West Virginia University
Assistant Coaches Media Session
August 15, 2015
Practice Update 13
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 15, 2015) - The West Virginia University football coaching staff met with the media on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
(Offensive Graduate Assistant Coach) Michael Burchett
On redshirt freshman quarterback William Crest Jr.’s performance in camp
I definitely think that he has taken a couple big steps in the last few practices. We talked about being in this offense, and it takes about a year to really get comfortable. He’s hit that 12 month mark, and he is able to rep the plays. You can see that he is comfortable and getting us in the right plays. We lean on the quarterbacks. You can’t call perfect plays all the time, and that is what coach (Dana) Holgorsen harps to those guys. He wants them to understand where the weaknesses are when he calls the plays, and (redshirt freshman quarterback) Will (William Crest Jr.) has really taken the next step as far as being able to get us in the right plays and go from there. I definitely see a certain comfort level with him, and everybody is getting comfortable with him back there too. I am proud of him, and he has taken a different approach to it the last couple of weeks. I am really proud of him, and he is putting in the time that a quarterback needs to do. I am looking forward to working with him as we move forward.
On if junior quarterback Skyler Howard carried over his spring performance over well
Yes, he has carried it over well. He’s taken the next step with it. (Junior Quarterback) Skyler (Howard) is doing a really good job for us. Taking care of the ball is one thing he has always done. Toward the end of the season last year, he really took care of the ball well, and he continued to do so in the spring. The thing about (junior quarterback) Skyler (Howard) is that he knows all the weaknesses of the plays we call. He’s doing a really good job of getting us in the right plays and making adjustments on the fly. You can see that the guys are comfortable with him, and it’s different for him too, because last year he was trying to get used to Kevin (White) and Mario (Alford) and those guys are gone. Now, we have young guys on the outside, playing on the perimeter, so it’s tough on a quarterback. He’s doing a really good job working with those guys and getting comfortable with them.
On the balance between not turning the ball over and not being gun shy
He’s not gun shy. That is his personality. We harp on it. We harp on the turnovers, but at the end of the day those guys have to pull the trigger. They found the balance. They are doing a really good job right now of understanding the situation. That’s the thing. It’s knowing the flow of the game, the down distance and how things are going. You get a feel for who’s on each day. Maybe (redshirt sophomore wide receiver Gibson) Shelton is on that day and you take a few more chances with him. He has a good feel for knowing when to take a chance. That goes for the rest of the quarterbacks too. They are not gun shy. We do harp on taking care of the ball, but they are not gun shy.
(Assistant Head Coach/Receivers Coach) Lonnie Galloway
On who’s surprised him the most at this point
I’m still unsure. There are guys out there working hard. (Junior wide receiver) Daikiel’s (Shorts Jr.) been out there, (senior wide receiver Jordan Thompson) squirt is out there and (redshirt senior wide receiver) KJ (Myers) is out there, but the three young guys are still trying to find a way. There’s been some surprise, but then there are days that they don’t do anything. As far as one particular person, it’s too early to say who that guy’s going to be.
On what he’s most pleased with so far and what he’s concerned about
Not so much concerns. It’s trying to get them all ready. It’s about getting them used to how we practice, especially the younger guys. The older guys know, but it’s about getting the younger guys used to how we practice and running all of those things. You can see it in the younger guys. When we hit the field, we’re running a lot. It’s one of those things where they have to figure out how we’re going to do it. You try to take care of them with different things in practice. The whole thing about my group is that there are so many unknowns, except for (junior wide receiver) Daikiel (Shorts Jr.) and (senior wide receiver) Jordan (Thompson) who have played. Now, you have to get everyone else on the same page with (junior quarterback) Skyler (Howard). They have to figure out the reps and the routes.
On if it’s safe to say that he’s more comfortable with camp ending
Yes. It’s not about being comfortable with them, it’s about who’s going to show up. We’ve changed who goes in with the one’s and two’s. There are really no one’s or two’s. Everyone’s trying to figure it out. Today will be a huge day for them with the practices that we have. We are putting them in different situations and those types of things. Hopefully, someone will step up. A couple of them have stepped up, and are starting to separate themselves in order to solidify a first group.
