to keep improving he needs to play quarterback.”
Is it a risk, when he takes a hit like that?
“Anything’s a risk. To me, the risk was starting him maybe. I don’t know. We’re trying to develop a team.”
You might have touched on this a little bit already, but what specifically was your message to the team?
“After the game? Number one, give Notre Dame credit for how they played. It was a total butt kicking all the way around that we all took. Going back to work tomorrow as a team, like they will. And we’ve got to get a lot better. I think we learned some things that we’ve got to get better at.”
It looked like your quarterback was under pressure a lot and their quarterback wasn’t under pressure a lot. Was there a disparity in the trenches or was that scheme?
“I don’t know about that. He had to run enough. He did a good job evading a lot of rush, Everett did. And so I think there was pressure there. And sometimes it’s hard to get pressure on a three-step game.”
You mentioned that you feel like this team will bounce back. Adversity-wise, with a young team do you worry that they may get off track?
“I really don’t. Not with this team.”
Why?
“Because of what we’ve seen every day from them. I mean, from their work ethic, from how they care about each other. All those things.”
Devin [Gardner] took a good shot at the end. Is he okay?
“Like I said, I’ll talk about those injuries when I know more.”
September 7th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
I seriously questioned Hoke's decision to keep Funk, and his approval of allowing a guy to coach the secondary who has no expereince doing so. This isnt the MAC or high school football. This is the big leagues. That was a dumb move. He just doesnt seem like a good manager. He's a likable guy, but not a manager.
Also, how the team reacted to Gardner getting hit at the end of the game speaks volumes. There are some serious issues on this team.
It is apparent Hoke has to go, and the new guy has to be a huge name in order to not allow the transition to take this program even lower. This program is in real danger right now.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^
have put a foot through it if I hadn't.
Personally, after seeing that hit, if I was on the sideline I would have rushed the field and started a brawl.
That's not a good thing or commendable but I would have (and have before. That's why I am not allowed to play sports anymore).
September 7th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^
They didnt react, they didtn come to his defense. They didnt care anymore. Or, perhaps they didnt care (encough?) from the start. It suggests some lack of connectivity between Gardner and others.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
To be honest I don't think the players saw the hit. It's not like they were standing around just watching Devin take a cheap shot and then turned their backs on him. All their attention was on the INT return, which it should've been.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
Fair enough, I was probably imposing too much of my own frustrated interpretation on what happened on that play.
September 7th, 2014 at 11:54 PM ^
Becoming a mediocre football team only thought to be elite because enough people still vaguely remember when they were dominant?
Because if that's what you are worried might happen....i've got some bad news.....
September 7th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
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September 7th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 1:55 PM ^
i actually turned the game off at halftime. i couldn't take it anymore. the offense actually looked ok in the first but didn't score; seemed to protect gardner pretty well. it sounds like the O only got worse in the 2H.
September 7th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 2:23 PM ^
But there is the real problem: They shouldn't have had to deal with that pressure. We knew they weren't going to be great. The theory was, the defense would be our big strength this year and allow the offense to grow.
You and I both predicted similar scores for this game and I'm assuming we came to those conclusions based on the idea that the Notre Dame would never have the lead, let alone a 21-0 lead.
September 7th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
No. The CBs got beat in zone as well as in press. Countess was horrible at both. College teams can play press, just look at Alabama for example. Last night, vs. the ND 3 step drops, press is the only way to go. Too often, Mattisson left a big cushion on 3rd down which lead to a quick and easy 7-10 yds on the quick passes. Its on the tape man.
September 7th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
My biggest question is should Gardner still be your quarterback when you're down 31 and you need him to be your quarterback when, you know, you're playing games later in the season and you're not down 31.
It was foolish to have key starters in on those last couple of drives, even if none of them got hurt. Unfortunately, Funchess got dinged up and Gardner took a dangerous shot that probably shook him up, too.
Coaching is about planning ahead and being responsible, knowing when the game is out of reach and taking into account this is week two of a long season. If we weren't making it into the red zone the rest of the game, what was going to change in the waning moments of the fourth quarter?
September 7th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
By the final seven or so minutes, I was screaming to get Gardner out of there. When they put Funchess back in when he was clearly hurting, I just walked away. I didn't see the hit on Gardner at the end, trying to find a clip of that now...
Fuck this coaching staff. Buffoons.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^
A bigger concern to me than having Gardner still out there was letting Funchess back onto the field after that hit. The next time we saw him on camera after that he was limping after trying to make a cut. There seemed to be absolutely no reason to let him go back out there. They did it with Peppers last week, and who knows how long he is going to be out now. Why not just err on the side of caution?
September 7th, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
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September 7th, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
Coach Hoke, Question?
"Well I'm not really going to answer that directly"
/end press conference
September 7th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
This biggest think I take from the game is now I am not confident about the games with Utah, Penn State, Maryland. 2013 has come crashing back. The MSU and OSU games now seem to be very steep up hill climbs.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
@Rutgers might be the toughest game left on the schedule..
