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The University of Utah Athletics
Quotes From Kyle Whittingham's Weekly Press Conference
11/6/2017 1:59 PM | Football
Opening Statement…
"I thought we played well in all three phases. Offense, that is what I envision we are supposed to look, excluding the first quarter. The first quarter was a rough start, but once we got into a rhythm, which we were able to get into in the second quarter, we moved the ball, made explosive plays, ran the football with physicality and efficiency and we protected the ball with zero turnovers. Defensively, we put up some really good numbers. We held them to less than 250 total offense, only 12 first downs, 17 total points. We didn't create the havoc that we usually do or that we like to, that is something we need to continue to stress, but the numbers themselves were very good. Special teams, created the lone takeaway of the game on the punt and then the punt game was good. Matt Gay was perfect with his place kicking. He hit a 50-yarder and a shorter one and all of his PATs. Lots of positives coming out of the game. It was good to see our guys play with that chip on their shoulder, that little bit of anger that has been missing and it was good to get back on track after several not so good weeks. So, on to Washington State. They are a very good football team and very well-deserving of their top-20 ranking. They have a potent offense as always. Their quarterback is phenomenal. He is the all-time Pac-12 leader in yards because I think he broke the record in the Stanford game. The thing that makes them different this year is they are playing exceptional defense. They are amongst the best defenses in the Pac-12 and in the country, and that has really made them a complete football team which makes them hard to deal with."
On if he felt they did a good job balancing the offense against UCLA and getting Zack Moss the ball more…
"It was very good. I think Zack had 23 carries, over 150 yards. We are a lot better football team, as is everyone, when we have the run game going like we did on Friday night."
On what caused the change in the team's performance on Friday…
"We made a big point of emphasis of it last week and in practice. We wanted to control the controllable. That is always something you want to do as a football team. We had excellent attitude and effort in practices last week. And like I told them in the team meeting a week ago, the thing that I could put my finger on that I thought was missing was that chip on the shoulder mentality."
On Utah facing the best run defenses in the Pac-12 in the coming weeks…
"The degree of difficulty definitely gets higher and we understand that. The yards are going to be tougher to come by, but it was great to see us have a game where we ran the football like we need to. So, hopefully we can build on that, but Washington State's defense is very stingy."
On if Marquise Blair is done for the year…
"Yes, he is done for the year. That was a season-ending injury. I feel horrible for Marquise. He was really coming along and had obviously become a starter for us. It is season-ending and he will probably miss spring as well, it is that severe. Not ideal, but he will rebound. He is a tough kid, he will get back on track."
On how Marquise Blair's injury will change the rotation at safety…
"Well, first of all, Corrion Ballard steps in and is not the starting free safety. Chase Hansen will remain at strong safety. They are still fairly interchangeable, there is still a lot of flexibility with those two guys on the field in the safeties spots. Philip Afia will back up both. So, if either one of those guys goes down, Philip would be next man up at either position."
On if he felt they got their swag back against UCLA…
"Well, it was a step in the right direction. It is kind of the same thing. It is just a mentality. It is that little edge you are looking for, so it is all encompassed. We certainly did a better job of it on Friday night, but that is just one week. We need to try and build on it."
On what the reaction of the coaches and players has been since Troy Taylor moved to the booth…
"I think it has been positive. It really hasn't been a dramatic difference. When Troy was down on the field calling things to get a better vantage point he was quite a ways removed from the signaling and things like that, so it's not that big of a deal. The main dynamic that is different is when he talks to quarterbacks he has to do it on the phone instead of face-to-face down on the field."
On if they have been able to diagnose the struggles in the pass rush this season…
"It has been very different. For example, I think Lowell Lotulelei and Filipo Mokofisi had 10 sacks between them last year and we have one between them at this point. Kylie Fitts had I think 10 or 12 sacks, I think he has one or two this year. It has just been slowed way down. I can't put a finger on it. We are bringing pressure about the same percentage that we were last year and in years past. We certainly miss Hunter Dimick. He was a big factor in our defense the last several years and he was a guy that his production is missed. But no excuses, we just have to pick it up. The defensive line knows that, that is what we are known for is putting pressure on the quarterback. We've done a very average at best job of that so far this year."
