Bowling Green State University Athletics
Walt Harris' Weekly Press Conference
September 06, 2000 | Football
Opening Statement:
We are very excited about what happened on Saturday. That was a big win for us (Over Kent State). It was a tough battle for a long time, especially with the lightning delays. Now we are getting ready for Bowling Green, looking at the game tapes. They (Bowling Green) pretty much dominated us last year in the game. We had five turnovers, four fumbles and a blocked punt. That quickly changed the game. They out-gained us, out-first-downed us. Had more time of possession and total offense. They made it a tough day for us. With that in mind we know they played really hard at Michigan. It was 21-0 going into the first part of the fourth quarter. I think they really showed they're competitive of their football team. We know we have an exciting challenge. I know our coaches are really looking forward to playing. And our job as a coaching staff is to get our players as excited as we are. We aim to do that here this afternoon.
On playing at Bowling Green:
I think what the leverage is, is if you want to play a MAC team nowadays, because they have a lot of people that are interested in playing them, you have to agree to one at home unless you play them major league bucks which is not what we are doing quite yet. So we are playing them again in 2006. So two at our place, one at their place.
On Kevan Barlow:
What was also very helpful was that he had a couple nice breaks in between. With the lightning breaks, which by the way I thought our game operations staff led by Carol Sprague really did an outstanding job. We were on top of the weather, they were on top of how long the delays were going to be. They made it a lot easier for us to withstand that. Also our training staff did a nice job getting our players cooled down and everything. I think the fact that Kevan had a lot of time in between allowed us to run Kevan by himself. Normally, I think we would have played, I know we would have played Nick Goings quite a bit more in that game. We are looking forward to having Kevan Barlow be the kind of player that we all have been hoping him to be. He sure ran well the other day.
On not looking ahead to Penn State:
Unfortunately, I think we are still a young football team so I would guess that is a natural tendency. Bob Ligashesky, our tight ends and special teams coach who had just left Bowling Green, spoke to our football team about where we are playing, the name of the stadium, what it is like, how tough it is. I feel personally from that standpoint that we began the process of making this game something that is very important to our players. Like I said a few minutes ago, we are looking forward to heading out on the practice field. This is a big game for us and that is not just empty words. This is a big game for us. As a coaching staff and seniors that is our job. That is our job to make our players treat this like big game. I think the rest of them will take care of themselves. One at a time. This is huge.
On the starting quarterback position:
There are some rumors out there that I don't know what I'm doing, but that's okay. I'll hang in there. I'm trying to do what's best for our football team, that's all. With the quarterbacks, I know the people, I know the kids, and I know what I am. I know what I grade and this is the way that I think is best for us to bring the best out of both those two guys. I thought in the game they both did representatively well. It was hard to say if you just went by their grades, which you are not going to get a chance to see by the way, but you would understand what my dilemma is. I have upped the bar from where they were a year ago. I expect them to reach it if we want to be the kind of football program that we are capable of being and when we decide to throw to be able to be as good as we are capable of being. Then they've got to step up. That's what I'm trying to do and they've got to keep the competition factor in there so they have to step up and rise to that level.
On the quarterback rotation for this week's game:
I have a plan, but I'm not going to divulge that yet. I'm going to see how it goes because I like the competition factor. I felt more guilty a year ago playing both quarterbacks because none of them played. The reason why I felt guilty was because it was hard for the team. One guy was getting half as many reps, but I wasn't positive about who the guys were or who the guy was. This year I don't feel that I am penalizing the football team to the same degree because both these young men can play and have played well for us and played well for us on Saturday. We are in a long process of trying to find the best guy. The good football teams, the teams that go to bowl games get outstanding performances and consistent performances out of their quarterbacks. That is what I am looking for, right now I'm not to that point yet to know that we've got one guy that can handle the excitement or the complement or the aura that goes with being a starting quarterback.
On the depth at wide receiver and how that may open up other things on offense:
I'm excited about "Wide Receiver U." I'll just tell you a little bit of background (and) what happened at Tennessee. When I came in there we changed our pass offense. Of course the guys that just left were three guys: one went in the first, one went in the second, and one went in the sixth round. Then we had a string of five first-round draft choices in a row. That is when it became wide-receiver U. I see the university (Tennessee) is still doing a good job with receivers down there. That is our goal here. I'm excited that Antonio will be playing. I've got a tremendous amount of respect for him. What he did last year was phenomenal. I'm hoping that he is ready. I know he is ready. I know he is ready to do better within the system. We have some other young men. You couldn't ask for anything more from R.J. English or Lamar (Slade). I thought that R.J. really made a great catch on the go route that (David Priestley) threw. That was an athletic move besides just speed. Obviously, he moved by him - the term I use, powered by him - on the 80 yarder. Lamar made a real nice read on a route and a real nice catch and did a nice job on the slant, only problem was our offensive line couldn't catch him. We always like to congratulate our guys and I don't know where he was running, but they were gassed by the time they finally got to him. We'll get that improved with Lamar going back to his teammates. Then we have some other guys that have a chance. I think Rod (Rutherford) is going to play some at wide receiver. We promised you all that he would so he is going to play some in spots so he adds some excitement as well.