September 7th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^
But I was flipping between games and we're WAY behind MSU right now. We might be a Rutgers' level and we might not. We are in heap big trouble.
September 7th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
1. Miller sucked. Over and over I saw hem bent over backwards being pushed into the pocket. He might be a great kid, but I don't see him being even a decent center. I'd much rather see Glasgow at center and Kalis at guard, though I read this AM that his back is acting up again.
2. I thought the play calling on offense changed after the first couple series. It looked snappy and diverse and effective at the beginning, then it became very predictable and ineffective. If they bring pressure, where are our quick slants?
3. Still seeing Green miss holes and run right into crowds at the line. Not every time, but too many times.
4. No deep plays. Until we show that we can punish defenses for cramming the box and bringing the house on blitzes, we're hosed. This has been a problem since Denard's first year and it's probably the thing I'm most frustrated about right now.
5. The officiating STUNK. No, it didn't cost us the game, but it repeatedly cost us momentum. That officially reviewed 'reception' by ND where his foot was clearly on the line was just one of many bad calls. And not a single holding call on ND all game? Does anyone remember ever seeing an entire game without a holding on an offense? I do not. Meanwhile, we get PI calls for incidental contact on their first drive that takes us right out of our press coverage.
6. Gack, injuries. Peppers, Morgan, Taylor, Funchess, and maybe Gardner? Those aren't just five starters, they are five of our best.
I'm still hopeful that we'll look back at this game as an anomaly this season. But we're going to have to play a very different kind of football once the conference games start for that to be true.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
That endzone PI was hogwash. Both guys looked at the ball, both guys went for the ball, both guys made incidental contact -- that's a no-call everywhere, and especially in the endzone. Worse then after you watch it is you have to listen to homer ND announcers (doing a national game, mind you) immediately praising the call. That did make me angry at the time, but there are no refs that could have saved us from the rest of the game.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
....by the way it was A crummy game - not a season - STILL I am not happy... #3 -Smith was so much more effective ... one time in the second half Green actually hit the correct hole hard and it was a successful play .. I thought he was getting it...then the very next one he went right when there was a 10 ft hole to the left ... I would also like to give Drake and Justice some more opportunities.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:52 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^
Had a whiff so bad early in the game that I started to lose interest almost immediately. It looked intentional, like he was expecting someone else to make the block. But who exactly? Everyone else was engaged. It was pretty obvious right there that our OL wasn't improved enough from last year. That said, I do think there /was/ evidence of improvement, but I'm not sure exactly what it is.
For instance, at least our running game doesn't consist of going backwards most of the time - or at best, running straight into into a brick wall and going nowhere. But it's also no where near a state where we can afford to run Alabama's offense and win against solid competition.
Alabama could run that offense because it requires you to be able to road-grade over ANY team you play, and Alabama could do that. With our offensive line, running this gameplan just makes it easier to defend us.
September 7th, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^
Someone missed the line call there. Cole stayed on his (apparent) guy, but there was nobody to pick up the dt (or maybe a blitzing lb, not sure).
September 7th, 2014 at 11:02 PM ^
I am thinking of, Cole picked up an outside rusher (stepping out) and Mags stepped down to give inside help to Miller but didn't really engage. I haven't gone back and watched the play and don't know what the line call was, but my guess is that is not on Cole but either Mags was to step out and a RB pick up the inside or vice versa.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^
Some of this is nonsense. We were getting pressure like they were? What game was he watching? Jack Miller played well? Not to mention that I guess the Peppers stuff last week was just deceit. I know this isn't a fun press conference to do but spending breath praising your center and DL play after that game is bewildering.
September 7th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
Your avatar picture is appropriate.
Did you take it at the game?
September 7th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 3:15 PM ^
A loss yesterday, competitive loss, would have been okay - but this was one of your pride stealing moments. There is only so much before you just stop caring... Only so much before you don't want to drop crazy money to go, park, and attend a game to see the school you have so much pride for play scared, unprepared, flat...
September 7th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^
Um, there are many, many other coaches out there who are both informative and do not give out too much information. It's not all or nothing. There is a middle range. Hoke is way out there in outlier land.
September 7th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 3:07 PM ^
I agree with your point about the press. Under normal circumstances.
But coaches don't live in a vacuum. He is losing support from the fanbase. You can say that he can ignore the fanbase and just keep his buddy the AD happy, but it eventually reaches a tipping point in any program where even the AD can't ignore it.
After 4 years and a loss that should not even happen in the first year, it is time for some damage control. He needs to give the fanbase something to hang their hat on. The press is never just simply the press, it's also the conduit for info that the fans pick up.
If he can bypass the press and have an internet fireside chat with just us fans, then cool, but he is quickly reaching a level where he further alienates the fanbase at his own risk.
If he hates the press then it's time to find a way to dismiss the press without dismissing the fanbase.
September 7th, 2014 at 3:51 PM ^
September 7th, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^
How many times over the past few years has someone on this blod stated that they are glad our coaches do not act like Brian Kelly. Now, we have a segment here that are stating that Hoke needs to take the kid gloves off and light a fire under these kids.
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