So if you were wondering if Saturday’s win bothered Joey McGuire, I believe that it did. He said that the defense played like dog crap at least once, but I’ll let you judge for yourself. McGuire talked a lot about not playing complimentary football, which is if your defense gets a stop, your offense needs to punish the opponent and score. There was also a moment at the end where Don Williams started asking about injuries and McGuire pretty well shut down that conversation. The injury report gets released each week and McGuire said he doesn’t want to spend time discussing injuries. Don is probably just really used to asking about how or when the injuries occurred, but McGuire was having none of it. And I side with McGuire here, they are being really honest about the injury situation and the reason they are putting it out is so that they don’t have to answer questions. But Don always asked questions about the injuries, but not today Don, not today.

The big news based on the availability report is that Tahj Brooks is questionable and Joseph Adedire is out for the year.

I also did the non-transcript for DeRuyter and Kittley because I had a bit of extra time yesterday. This will probably not be a regular thing. I thought hearing Kittley talk about Washington State’s OC, which is one of his best friends and a Godfather to his middle child, was good.

Availability Report

OUT FOR SEASON
Dylan Spencer So. OLB Knee
Joseph Adedire Jr. OLB Knee

OUT FOR WASHINGTON STATE
Charles Esters III Jr. OLB Thigh
Javeon Wilcox R-Fr. DB Knee

QUESTIONABLE FOR WASHINGTON STATE
C.J. Baskerville Sr. DB Shoulder
Tahj Brooks Sr. RB Arm
John Curry R-Fr. LB Shoulder
Harvey Dyson III So. OLB Foot
Quincy Ledet Jr. Sr. DL Knee
Bralyn Lux Sr. DB Thigh

Head Coach Joey McGuire

Thankful that KP and his kids are okay after the accident.

Start by thanking the fans. Great atmosphere, chose to go into the band and student section.

Scout team POTW: J’Koby Williams and Oliver Miles.

Excited about going to Washington State, they are going to honor Mike Leach, talking to Clay, they do such a great job. know the OC really well, he was my QB in my last THSCA. Both Hudson and Williams were good. They play the run well. Have not played well on the road and will be a big road test and great environment.

[On playing on the road] Started with some of the stuff in camp and create chaos. Have gotten behind early on the road and have to play well early. Have to be better on defense, Captain Obvious here, they can attack you vertically. Have to play better defense. Extremely frustrating Saturday, the fans and Coach DeRuyter. We can’t get down 2 or 3 scores in that kind of environment.

[Who will play rush end] The guys that play in the game, Isaac Smith and Harvey Dyson, Amier Washington, Sam Carrell, Charles Esters is a couple of weeks out. Had a couple of times to hit the quarterback. Those guys have to step up at outside linebacker.

It changes a lot when you have Bralyn Lux, without a doubt there would have been more rotation. We just fel that we had to ride with what we had. One guy does make a difference, when your best cornerback is out of the game and that makes a difference. We are good friends with the ACU staff and talking to their OC, they outside receiver inside and tight end outside, and when they knew that Lux wasn’t out, they went back. Lux looked good this morning, hoping we can have him on Saturday. They are going to throw the ball. Facing coordinators that originate from the great Mike Leach. Ben is going to throw the football and so is Eric Morris next week. Going to have to pressure the quarterback.

Will be tough, look at Saturday, the quarterback was getting the ball out in 2.54 seconds, and you may have a sack every 90 plays. Box Nix got it out in 2.6 seconds last year. The kid last year was 2.25 against Portland State so it’s coming out even faster. We have to cover down on some receivers and easy access throws. Need ot get in windows with linebackers. Probably going to get some more vertical shots, will have to mix it up on defense and play better.

