[Barron/MGoBlog]
What did you guys learn from last game in your group, specifically?
“In our group specifically, we’ve got to tackle better. Fundamentals of the game, that’s what it comes down to a lot of times in those situations, the fundamentals of the game. You’ve got to be sharp, and that’s something that we definitely have to focus on going forward, as we do every week.”
In terms of the secondary and your position specifically, Delano [Hill] left the game. What’s his status? Has he been practicing fully this week?
“Delano should be fine. He left the game at the end there, but he’s doing well. He should be good to go this week.”
The grind this time of year, can you see guys wearing down a little bit and what’s the message to them?
“The message is just to prepare like we do always. I think we’ve done a good job in preparation throughout the whole season, and we don’t want to lose any of that. Every week, just keep preparing like we’ve been and take it to another level each week.”
Tyree Kinnel’s been getting a lot more action. Can you talk about his progression and what you’re seeing out of him?
“Yeah, Tyree, he’s played well. He’s come a long way. This is only his second year getting in there and getting in the mix, but he’s been doing a good job on special teams and when you do a good job on teams we trust you more to get in there on defense. He’s done a nice job with that.”
[More on Metellus, Hudson, and Indiana’s offense after THE JUMP]
When he is out there on defense, what are the qualities that are giving him a chance to be successful?
“Well, he’s an aggressive guy. Loves to hit, to come up and tackle you, and he’s got good ball skills. He’s grasped the defense really well. He’s got a good understanding of the defense for a young guy. He can go in and play different positions for us; can play dog, can play free safety, can play rover, so just his ability to move around and do different things gives him a lot of value for us.”
What did Metellus do to earn playing time this year?
“Josh has done a good job. He’s similar to Tyree in that he’s a smart guy who can come in and do different things. For a young guy, a freshman, to come in and pick up the system the way that he has has been a pleasant surprise for us. He’s another guy who’s a physical guy. He’s a hitter. I’ve been real excited with his progression.”
Where’s Khaleke [Hudson] at right now?
“Khaleke right now, he’s doing a good job on teams for us. That’s kind of his role. He got special teams player of the week a few weeks back. He’s a guy that’s going to continue to get better. He’s another guy that’s physical. All the young safeties that we have, they’re all physical and they all love to hit. That’s one thing that I love as a coach, guys who hit and bring a presence to the defense. I think Khaleke does that.”
With the tackling, how much can you guys go back to camp drills at this point in the season to shore that up, or do you do something else?
“That’s one thing, we do work on tackling every week and do drills. Nothing different as far as that’s concerned. A lot of times tackling is just being in the right position, so we’ve got to get our run fits together. We’ve been good on that and just keep chopping away.”
You’ve got a lot of young, physical guys. Is that something you coach or emphasize, or do guys just have to have that?
“A lot of times it’s heart and want-to, and those guys, they’ve got a lot of heart. They’re just aggressive by nature. That’s something that’s hard to coach. A lot of times you either have it or you don’t.”
How do you balance between obviously wanting to win games and play the frontline guys, but building depth with some of the younger guys you were talking about?
“I think some of those guys have had to play just out of necessity, sheer numbers, so them getting a chance to play. And then the way some of the games have gone earlier in the year they’ve gotten a chance to play, so I think that’ll be beneficial to us down the line.”
What kind of challenge does Indiana present to your group specifically because of the way they play offense?
“They’ve got a good offense. They have one of the best receiving corps that we’ve faced so far. The quarterback’s got a strong arm. He can throw it deep, he can make all the throws. Just know that their tempo and different things that they do schematically can pose different problems for you, so we’ve got our hands full this week.”
You weren’t here for last year’s game, but it was obviously a crazy game. Are you guys looking back at that or has it changed a lot because of different quarterback, different running back?
“Focusing on this year and what they’ve done. Obviously the quarterback, like I said, he’s got a strong arm and he can make all the throws. Any time you have that at quarterback, as a secondary coach, as a pass defense, you’ve always got to be on top of your game.”
They technically play two quarterbacks, right?
“Yeah, they play two quarterbacks. A little bit different with each one. They pose different problems, and one of them’s more of a runner, one of them’s a pocket passer. Again, they do a lot of good things schematically that are things you have to prepare for. I think that’s one of the reasons they’ve been so successful on offense.”
Technique’s always critical, but when they spread you out like that, are you going to have some more opportunities to make plays in space?
“Yeah, with this type of offense you’ve got to be good and win your one-on-one battles. That’s gonna be an emphasis. We have to win our battles one-on-one. And in space, if they spread you out, you’ve got to tackle well.”
You rely so much on the main two guys at safety. When Delano goes out, do you have a couple options to go with there, or is it pretty clear what you have to do?
“Well, you know, it depends. Like I said, those young guys, they play various positions. Tyree is the guy that filled in for him last week. Like I said, Josh, he’s also capable of filling in as well because he knows the different spots. Just their versatility and the way they picked up the different positions in the secondary has given us a lot of flexibility.”
How’s the transition been for you going back from the NFL to college? Has it been a grind?
“At both levels it’s a grind, it’s a lot of work, but it’s fun. I wouldn’t even call it a grind. You’re putting everything you have into it. Every week’s a new week, a new challenge, and it’s been a lot of fun so far.”