On how hard it is to turn a season around after multiple losses…
"Well it isn't easy, but if you have outstanding leaders, which we do, particularly in the senior class, that is the biggest factor in getting things turned back around. All through those struggles, never once did we point fingers. Not once did the practice effort and focus drop off. So, those are the telltale signs if something is in dire straits, is if players are pointing fingers and you start getting divisions and lack of effort at practice. But that was never the case. And again, credit to our leaders for making sure that was not going to happen to us."
On Luke Falk and if they ever recruited him…
"He was a walk-on at Washington State, I don't think he had any Division I offers that I am aware of. Obviously, we missed the boat as well as 100 other Division I teams. He was a good quarterback in high school, very productive. First of all, Mike Leach will make you a good quarterback. He is an outstanding quarterback coach and also they are about 80-percent throw, so if a quarterback goes there, he is going to be throwing the ball like crazy. He has size, he is about 6-4. Not the biggest guy at about 210 pounds, but he makes good decisions. He has a tough mentality, you can see he has some toughness to him, and he has a good arm. He is very accurate."
On Tyler Huntley and if the offense begins with him…
"Well, you want to tailor-make you offense to your quarterback's strengths. If you have a dual threat like Tyler, you want to make sure you involve him in the run game and get him going. There is more than one way to make an offense go. If you have a great pocket guy, just lights out throwing the football, then you gravitate in that direction. Tyler happens to be a guy that can do both. The games that we have won this year, he has been a big part of that. I thought it was a really good blend of running and throwing in Friday night's game. He did carry the ball 18 times, but several of those were on scrambles. Also, he did a much better job of not taking direct shots, making sure he got out of harm's way for the most part. He did take a few shots, but I thought it was exactly the balance we were looking for."
On if some of the administration issues in the first quarter were because Troy Taylor is now in the booth…
"No, we just need to have more urgency. We just started to huddle in the last couple of weeks on occasion, not every time. But we put the huddle in and the mechanics were too slow getting out on the field, too slow in the huddle itself and too slow getting to the line. We have to speed everything up and that is on us as coaches. We have to do a better job of practicing that against the clock in practice and make sure everyone understands the tempo and the sense of urgency that needs to happen. A no huddle team, there is plenty of time and you aren't really pressed against the clock because you are already lined up and looking at the signals, but when you huddle there has to be a sense of urgency of getting in and out and getting set and getting the play off. It only happened in the first series, but that was too much and two wasted timeouts to save delay of games. It got corrected, and it was no longer a problem."
On his first impression of Mike Leach when he met him 30 years ago…
"The same as it is now. He is a great guy, intelligent, personable. You could literally have conversations with him for hours and hours. You do a lot of listening because he is doing most of the talking, which is fine with me because I am just the opposite. He is a great person. He is a little bit, well a lot outside the box and off the wall, but when it comes right down to it, he is a really good person."
On if he and Mike Leach still spend time together during the offseason…
"I wouldn't say a lot of time, but anytime we are at the Pac-12 coaches functions we will spend time there and he does have some family up here, so we will get together up here on occasion. His wife's sister lives a quarter mile from us, so we see him more than the other coaches of late."
On how he thought Paul Toala played on Friday…
"I though Paul played very well. That was a bright spot for the offensive line on Friday. I thought Alani Havili-Katoa, who started the game, struggled a little bit. He is a little banged up and wasn't able to perform the way we wanted him to. Paul came in and did a really good job. Also, Lo Falemake had to leave the game for a period of time, so Paul also played center for a series or two. That was a big bright spot. With Jordan Agasiva out, which hopefully we get him back this week, but has been a spot that needs better production and Paul came in and did a good job."