I know everyone is frustrated, no one is more frustrated than me. The defensive side of the ball, no one can question our offensive skill. Our defense dominated our defense our fist 2 scrimmages and was shocked how the defense played. The ACU OC put is in situations and we have to communicate better in secondary and be on the same page, but I did not think we’d come out the way we did. My message to the team is about complimentary football. After Drae McCray makes that return and we get stopped on the 1 yard line, we then let them drive 96 yards and that’s ridiculous and can’t happen. We have to get it corrected. They came in with a good attitude yesterday.

What we do on Sunday, we put our plan to win of who won what, caused a turnover and scored off that turnover and our special teams were elite. I cut up all of the complimentary football, the sense of urgency, when you get a big return you can’t kick a field goal. If you get stopped on 4th down your best defense has to play. We get a 4th down stop and they then get a 4th down stop. You can’t increase the margin if that’s how you’re going to play. We cut it up and talked through it regarding complimentary football, don’t give up a whole shot on cover 2 and stop them there, and make them punt, instead they go 96 and it’s frustrating.

Josh Kelly is special and the whole offense and yards after catch, the skill players did a good job of creating YAC. Good things happen when Kelly touches the ball early and he can get the offense moving. He’s a tough competitor, he wants the ball in his hands and I was proud of him, catching the ball and YAC.

Our first two games we didn’t find a way to win. We turned the ball over, pathetic checks, block a punt and check something that we should have checked and throw it right back to them. Want to find ways to win the game. In 2018 we are getting destroyed by West Virginia and had to learn something from this. On Saturday night, we’re in the game we’re in, and didn’t expect to win and we said to find a way to win the game. Good call with DeRuyter to mix up the front, we gave them numbers so they couldn’t throw the screen and gave them the box to run the draw in and they didn’t run the draw and find a way to win the game. Clay McGuire reminded me in 2015 and they opened with a loss to Portland State, but won 9 games. No matter how frustrated I am, I honored the victory. I remember walking out of Wyoming last year and being sick to my stomach, and was sick to my stomach on Saturday, but we won.

I think there’s a good split, that will be a game time decision. Tahj might try to fight us, we will add in J’Koby Williams, we’ll travel all 4 backs. Dickey is a heavier back, Valdez knows the system, when the game became what it was we had to ride the game we were in. We’ll ride with those guys and have the depth in that room, and have guys that can go and play and good that Dickey was here in the spring.

Proud of both kickers, that game was won because of special teams, 3 for 3 on FG’s and got a 2-point conversion out of Jaylin Conyer, what a catch by him in the end zone. We’ll just ride with those kickers and rotate them.

If you just looked at the personnel we might be more personneled to throw the ball more and be more of an Air Raid team, may have to double-down on the tempo because we do have those threats. I think the defense will settle down and play better, but we may have to score.

Big game from Conyers, he was emotional going into the game and it was a dream for him to play in this uniform. Will definitely increase is role, he’s a tough match-up.

Adedire, he’s out for the year. Surgery. In practice.

We are putting out the injury report and will not answer questions about the injury report. I apologize and will let Mike and Grant to answer questions.

[Don asks if ACU have Texas Tech’s signals.] They had 6 guys that played for us, but that’s not why we played that bad and gave up pump and go’s because of terrible eye discipline, guys in the backfield on out routes, the tight end is dead and neither one takes the over route on Martinez on a huge play. That has nothing to do with our signals. They had a good plan and we played like dog crap.

It’s like you’re looking in the mirror a lot. they will present a lot of 4 down, they close the middle of the field, mixture of cover 3 and man free. Can we run our gap and counter scheme, that will be a big key to the game. Do you run more inside or outside zone, best teams in the country at counter, Iowa State defends it well and we still have success. it helps that Clay knows that defense and that Josh Kelly knows those DB’s, but Ben knows Zach Kittley really well and they talk constantly.

Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter

We’re going to play the guys available. The young depth made a lot of mistakes and have to do a better job of coaching them up. Plan to fix it.

