On Kelvin Taylor: “Kelvin is an interesting guy. When we’re in the meeting room, he’s pretty vocal and talkative and helping the younger guys out. On the field, he’s more of that silent guy that goes about his business. He’s more into doing what he needs to do to make us better. You get the vocal leader and the silent leader that leads by example as well. He’s done a good job of that. The guys look up to him and I’m pleased with how he’s been. ... It’s awesome. He’s a great kid. He doesn’t change. He’s the same guy every day. I really enjoy being with him, keeps me on my toes. It’s been fun. We’ve got a lot of ball left to do, and every day we continue to get better.
"He's a guy that every day is asking me 'what can I do to get better?' Even if he feels like he had a good game, he's going to talk about that one or two reps where it wasn't exactly the way we wanted it to be. He has really bought into the team and getting better every day, whether it's in the weight room -- a lot of with him, he didn't lift as much as he did in previous years that he does now. The day to day grind, practices like game day. Those type of things he’s attacked. You’ve seen it on game day where he’s played a lot better. He’s actually broke some tackles now. He’s more physical. In pass protection, he’s striking people. I think it’s all paying off for him. It’s everything we do in the summertime and leading into the season conditioning and weightlifting.”
On freshmen RBs Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite: "Both Jordans I should say have done a good job. The thing with them is those guys have battled multiple things as far as knick-knack injuries, learning all our shifts and motions and exactly what we're doing and all that type of stuff. And then that flu bug hit and they kind of had two different phases of that thing hit them. It's been kind of one of those things where they've been up and then it goes back down. Up, then it goes back down. Kind of typical freshman year type stuff. We've just got to keep battling, but I like what I see out of those guys. I think they're finally coming into their groove now. I really do. You can see it in their eyes. I think you'll see some good things from them in the future.
“Coming from high school to college all the guys always think I’m ready, I’m ready to go. Then they get here and they’re like, this is pretty organized. Every day is a fight, it’s 100-percent or you’re going to get exposed. I think those guys have adjusted to it well. When we first got here in camp it was hot, you know? They’re adjusting to that. Now you put the volume of this offense with Coach Mac and Coach Nuss and all the things that we do it’s been a learning curve for them. I think we’re getting to the stage now where those guys have complete command of everything that we’re doing and their expectations of themselves has reached where it needs to be and I think you’ll see good things from them.”
On the run game issues...
“I think it’s a combination of many things as far as, you look at us, a lot of times it’s not the same guys out there all the time. Whether it’s injuries or shake ups in personnel or the lineup, or it’s just one guy where one guy misses a block or one of the backs doesn’t hit it exactly where he should hit it, then you’re not going to have those big plays when you play against good defenses. I will say this, I have a lot of confidence in it. We’ve worked hard in this bye week to get some things cleaned up, and I feel good about the run game going into this game.”
On the emphasis of running the ball well in practice the past two weeks...
“With Coach Mac, we’re going to work team run every single day, every single Tuesday and Wednesday, and today will be no different. Just the emphasis has been coaches having to raise our voices a little more, ‘finish your blocks, get off the ball.’ Those types of things are the things you hear a lot more if you’re out there. ... Lot more energy. The guys, they want to be successful, too. They’re into it. It’s been good, and we’re going against a good defense every day with our own defense. It’s been real competitive and a good two weeks. We’re just hoping to see some dividends pay off Saturday.”
On the lack of explosive runs...
"It all goes together. If we're not all on the same page and all playing together at a high level on every single play, you're not going to get those explosive type runs. Then once we do get there, we've got to beat some safeties. There's been plenty of times we've been one-on-one and they've made some plays. I can think, the Ole Miss game, their guys did a good job of making tackles. A few of those I thought we should have broke away from, should have got out the gates. But, hey, clap your hands for them and say 'you did a good job.' But I think we have to make that last guy miss. Like I told the guys, once the quarterback hands you the ball, it's 10 against 11 now, so you have to make somebody miss, and we just got to do a better job of that."
"He's a guy that every day is asking me 'what can I do to get better?' Even if he feels like he had a good game, he's going to talk about that one or two reps where it wasn't exactly the way we wanted it to be. He has really bought into the team and getting better every day, whether it's in the weight room -- a lot of with him, he didn't lift as much as he did in previous years that he does now. The day to day grind, practices like game day. Those type of things he’s attacked. You’ve seen it on game day where he’s played a lot better. He’s actually broke some tackles now. He’s more physical. In pass protection, he’s striking people. I think it’s all paying off for him. It’s everything we do in the summertime and leading into the season conditioning and weightlifting.”
On freshmen RBs Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite: "Both Jordans I should say have done a good job. The thing with them is those guys have battled multiple things as far as knick-knack injuries, learning all our shifts and motions and exactly what we're doing and all that type of stuff. And then that flu bug hit and they kind of had two different phases of that thing hit them. It's been kind of one of those things where they've been up and then it goes back down. Up, then it goes back down. Kind of typical freshman year type stuff. We've just got to keep battling, but I like what I see out of those guys. I think they're finally coming into their groove now. I really do. You can see it in their eyes. I think you'll see some good things from them in the future.
“Coming from high school to college all the guys always think I’m ready, I’m ready to go. Then they get here and they’re like, this is pretty organized. Every day is a fight, it’s 100-percent or you’re going to get exposed. I think those guys have adjusted to it well. When we first got here in camp it was hot, you know? They’re adjusting to that. Now you put the volume of this offense with Coach Mac and Coach Nuss and all the things that we do it’s been a learning curve for them. I think we’re getting to the stage now where those guys have complete command of everything that we’re doing and their expectations of themselves has reached where it needs to be and I think you’ll see good things from them.”
On the run game issues...
“I think it’s a combination of many things as far as, you look at us, a lot of times it’s not the same guys out there all the time. Whether it’s injuries or shake ups in personnel or the lineup, or it’s just one guy where one guy misses a block or one of the backs doesn’t hit it exactly where he should hit it, then you’re not going to have those big plays when you play against good defenses. I will say this, I have a lot of confidence in it. We’ve worked hard in this bye week to get some things cleaned up, and I feel good about the run game going into this game.”
On the emphasis of running the ball well in practice the past two weeks...
“With Coach Mac, we’re going to work team run every single day, every single Tuesday and Wednesday, and today will be no different. Just the emphasis has been coaches having to raise our voices a little more, ‘finish your blocks, get off the ball.’ Those types of things are the things you hear a lot more if you’re out there. ... Lot more energy. The guys, they want to be successful, too. They’re into it. It’s been good, and we’re going against a good defense every day with our own defense. It’s been real competitive and a good two weeks. We’re just hoping to see some dividends pay off Saturday.”
On the lack of explosive runs...
"It all goes together. If we're not all on the same page and all playing together at a high level on every single play, you're not going to get those explosive type runs. Then once we do get there, we've got to beat some safeties. There's been plenty of times we've been one-on-one and they've made some plays. I can think, the Ole Miss game, their guys did a good job of making tackles. A few of those I thought we should have broke away from, should have got out the gates. But, hey, clap your hands for them and say 'you did a good job.' But I think we have to make that last guy miss. Like I told the guys, once the quarterback hands you the ball, it's 10 against 11 now, so you have to make somebody miss, and we just got to do a better job of that."
