Bowling Green State University Athletics
Weekly Football Report
April 19, 2002 | Football
April 19, 2002
What is your assessment this week?
I am very pleased with us...this time last year, it took us three weeks to learn how to practice. Last year people asked how practice was going, and I'd tell them that it was awful. There was no intensity, no level of effort, no level of execution...it was obviously poor, but that's going to be poor, I wasn't worried about that. I was worried about the level of effort and understanding the tempo of practice and competitiveness. We were very non-competitive a year ago. However, we had some very good players...especially on defense, that are no longer with us. So the effort part-the competitiveness of practice, you can see that in every situation we put them in, there's a winner and a loser. I'm very pleased with that...especially the older guys...the one's that have been in the program for over a year. They understand that when the whistle blows, you go, and I mean you go hard. My biggest concern is how good we are, and I just don't know. We have lost some good players and I don't know if we've replaced them in those certain areas. And we won't know that until the first game next fall. I was hoping we'd be further along...especially on right tackle, defensive line, and receiver. Those are the three areas I'm worried about. That's the concern. The strengths-our secondary can really run. They can really go. We have five guys that can really run in the secondary. There's not a whole lot of experience in the safety, we have three safeties that play most of the time now. We have three corners right now that can play. On offense, I think our two guards are playing very well but they should play well, I think our two quarterbacks are competing for a spot, and I think Joe Alls is going hard.
Talk about the offensive line?
We are going to play our best five people. Right tackle is a spot that right now there are three guys battling. Jimmy Williams is going to be running number one right now, and he's got to get going.
Everybody laughed when we said this a year ago, but I hired two excellent line coaches. Two years ago, we had the worst offensive line in the conference by far. Fifty-five sacks, and that's poor. By the end of last year, I'd take our offensive line over anybody's in the conference. That's a product of kid's caring, coaching, and staying healthy. Jimmy Williams needs to earn that spot. We're not going to just give it to him, and in my mind, he still needs to earn it, and he hasn't done that yet. Now, he's close. Now Vardan Mkhitarian, he's the JC transfer...he's also competing for the spot. And Andrew Hart, who's not practicing at all...there's a chance he's going to try to earn that spot too so we have three candidates, and somebody has to take it.
Anybody stood out now in the warm weather that previously hadn't done anything?
Yeah, especially on defense. One thing, last year...the grass was still brown, the sun was never out, it was just terrible. The sun is out, the grass is green, the field is in great shape, and we're hitting the heck out of each other. I'd say right now, the thing that's standing out is we go down on the last play of the last two scrimmages we had, there's a winner and a loser...and the loser has to run a hill. And it comes to that guy making a play down at the end. The offense won it on Sunday, and yesterday the defense won it because they stopped us. When it comes down to the last play, it's enthusiasm and a big hit now. Jason Morton, Daniel Sayles...there's certain guys that are always going to hit you. That's not by mistake. The same guys who are having the big hits now are going to have them next year. There's not necessarily an individual, but I think we're just fast on defense. Our offensive coaches think we're fast on defense, and usually with speed and explosiveness comes big hits, and you can see that. And I don't think we're a good team, but that's a sign of a good team, when you can see and hear the pops. On offense I think Charles Sharon has been a surprise. He's almost to the point where he's earned a starting spot. He was the player of the game the other day in scrimmage. He's catching the ball...he's running...he's learning the offense...I'm very pleased with him so far.
Last year you mentioned tempo, but you haven't mentioned that much now...is that not an issue anymore?
No we made a big deal on teaching tempo and game tempo, and the whole philosophy is that it's impossible to go 24 periods a practice at game tempo...you just can't do it. It's physically impossible. I want to see a change in tempo like turning up an amplifier. When its game tempo, you're flipping that thing on as high as it can go. When you go back to teach tempo, you cut it back a bit because your body just needs to. I want to see a change of gears when we go against each other and if you've been out to practice, you can tell now. Last year in the first three weeks it was just...they come up, guys would go to practice...then leave and go home. There was no competitiveness...we were non-competitive at this time last year. It's been an issue for a handful of guys this year, but we've corrected that.
With all of the seniors you lost last year, and how important they were to the team, do you think you're getting into a transition period...a rebuilding phase?
Absolutely. We're a young program. A magazine called me the other day and told me that we were picked to win the MAC West and I think that's nonsense. My concern was lack of depth last year, and those kids that were considered "lack of depth" are now starters. And we're still concerned. But the good thing is we don't play for another three months.
What's the injury status?
We're hanging in there. Rob Warren's (injury) is not an ACL. He'll be ready to go...it's going to take a month. He has a little chip in his bone, but he should be fine. Jon Mazur is coming along good, Jonathan Culp has a broken arm, but he'll be fine. Wendel got a hamstring (injury) but he'll be fine. Knock on wood, but we've been relatively healthy.
What do you think about Brandon Hicks and the draft?
It's going to be a full weekend. The last guy drafted was a defensive back in the 1990's. I am as excited for Brandon Hicks as anybody, but I'm even more excited for Bowling Green State University. They're going to call his name on ESPN or whoever's televising it. That's pretty good.
What's the quarterback situation?
Great question. As of right now, Cole Magner is working at becoming a starting receiver and he's doing pretty well. It's a very good situation we have at quarterback. Right now, I think either one of them are quality leaders, quality students. Josh Harris has a 3.3 GPA and Andy Sahm has a 3.0 GPA in architecture. They're both great leaders and both great community people. I wouldn't trade that situation with anyone in the country. We're going to play with whoever gives us the best chance to win. And at this point, I couldn't tell you who that is. I think they'll both play, but I don't know how much.
Will you make decisions on certain positions after next week?
Yes. I think after next week we'll have a two deep, and that's probably what you'll see unless something drastic happens.
As young as this team is, how important is it that you have two experienced guys fighting it out at quarterback?
If we didn't have a returning quarterback, I'm not sure how many games we would win...I don't think it would be many. I mean, I told people a year ago when I interviewed for the position that this became an appealing job when I saw that we have two kids who can play quarterback. If you don't have any guys that can play, then that's two years that you lose. Because it takes that much time just to develop a quarterback. Now we have kids coming in that can develop. Nowadays, everyone expects to win pretty quickly...we don't have the 5, 6, 7, or 8 years.