Amier Washington put some pressure on the QB, wasn’t consistent enough. QB got the ball out in 2.54 seconds, but we had situations to pressure. I thought we started out early, when we got on our heels our guys got rattled and have to do a better job of getting them back in.

Losing Bralyn before the game changed our rotation thoughts. Guys through camp and spring competed well against our receivers. Had a lot of guys who performed in practice and in the Jones it was different. Have to continue to play those guys so they don’t worry about the environment. We had bad vision and things happen to young players. Those are correctable things. it hurt on Saturday, blessed our offense did a great job.

It is college football and have challenges. They have explosive receivers. They have a dynamic attack and spread you out vertically, and dial in the best plays in zone. We have another week to improve.

There’s multiple coverages we ran, some times we got picked and have to recognize the formation and so they can get over the top of those routes.

After a game like that you have to look at everything. Our guys didn’t handle the multiplicity on Saturday. If that’s simplifying things, that’s what we’ll do.

Have to figure out why our players didn’t perform, some is the rush of being out there the first time. The players will say they had bad eyes or didn’t make the right check. It is a team approach and we have to coach better, and we have to get them to focus on what they are supposed to focus on. We still feel we have talented players.

Will use tempo, lead with 10 personnel, will do some 11 and 12 and have to have packages with everything, they are committed to the run and they have physical backs. This year’s quarterback can do more designated runs.

I reminded our guys on Sunday that we can be a great defense and the potential to have the best defense, but have to make a huge jump and we as coaches have to draw that out of our players.

Offensive Coordinator Zach Kittley

I thought we were better at creating explosive plays and YAC was better than last year. Tahj is still Tahj.

Tight ends did a good job, Mason had a catch, JC had a catch and Jalin was good, had advantages and slipping those guys in the flats. Making those end-game adjustments.

He’s a special athlete and does good things, he was excited and he said before the game how awesome this was and even have that conversation with him.

did a good job in pass pro, but need to strain and finish blocks. In the run game we mis targeted at times. Have some guys that have not had time to gel yet, hoping as the year goes on they gel and get better. Sheridan Wilson hasn’t played football in 3 years.

Have a lot of respect for Dickert, aggressive and physical, what we preach here. They are a 4-down structure and play a bit of middle field open and are a cover 1 and 3 team. Have to scheme up stuff to move gaps. They fly around the field.

The flea-flicker, liked against the 3 high structure, just felt like it was that kind of moment in the game and was in a lull offensively. Worked out well and all 3 guys were open.

Can’t replace a Tahj Brooks, if he is unable to play we have faith in both freshmen and J’Koby, ACU came out early and didn’t play as much 3 high and adapted in-game, they reverted back. Planning to have 28 out there on Saturday, but if not, we’ll go from there.

Behren had a good game, probably 3 plays that he was frustrated with. He didn’t get to a backside curl to coy, and another he missed his first read to Jordan. No turnovers and threw the ball away and was proud of him. Watching his leadership on Saturday was impressive and encouraging the defense. Proud of him and his performance.

Playing Ben Arbuckle, it is fun, Ben and Lauren are two of my best friends, they are the God-parents to my middle son.  Jared Kaster is the OL coach, they have 2 young coaches over there, including Colt Garrett and Carter Webb. Lot of ties there. With Ben, we’re best friends, and haven’t talked to him this week, but it is fun and he’s a West Texas kid. I’m sure it’s exciting for him.

I think it ultimately goes to show you what Leach did for football, what Riley was doing for USC, and Morris at North Texas, fun to see how it is evolved and we are more multiple on offense, and real cool they are honoring him.

We had a volunteer QC job at Houston Baptist and was funneling through resumes and the top right corner of his resume and picked him out because he had an 806 number, and called my cousin and my cousin said that you’ll love him and Ben was willing to quit and be there tomorrow. His boss was cool and quit and was with us the next day. He was unpaid for a year and a half, working at Seminole and I got at Western Kentucky and he was my one call there and he’s a really good human being.