On what type of an impact he thinks Cody Ippolito is making…
"Cody is an interesting kid. He is a popular guy on the team. He is a guy that seems to get along with everybody. He has an infectious personality. He always has something to say, his lips are always moving. Very seldom do you look at him and he is not talking. He also knows football and he is extremely smart. To be able to go from linebacker and then be plugged into the offense the last few weeks like he has and he doesn't make any mistakes. He has a high football IQ. He is entertaining I guess you could say."
On Mike Anderson getting honored on Saturday for Veterans Day and his memories of Mike when he was at the U…
"He has been a great ambassador for us and the university. He was a tough player, physical player. Got him out of junior college down in southern California. He went on to have an excellent pro career with many good years in the NFL. He is a class act. He is quiet, a really humble guy. In a long line of really good running backs, he was among the best."
On why Washington State is able to have success in their pass game…
"Well, the scheme has been in place ever since Mike Leach got there and they are all well versed in what the expectations are. The receiving routes are based on subtle adjustments and finding space and reading coverage. They just have a great handle on what he wants to accomplish. Then he has the trigger guy in Luke Falk. He is an excellent guy to be running that show. They do just enough with the run game where you really have to honor it. You can't just disregard it because when they do run the ball, they are efficient at it. I think they get exactly what they need out of it."
On Mitch Wishnowsky and the punt coverage team…
"Well Mitch I think is quietly having a terrific year. I think he is in the top-10 in just gross punt in the nation, but we are leading the nation in net punt. And that is what you really look at because that is the bottom line because that means he isn't out-kicking his coverage. He is doing a great job of hanging the ball up there. We have given up minus 12 yards in the opponent punt return game, which is a couple of things. First of all, it is the way he is kicking the ball. We've got great buy in on the punt coverage unit, they give great effort. Our gunners are doing a great job with Kenric Young and Boobie Hobbs. So it is a collaborative effort, but Mitch is the catalyst for that, there is no doubt."
On if he sees anything they can exploit on the defensive side to stop Luke Falk…
"I don't know if exploit is the right word, but we hope to slow him down. I think Mike Leach had the first offense doing up-downs on the sideline a couple of weeks ago, which was entertaining to see, but they responded and came out and scored on the next drive. They know exactly what they want to do and they have the pieces to do it. They have receivers that are completely schooled up in that system. The offensive line, you can't overlook them because if you don't have time to throw the ball, nothing works. Their offensive line has performed very well this year as well."
On Washington State's defense…
"The way they fly around. They are undersized, their front guys are only 250, 260, 270, they aren't big 300 pound guys so they are very active. They are hard to get blocked because they are slippery and they slant and move on virtually every snap. They play exceptionally hard. All 11 hands are running to the football on every snap so the effort and athleticism and overall speed they have on their defense stands out. It is an undersized defense that is very effective."
On if they will have to use the pass against Washington State to open up the run game…
"We hope not. We hope we can still be efficient running the football, but like I said, you have to scheme maybe a little bit differently. That's the key, is they move so much that you have to be able to hit movement and have your guys get a bite on their defenders. They have a tendency to slip gaps and get up field and anytime you have defensive linemen in your back field, it is hard to run the ball. So, we don't want to say that we are going to change our M.O. dramatically, but we are going to have to have a little different approach this week."
"I thought we played well in all three phases. Offense, that is what I envision we are supposed to look, excluding the first quarter. The first quarter was a rough start, but once we got into a rhythm, which we were able to get into in the second quarter, we moved the ball, made explosive plays, ran the football with physicality and efficiency and we protected the ball with zero turnovers. Defensively, we put up some really good numbers. We held them to less than 250 total offense, only 12 first downs, 17 total points. We didn't create the havoc that we usually do or that we like to, that is something we need to continue to stress, but the numbers themselves were very good. Special teams, created the lone takeaway of the game on the punt and then the punt game was good. Matt Gay was perfect with his place kicking. He hit a 50-yarder and a shorter one and all of his PATs. Lots of positives coming out of the game. It was good to see our guys play with that chip on their shoulder, that little bit of anger that has been missing and it was good to get back on track after several not so good weeks. So, on to Washington State. They are a very good football team and very well-deserving of their top-20 ranking. They have a potent offense as always. Their quarterback is phenomenal. He is the all-time Pac-12 leader in yards because I think he broke the record in the Stanford game. The thing that makes them different this year is they are playing exceptional defense. They are amongst the best defenses in the Pac-12 and in the country, and that has really made them a complete football team which makes them hard to deal with."