(Assistant Coach/Offensive Line Coach) Ron Crook
On if redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste and redshirt junior offensive lineman Adam Pankey had more problems than others picking up the blitz
Initially, you do because it’s a new position or you’re playing some place that you’re not used to being. Things happen so quick that it’s hard to react to them. Again, when you start to see things before they happen is when you really give yourself a change to get better at that aspect.
On if he has to worry about playing a redshirt freshman at left tackle
I think that, and I’ve tried to explain it this way, it’s not that he’s a redshirt freshman (offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste), it’s having inexperienced guys. Whether they’re going into their senior season or first year playing, there are things that happen out there that you can’t really prepare for. You can’t show them everything that’s going to happen. Everyone is going to coming up with a new blitz coming into each game based off film and what they see. They’re going to try to work in new stuff, so its things that guys who are unexperienced haven’t been through. It’s hard, but it’s not necessarily just a redshirt freshman. Having said that, he’s improving. He’s focused on those things. He’s focused on seeing the bigger picture, and what it means when you see defensive lines in certain ways. I think we’ll keep moving the right way with him.
On what makes redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste a left tackle
The number one thing is that body built plays a big part of it. Having long arms and getting to them on the defensive end, locking them out and keeping separation is another thing. The defensive players are trying to get tight as a pass rusher. They are trying to get close to you, so you can work their moves. The more you can keep separation, the better off you’re going to be. Footwork and quickness is critical. Most of the time you’re at the backside of the quarterback, and he doesn’t see anything coming, so he has to have a lot of confidence in the left tackle. A left tackle has to have a lot of confidence in himself. He also has to have a short memory. If he messes up one time and a guy gets by him, he has to forget about it and move forward. If he gives up a sack, we’re probably going to have to throw the ball again on the next down. He has to forget about it real quick and move on.
(Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach) Tony Gibson
On how many live snaps the team will take today
I would think we would get anywhere between 30-40 with the one’s, and probably about the same with the two’s. The three’s we will probably put in play about 20 snaps. We are looking at 100 total snaps.
On if you talk to the team about the social and academic side of things with camp ending
I tell them to stay off High Street tonight. We still have a lot of work to do, and we are not close to being game ready at this point. Usually we have three weeks of camp before school starts, so we were shorted. We have another week of camp in our minds as coaches of what needs to happen. It’s always scary when you break camp whether it’s now or next week. There’s always that temptation to go out and be like every other college student. They just can’t do it.
On if working the team extra harder that last Saturday of camp makes a difference
We tried that. It doesn’t matter. Boys are going to be boys. Hopefully, they make the right decisions. We have a very mature team right now, so hopefully they understand what to do and what not to do. Tomorrow is Fall Fest, so we will get them out of here and let them enjoy that. We will try to keep them off of High Street tonight. We won’t let them down there, if we can help it. We will see where we go from there.
On talking to the incoming players about academics
Yes, we have. That starts now when you can get guys taking classes in the summertime. Doing that is very important. Our academic staff does a great job with them, and kind of monitors what they are doing. If they miss anything, we make sure we are on top of it.
(Assistant Coach/Cornerbacks Coach) Brian Mitchell
On junior cornerback Daryl Worley’s progression and what he needs to improve on
My challenge to those guys is to see if they can do it again the next day. Not just today, but when the day is done, they should be getting ready to repeat that and try to improve upon it each and every day. That’s always our motto. We must be better today than where we were yesterday, and they are doing that. They are pushing and pressing. They are trying to do what is asked of them each and every day.
On if junior cornerback Daryl Worley has the ability to be in the NFL
I’ll let the scouts decide that, but if you were looking at measurables, then yes. Is he tall? Yes. Is he rangy? Yes. Does he top end speed? Yes. Does he have football IQ? Yes. Now, it is up to those guys to determine if he is football worthy by judging his performance on the field. My job is to sharpen his tools to the point where he is effective each and every week.
