9/18/2002 - Football
Transcript Of Paul Johnson's Press Conference Wednesday, September 18
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Q. How is the team progressing in terms of preparation?
A. To this point I think we?ve had a decent week. I thought Tuesday might have been the best day of practice we?ve had this year. Today?s wasn?t as good as Tuesday, but I think we?re gaining on it.
Q. Is there a reason why you went half pads today?
A. We do this during open weeks because you pick up an extra day of preparation. We went pads Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Normally you would only be in pads Tuesday and Wednesday for game week, so we picked up an extra day. Today we just went shells and really tried to polish the game plan.
Q. Was it nice to have a week off after losing to North Carolina State?
A. No, it would have been nice to play the next day. You just play the schedule as it comes. You can?t worry about that. We tried to utilize the extra time the best we can. We worked on some things and got started on Northwestern on Saturday.
Q. Northwestern didn?t have much luck stopping Air Force?s option, does that give you hope that they will have trouble with your running game?
A. That?s water under the bridge. You could look at that and say we didn?t stop N.C. State?s passing game much either, does that give them hope? It?s a new game. I?m sure they will come in with a good plan and we feel like we have a plan so we?ll see who can execute the best.
Q. Are you pleased with the way Craig (Candeto) is playing?
A. I think Craig is making progress. He?s got a good understanding of what we?re doing and I feel comfortable with him playing. I think he can get us in the right play and he?s going to get better the more he plays.
Q. What is your take on the way the defense is progressing? Lost in all this specials teams stuff was the fact the defense didn?t stop N.C. State much.
A. We didn?t play well in any area. It wasn?t like it was just the defense. We got killed on special teams and offensively we weren?t consistent either. Our guys on defense will be fine. They will play hard and we?ll have a good plan. We have confidence that they will do the job.
Q. Are you at all aware that Navy has lost 10 games in a row at home?
A. Nope. I haven?t lost but one game at home, I?m not taking credit for those others. In fact, my last year here I don?t think we lost a game at home did we Omar (former fullback Omar Nelson)?
Nelson: Nope, we didn?t lose a game at home
Q. Are you surprised or disappointed that this team can?t win at home?
A. I don?t know if this team can?t win at home, we?ve only played one game. If we don?t win any at home this year then we will say this team couldn?t win at home. This team has only played one game at home and they played the 20th ranked team in the country and self-destructed. I don?t know of anybody that would have won that game the way we played. I?m not worried about that.
Q. What?s the key for Saturday?
A. Score more then they do. Just like always, you have to run the ball, stop the run and be sound in the kicking game. If you do those things you usually win.
Q. In trying to set the tone, what are your thoughts about the opening coin toss and whether you take it to start the game or defer to the second half?
A. Well we deferred both times and we won one and lost one. I think unless the weather or the wind is crazy we usually defer. I think that gives you a chance to make adjustments at halftime, maybe change the tone of the game, if you?re up maybe put the dagger in if you can come out and score to start the second half. I?ve just always done that and it?s worked out fairly well most of the time.
Q. Turnovers have killed Northwestern. Do you think that is something you can take advantage of this game? Do you think they are turnover prone?
A. I don?t know if they are turnover prone. Certainly, if a team turns the ball over a bunch its hard to win, whether it?s us or them, so that will be a big part of the game. That?s why you play the game, who knows what will happen. You can have the best-laid plan and go out there like we did two weeks ago and five minutes into the game it?s over. We self-destructed. The best way to win is not beat your self with turnovers.
Q. They have a real good kick returner. Is that something you?ve emphasized this week?
A. We?ve been really good in special teams so we haven?t worried about that a lot. Yes, that is a big concern and it?s something we?ve worked on ever since we?ve watched their tapes. It?s something we work on every week. We?ve got a plan, we just have to cover the kicks. We have to kick the ball where we are supposed too and cover the kick. It?s just like I was talking about the punt team. It?s not rocket science. You have to kick the ball off and cover it, same when you punt it. You have to snap the ball, protect the punter and kick the ball. There?s not anything that you can take a magic wand and add two or three more guys to block with. You just have to execute.
Q. Are you going to kick to this kid or are you going to sky kick?
A. God, I don?t know. I could tell you, but I would have to kill you.
Q. What about their freshman quarterback, does he seem poised, sharp?
A. I think he played very well last game. He threw for about 245 yards. I think when he has time he?s very accurate. He?s a good player. He?s like any freshman quarterback, he gets better every time he plays.
Q. They have all sophomores and freshmen, I know their redshirts, but they are very young up front. Do you think that has been the root of their problems stopping the run up front?
A. I don?t know. I have enough problems with my team without analyzing theirs. I think what they?ve done is turn the ball over a bunch and made mistakes and when you do that it?s hard to win. You know, those guys on all those other teams that are reshirt freshmen and sophomores, those are sophomores and juniors here so I don?t particularly pay attention to anyone crying young.
Q. What are the similarities in Navy?s option to the option that Air Force runs?
A. There?s some, there?s a lot different, but there?s some. We run the true triple probably a lot more. Air Force probably does a lot more different stuff. They will line up in two backs and run all kinds of stuff. They probably don?t run the triple as much as us.
Q. And Air Force didn?t hurt them as much with the option game?
A. A little bit, but Air Force hurt them with a lot of other plays. They hurt them with the belly and belly option. Just some different things.
Q. Do you think that is something you can exploit? They didn?t stop the belly against Duke either, the fullback rushed for 130 yards.
A. That was different. Duke was running a zone play to the fullback. We are going to have to run the ball. That's no secret. If we can?t run the ball we?re not going to win. Hopefully we can run the ball and then hit some big pass plays off play action or in the passing game, that?s the way you have to play.