On if he felt they did a good job balancing the offense against UCLA and getting Zack Moss the ball more…
"It was very good. I think Zack had 23 carries, over 150 yards. We are a lot better football team, as is everyone, when we have the run game going like we did on Friday night."
On what caused the change in the team's performance on Friday…
"We made a big point of emphasis of it last week and in practice. We wanted to control the controllable. That is always something you want to do as a football team. We had excellent attitude and effort in practices last week. And like I told them in the team meeting a week ago, the thing that I could put my finger on that I thought was missing was that chip on the shoulder mentality."
On Utah facing the best run defenses in the Pac-12 in the coming weeks…
"The degree of difficulty definitely gets higher and we understand that. The yards are going to be tougher to come by, but it was great to see us have a game where we ran the football like we need to. So, hopefully we can build on that, but Washington State's defense is very stingy."
On if Marquise Blair is done for the year…
"Yes, he is done for the year. That was a season-ending injury. I feel horrible for Marquise. He was really coming along and had obviously become a starter for us. It is season-ending and he will probably miss spring as well, it is that severe. Not ideal, but he will rebound. He is a tough kid, he will get back on track."
On how Marquise Blair's injury will change the rotation at safety…
"Well, first of all, Corrion Ballard steps in and is not the starting free safety. Chase Hansen will remain at strong safety. They are still fairly interchangeable, there is still a lot of flexibility with those two guys on the field in the safeties spots. Philip Afia will back up both. So, if either one of those guys goes down, Philip would be next man up at either position."
On if he felt they got their swag back against UCLA…
"Well, it was a step in the right direction. It is kind of the same thing. It is just a mentality. It is that little edge you are looking for, so it is all encompassed. We certainly did a better job of it on Friday night, but that is just one week. We need to try and build on it."
On what the reaction of the coaches and players has been since Troy Taylor moved to the booth…
"I think it has been positive. It really hasn't been a dramatic difference. When Troy was down on the field calling things to get a better vantage point he was quite a ways removed from the signaling and things like that, so it's not that big of a deal. The main dynamic that is different is when he talks to quarterbacks he has to do it on the phone instead of face-to-face down on the field."
On if they have been able to diagnose the struggles in the pass rush this season…
"It has been very different. For example, I think Lowell Lotulelei and Filipo Mokofisi had 10 sacks between them last year and we have one between them at this point. Kylie Fitts had I think 10 or 12 sacks, I think he has one or two this year. It has just been slowed way down. I can't put a finger on it. We are bringing pressure about the same percentage that we were last year and in years past. We certainly miss Hunter Dimick. He was a big factor in our defense the last several years and he was a guy that his production is missed. But no excuses, we just have to pick it up. The defensive line knows that, that is what we are known for is putting pressure on the quarterback. We've done a very average at best job of that so far this year."
On how hard it is to turn a season around after multiple losses…
"Well it isn't easy, but if you have outstanding leaders, which we do, particularly in the senior class, that is the biggest factor in getting things turned back around. All through those struggles, never once did we point fingers. Not once did the practice effort and focus drop off. So, those are the telltale signs if something is in dire straits, is if players are pointing fingers and you start getting divisions and lack of effort at practice. But that was never the case. And again, credit to our leaders for making sure that was not going to happen to us."
On Luke Falk and if they ever recruited him…
"He was a walk-on at Washington State, I don't think he had any Division I offers that I am aware of. Obviously, we missed the boat as well as 100 other Division I teams. He was a good quarterback in high school, very productive. First of all, Mike Leach will make you a good quarterback. He is an outstanding quarterback coach and also they are about 80-percent throw, so if a quarterback goes there, he is going to be throwing the ball like crazy. He has size, he is about 6-4. Not the biggest guy at about 210 pounds, but he makes good decisions. He has a tough mentality, you can see he has some toughness to him, and he has a good arm. He is very accurate."