On senior cornerback Rick Rumph III
You’re talking about a young man who has helped himself in the weight room. He always had that pit bull mentality. He has that confident swagger that most corners need. The young man has joined in with (redshirt senior cornerback Terrell) Chestnut and (junior cornerback Daryl) Worley. His work ethic is off the chart. I think he is a young man who came in running a 4.65, but he is probably close to 4.50 right now, if not faster. I am very pleased with where he is.
(Assistant Coach/Safeties/Special Teams Coach) Joe DeForest
On the safeties progression throughout fall camp
(Junior safety) Jeremy Tyler had a great day. The last few days he really flew around. He really solidified that second spur spot as (redshirt sophomore safety) Shane Commodore. If we have to play (junior safety Jeremy Tyler) JT at spur, (redshirt sophomore safety) Shane Commodore has done a great job of being able to play bandit and free safety. I think we found the six guys we’re looking for. We still have time to work those other guys in, but I feel comfortable with the six, as well as with the two guys trying to creep into the six. We are in good shape.
On assistant coach (cornerbacks) Brian Mitchellsaying he has at least three cornerbacks he can rotate in, and if he feels the same way with the safeties
Each one of them does different things. They’re separate positions, unlike corners who are sort of mirrored. The bandit and the spur (position) can sort of be the same guy, with spur being a little more athletic. The free is pretty interchangeable. That’s probably the easiest, mentally, to handle, because you’re in the post a lot, and you don’t have a lot of blitz responsibilities. If we had five going in, I’d feel comfortable with that.
On junior safety Jeremy Tyler being the back spur and free guy
Yes, that’s the way it looks right now. He’s showing he can do both. It’s going to be the next best guy. If anything god forbid happens to the starting three, I think (junior safety) Jeremy (Tyler) would be the next best thing along with (redshirt junior safety) Jarrod Harper, depending on what position it is.
Assistant Coaches Media Session
August 15, 2015
Practice Update 13
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 15, 2015) - The West Virginia University football coaching staff met with the media on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
(Offensive Graduate Assistant Coach) Michael Burchett
On redshirt freshman quarterback William Crest Jr.’s performance in camp
I definitely think that he has taken a couple big steps in the last few practices. We talked about being in this offense, and it takes about a year to really get comfortable. He’s hit that 12 month mark, and he is able to rep the plays. You can see that he is comfortable and getting us in the right plays. We lean on the quarterbacks. You can’t call perfect plays all the time, and that is what coach (Dana) Holgorsen harps to those guys. He wants them to understand where the weaknesses are when he calls the plays, and (redshirt freshman quarterback) Will (William Crest Jr.) has really taken the next step as far as being able to get us in the right plays and go from there. I definitely see a certain comfort level with him, and everybody is getting comfortable with him back there too. I am proud of him, and he has taken a different approach to it the last couple of weeks. I am really proud of him, and he is putting in the time that a quarterback needs to do. I am looking forward to working with him as we move forward.
On if junior quarterback Skyler Howard carried over his spring performance over well
Yes, he has carried it over well. He’s taken the next step with it. (Junior Quarterback) Skyler (Howard) is doing a really good job for us. Taking care of the ball is one thing he has always done. Toward the end of the season last year, he really took care of the ball well, and he continued to do so in the spring. The thing about (junior quarterback) Skyler (Howard) is that he knows all the weaknesses of the plays we call. He’s doing a really good job of getting us in the right plays and making adjustments on the fly. You can see that the guys are comfortable with him, and it’s different for him too, because last year he was trying to get used to Kevin (White) and Mario (Alford) and those guys are gone. Now, we have young guys on the outside, playing on the perimeter, so it’s tough on a quarterback. He’s doing a really good job working with those guys and getting comfortable with them.
