8/26/2003 - Football
Transcript Of Paul Johnson's Press Conference
Transcript of Head Coach Paul Johnson's Press Conference
Tuesday, August 26, 2003 (press conference was held after Monday?s practice)
Q. Can you talk about how big of a season-opener this is? Every season-opener is huge, but this one seems even bigger as far as how important it is to get on track with a win and then being at home and trying to break the home losing streak.
A. It?s a big game, because like you said everybody is 0-0. After the first game, half the teams are going to have a loss and you don?t want to be the team that does that. You want to get off to a good start. There?s a lot of hard work that?s been done in the off-season and usually everybody?s excited to play.
Q. How about winning Saturday and finally being able to say you won a home game?
A. It will be important. That?s going to happen (winning a home game). We won a lot of games when I was here before at home. I?m not worried about that. That?s going to happen. I want to win the game to win the game. It would be nice to win at home so everybody could quit asking me about it, but I can only take credit for what?s happened since I?ve been here.
Q. What do you know about VMI?
A. Well, we played them every year I was at Georgia Southern. I know that they like to throw the ball, spread the field around a little bit. Defensively, they?ve always been a 3-4, but they changed to a 4-3 they say but they are multiple. They will try to stunt and blitz a lot and do some of those things. He?s been around the option a lot so he understands how it works. He coached at Air Force for a long time. We?ve played against each other for years. From Hawaii-Air Force, to Navy-Air Force, to Georgia Southern-VMI. We?ve played against each other a lot.
Q. In terms of their passing attack, I know they like to throw the ball a lot, but do they line up four wide?
A. They?re multiple; they are like the NCAA offense. They will come with two backs and then no backs, four wide receivers and two tight ends. They play with packages like everybody.
Q. Do you think that since you weren?t strong against the pass last year that they will try and throw more?
A. I think they will do what they do. We weren?t real strong against the run either. They will run their offense.
Q. Can you talk about Tony Lane and his role this year? You took him off kickoff return, was it just a matter that ?you?re fumbling too much and we are moving in another direction??
A. Tony?s still back there returning some balls, but he had a hard time catching them and putting them on the ground last year. I mean one a year is too many and last year we had several on the kickoff return team and you just can?t survive when you do that. That doesn?t mean he?s not going to be back there at some point during the year, but for right now we have a couple of guys who we feel like give us what we want back there so we?re going to take a look at them and see. Nothing is ever etched in stone forever.
Q. Do you get more sometimes out of a guy when you just tell him don?t worry about that and just concentrate on your position?
A. I don?t think that?s the case. I think you just have to do what you feel like gives you the best chance to win and right now there are a couple of other guys back there that may be able to make big plays for us. I would like to not return so many kicks this year.
Q. How about the freshman back there (Brian Hampton)?
A. Yeah, he may be the guy back there on Saturday.
Q. What is it that you like about him?
A. He hits it up in there. He did it when he was running it back for the scouts on Friday so we?ll see. He?s not a blazer, he has good speed, but he?s tough.
Q. Eckel doesn?t seem like the prototypical kickoff return guy. I don?t know how many teams in the country are using fullbacks as kickoff returners.
A. Eckel is one of the faster kids on our football team. We are just looking for guys that will catch the ball and hit it back up in there.
Q. In terms of the one guard spot you went with Phillips over McGee, was it because McGee didn?t get enough work during the fall because of his injury?
A. I think it?s because he?s coming back from an injury, but Dennis Phillips probably had a better spring than anybody out here. He?s worked hard. They are both going to play. It?s just a question of Phillips had a little more time in camp and Sean missed a good part of spring. They will both play.
Q. You had talked earlier about having three guards and three tackles and rotating them in there, obviously McGee is the third guard, who is the third tackle that will rotate in there?
A. Casey Hughes would be the third tackle right now.
Q. Do you have any idea when Marcus Sanders will be able to play?
A. No, it will be awhile.
Q. Did he have surgery?
A. Yes. He will be out eight weeks minimum.
Q. Two changes on the defensive line. Akingbemi is now starting at nose guard and Vanak at defensive end. Can you discuss those moves?
A. No, not really. That doesn?t matter. They?re all going to play. They are interchangeable. One will start and the other will come in.
Q. Do you envision rotating a ton of guys at linebacker and defensive line?
A. I don?t know. We will just have to see how the game goes. You would like to have guys where you wouldn?t have to rotate, where someone would step to the forefront. Right now they are all in the same mix. Usually when you have two or three guys like that you don?t have a starter.