On possibly one player standing on the tape during Saturday's game:
Brandon Williams really stood out. I think we talked so much about the offense, but that's been the nature of the questions. We played some freshmen. We played some true freshmen. I think that is tremendously exciting. Obviously, we are not ready for the Hall of Fame, by any stretch of imagination, but we sure did a nice solid account for ourselves. It's a great starting point. We talked to our football team about the improvement that good football teams make from game one to game two is the largest in the season. We are hoping to see that, but who knows. I think Brandon Williams which is another great success story I think, once again I'm not voting him in the Hall of Fame already, but he really did fly all over the field and made some plays for us all over the field, and was recognized by our defensive coaches as the defensive player of the week. We are thrilled about that because he is a mighty fine young man. It looks like we found a spot for him.
On other positions possibly still in the process of being adjusted:
I guess we've got some other positions we are trying to tighten up. Yeah we like that. We like the competition factor. That is exciting. Gerald Hayes is back, now that's exciting. Brian Beinecke did some good things. "TuTu" (William Ferguson) did some good things. We moved Robb Butler to safety because of the injury to Gary Urschler. Penny (Semaia) and Mike White is some good competition. That is what we have been praying to have here is more competition. That allows the coach a little leverage to kind of sit back and let the cream rise to the top. The more of that the better.
On Robb Butler's move to safety:
Yeah, I think it is just because of depth and because of the injury to Gary (Urschler) that he is going to play safety for a while. It just enhances his value to our football team the more positions he can play. He is a smart player, has worked very hard and has gotten into the game at corner as well.
On Corey Humphries starting at free safety this week:
Yes, I think anytime you are starting a red-shirt freshman, that is a little early. He likes football he is into contact. He wants to play special teams. We are excited about Corey Humphries. We think that playing in the game will probably help him be a better player. Get some of the kinks out, some of the nervousness of playing in a Division I-A game after not playing. Three Rivers Stadium, all the hoopla that goes along with an opener playing at this level. We count on him being a real good player for us. He's playing a great position too. I wish I could play that position. That is a tremendous position to play because it allows a guy to really roam free and we think he can do some damage in a positive sense.
On why there is no clear-cut starting quarterback:
What you are not able to know because of the situation is how young men respond and that is what I do know. Also I go back to the other point that they are both second-year players. My expectations are a lot higher than they were a year ago. I am a lot tougher in how I grade them and my expectations. Also, we haven't scrimmaged very much so, when you are only getting two out of six reps in practice. I believe repetition is the mother of learning. They have all been penalized. I'm not one of those kind of guys that is going to make a decision because I am a quarterback coach. I want to see it. Because I've got to look at the other guy too throughout the year. Quite honestly, I was the other guy when I was a player. What does that mean? My senior year I was not a star player and my point is that I want to give these kids a fair chance and therefore, give our football team a fair chance. I'm doing that, I'm being more than fair. I don't want to make a 51% decision. I want it to be obvious. I think we are working in that direction. Hopefully the sooner, the better, so we can have some different kinds of questions you can ask.
On the defense gaining some confidence as a result of Saturday's game:
Oh yeah, I think that was very positive, our guys rallied to the football. I though it was very positive. But we still have a lot of areas that we've got to get better at if we are going to play good at a high level on a consistent basis. Another real outstanding part of the team was our kickoff coverage team. Our special teams stood up and did a solid job. Our kickoff coverage was very good. We had the ball inside the 20 three or four times. Nick Lotz, obviously led us off with some real well played high kicks. We had some guys flying on down the field making it happen Torrie Cox and Amir Purifoy, Lewis Moore. Those are the guys that come right to my mind that made plays for us. That's real exciting.
On raising expectations:
Possibly (my expectations are rising), but not because of anyone in here (media). As I have mentioned before at other times we've gone through some hard times here, very, very challenging times that the coaching staff has had to endure. Very, very, challenging times for our players that are still with us. My expectations have gone higher. Because I want to win too. I know our coaches want to win. I know our families want to win. I know our alums, boosters, and athletic department wants us to win as well as the University. Nobody's expectations in this room affects my expectations. That is just because I won't let you. What matters the most is how I look at it. Or how our coaches look at it. We are ready to have some good times. Are they going to happen? I don't know. I can't guarantee anything. We'll be ready for practice today as a coaching staff and I pray our seniors will too. Hopefully, everyone else will follow suit. We are going to be ready to go. That is what its going to take. We are going to be out there in pads today. How exciting is that? We are going to practice like a regular football team today. Which is very unusual for us so far this year. We are excited.
On the new facilities:
Let's just say that I was tremendously excited about what our plans are. There is no one more excited than this guy (Harris) right now when I go sit in my office and look out the window there and see the beauty and see the view or happen to see the Pittsburgh Steelers practicing. Then there is no more excited person that this guy right here.