On the balance between not turning the ball over and not being gun shy
He’s not gun shy. That is his personality. We harp on it. We harp on the turnovers, but at the end of the day those guys have to pull the trigger. They found the balance. They are doing a really good job right now of understanding the situation. That’s the thing. It’s knowing the flow of the game, the down distance and how things are going. You get a feel for who’s on each day. Maybe (redshirt sophomore wide receiver Gibson) Shelton is on that day and you take a few more chances with him. He has a good feel for knowing when to take a chance. That goes for the rest of the quarterbacks too. They are not gun shy. We do harp on taking care of the ball, but they are not gun shy.
(Assistant Head Coach/Receivers Coach) Lonnie Galloway
On who’s surprised him the most at this point
I’m still unsure. There are guys out there working hard. (Junior wide receiver) Daikiel’s (Shorts Jr.) been out there, (senior wide receiver Jordan Thompson) squirt is out there and (redshirt senior wide receiver) KJ (Myers) is out there, but the three young guys are still trying to find a way. There’s been some surprise, but then there are days that they don’t do anything. As far as one particular person, it’s too early to say who that guy’s going to be.
On what he’s most pleased with so far and what he’s concerned about
Not so much concerns. It’s trying to get them all ready. It’s about getting them used to how we practice, especially the younger guys. The older guys know, but it’s about getting the younger guys used to how we practice and running all of those things. You can see it in the younger guys. When we hit the field, we’re running a lot. It’s one of those things where they have to figure out how we’re going to do it. You try to take care of them with different things in practice. The whole thing about my group is that there are so many unknowns, except for (junior wide receiver) Daikiel (Shorts Jr.) and (senior wide receiver) Jordan (Thompson) who have played. Now, you have to get everyone else on the same page with (junior quarterback) Skyler (Howard). They have to figure out the reps and the routes.
On if it’s safe to say that he’s more comfortable with camp ending
Yes. It’s not about being comfortable with them, it’s about who’s going to show up. We’ve changed who goes in with the one’s and two’s. There are really no one’s or two’s. Everyone’s trying to figure it out. Today will be a huge day for them with the practices that we have. We are putting them in different situations and those types of things. Hopefully, someone will step up. A couple of them have stepped up, and are starting to separate themselves in order to solidify a first group.
(Assistant Coach/Offensive Line Coach) Ron Crook
On if redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste and redshirt junior offensive lineman Adam Pankey had more problems than others picking up the blitz
Initially, you do because it’s a new position or you’re playing some place that you’re not used to being. Things happen so quick that it’s hard to react to them. Again, when you start to see things before they happen is when you really give yourself a change to get better at that aspect.
On if he has to worry about playing a redshirt freshman at left tackle
I think that, and I’ve tried to explain it this way, it’s not that he’s a redshirt freshman (offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste), it’s having inexperienced guys. Whether they’re going into their senior season or first year playing, there are things that happen out there that you can’t really prepare for. You can’t show them everything that’s going to happen. Everyone is going to coming up with a new blitz coming into each game based off film and what they see. They’re going to try to work in new stuff, so its things that guys who are unexperienced haven’t been through. It’s hard, but it’s not necessarily just a redshirt freshman. Having said that, he’s improving. He’s focused on those things. He’s focused on seeing the bigger picture, and what it means when you see defensive lines in certain ways. I think we’ll keep moving the right way with him.
On what makes redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste a left tackle
The number one thing is that body built plays a big part of it. Having long arms and getting to them on the defensive end, locking them out and keeping separation is another thing. The defensive players are trying to get tight as a pass rusher. They are trying to get close to you, so you can work their moves. The more you can keep separation, the better off you’re going to be. Footwork and quickness is critical. Most of the time you’re at the backside of the quarterback, and he doesn’t see anything coming, so he has to have a lot of confidence in the left tackle. A left tackle has to have a lot of confidence in himself. He also has to have a short memory. If he messes up one time and a guy gets by him, he has to forget about it and move forward. If he gives up a sack, we’re probably going to have to throw the ball again on the next down. He has to forget about it real quick and move on.
(Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach) Tony Gibson
On how many live snaps the team will take today
I would think we would get anywhere between 30-40 with the one’s, and probably about the same with the two’s. The three’s we will probably put in play about 20 snaps. We are looking at 100 total snaps.
On if you talk to the team about the social and academic side of things with camp ending
I tell them to stay off High Street tonight. We still have a lot of work to do, and we are not close to being game ready at this point. Usually we have three weeks of camp before school starts, so we were shorted. We have another week of camp in our minds as coaches of what needs to happen. It’s always scary when you break camp whether it’s now or next week. There’s always that temptation to go out and be like every other college student. They just can’t do it.
On if working the team extra harder that last Saturday of camp makes a difference
We tried that. It doesn’t matter. Boys are going to be boys. Hopefully, they make the right decisions. We have a very mature team right now, so hopefully they understand what to do and what not to do. Tomorrow is Fall Fest, so we will get them out of here and let them enjoy that. We will try to keep them off of High Street tonight. We won’t let them down there, if we can help it. We will see where we go from there.
On talking to the incoming players about academics
Yes, we have. That starts now when you can get guys taking classes in the summertime. Doing that is very important. Our academic staff does a great job with them, and kind of monitors what they are doing. If they miss anything, we make sure we are on top of it.
(Assistant Coach/Cornerbacks Coach) Brian Mitchell
On junior cornerback Daryl Worley’s progression and what he needs to improve on
My challenge to those guys is to see if they can do it again the next day. Not just today, but when the day is done, they should be getting ready to repeat that and try to improve upon it each and every day. That’s always our motto. We must be better today than where we were yesterday, and they are doing that. They are pushing and pressing. They are trying to do what is asked of them each and every day.
On if junior cornerback Daryl Worley has the ability to be in the NFL
I’ll let the scouts decide that, but if you were looking at measurables, then yes. Is he tall? Yes. Is he rangy? Yes. Does he top end speed? Yes. Does he have football IQ? Yes. Now, it is up to those guys to determine if he is football worthy by judging his performance on the field. My job is to sharpen his tools to the point where he is effective each and every week.
On senior cornerback Rick Rumph III
You’re talking about a young man who has helped himself in the weight room. He always had that pit bull mentality. He has that confident swagger that most corners need. The young man has joined in with (redshirt senior cornerback Terrell) Chestnut and (junior cornerback Daryl) Worley. His work ethic is off the chart. I think he is a young man who came in running a 4.65, but he is probably close to 4.50 right now, if not faster. I am very pleased with where he is.
(Assistant Coach/Safeties/Special Teams Coach) Joe DeForest
On the safeties progression throughout fall camp
(Junior safety) Jeremy Tyler had a great day. The last few days he really flew around. He really solidified that second spur spot as (redshirt sophomore safety) Shane Commodore. If we have to play (junior safety Jeremy Tyler) JT at spur, (redshirt sophomore safety) Shane Commodore has done a great job of being able to play bandit and free safety. I think we found the six guys we’re looking for. We still have time to work those other guys in, but I feel comfortable with the six, as well as with the two guys trying to creep into the six. We are in good shape.
On assistant coach (cornerbacks) Brian Mitchellsaying he has at least three cornerbacks he can rotate in, and if he feels the same way with the safeties
Each one of them does different things. They’re separate positions, unlike corners who are sort of mirrored. The bandit and the spur (position) can sort of be the same guy, with spur being a little more athletic. The free is pretty interchangeable. That’s probably the easiest, mentally, to handle, because you’re in the post a lot, and you don’t have a lot of blitz responsibilities. If we had five going in, I’d feel comfortable with that.
On junior safety Jeremy Tyler being the back spur and free guy
Yes, that’s the way it looks right now. He’s showing he can do both. It’s going to be the next best guy. If anything god forbid happens to the starting three, I think (junior safety) Jeremy (Tyler) would be the next best thing along with (redshirt junior safety) Jarrod Harper, depending on what position it is.