On Tyler Huntley and if the offense begins with him…
"Well, you want to tailor-make you offense to your quarterback's strengths. If you have a dual threat like Tyler, you want to make sure you involve him in the run game and get him going. There is more than one way to make an offense go. If you have a great pocket guy, just lights out throwing the football, then you gravitate in that direction. Tyler happens to be a guy that can do both. The games that we have won this year, he has been a big part of that. I thought it was a really good blend of running and throwing in Friday night's game. He did carry the ball 18 times, but several of those were on scrambles. Also, he did a much better job of not taking direct shots, making sure he got out of harm's way for the most part. He did take a few shots, but I thought it was exactly the balance we were looking for."
On if some of the administration issues in the first quarter were because Troy Taylor is now in the booth…
"No, we just need to have more urgency. We just started to huddle in the last couple of weeks on occasion, not every time. But we put the huddle in and the mechanics were too slow getting out on the field, too slow in the huddle itself and too slow getting to the line. We have to speed everything up and that is on us as coaches. We have to do a better job of practicing that against the clock in practice and make sure everyone understands the tempo and the sense of urgency that needs to happen. A no huddle team, there is plenty of time and you aren't really pressed against the clock because you are already lined up and looking at the signals, but when you huddle there has to be a sense of urgency of getting in and out and getting set and getting the play off. It only happened in the first series, but that was too much and two wasted timeouts to save delay of games. It got corrected, and it was no longer a problem."
On his first impression of Mike Leach when he met him 30 years ago…
"The same as it is now. He is a great guy, intelligent, personable. You could literally have conversations with him for hours and hours. You do a lot of listening because he is doing most of the talking, which is fine with me because I am just the opposite. He is a great person. He is a little bit, well a lot outside the box and off the wall, but when it comes right down to it, he is a really good person."
On if he and Mike Leach still spend time together during the offseason…
"I wouldn't say a lot of time, but anytime we are at the Pac-12 coaches functions we will spend time there and he does have some family up here, so we will get together up here on occasion. His wife's sister lives a quarter mile from us, so we see him more than the other coaches of late."
On how he thought Paul Toala played on Friday…
"I though Paul played very well. That was a bright spot for the offensive line on Friday. I thought Alani Havili-Katoa, who started the game, struggled a little bit. He is a little banged up and wasn't able to perform the way we wanted him to. Paul came in and did a really good job. Also, Lo Falemake had to leave the game for a period of time, so Paul also played center for a series or two. That was a big bright spot. With Jordan Agasiva out, which hopefully we get him back this week, but has been a spot that needs better production and Paul came in and did a good job."
On what type of an impact he thinks Cody Ippolito is making…
"Cody is an interesting kid. He is a popular guy on the team. He is a guy that seems to get along with everybody. He has an infectious personality. He always has something to say, his lips are always moving. Very seldom do you look at him and he is not talking. He also knows football and he is extremely smart. To be able to go from linebacker and then be plugged into the offense the last few weeks like he has and he doesn't make any mistakes. He has a high football IQ. He is entertaining I guess you could say."
On Mike Anderson getting honored on Saturday for Veterans Day and his memories of Mike when he was at the U…
"He has been a great ambassador for us and the university. He was a tough player, physical player. Got him out of junior college down in southern California. He went on to have an excellent pro career with many good years in the NFL. He is a class act. He is quiet, a really humble guy. In a long line of really good running backs, he was among the best."
On why Washington State is able to have success in their pass game…
"Well, the scheme has been in place ever since Mike Leach got there and they are all well versed in what the expectations are. The receiving routes are based on subtle adjustments and finding space and reading coverage. They just have a great handle on what he wants to accomplish. Then he has the trigger guy in Luke Falk. He is an excellent guy to be running that show. They do just enough with the run game where you really have to honor it. You can't just disregard it because when they do run the ball, they are efficient at it. I think they get exactly what they need out of it."
On Mitch Wishnowsky and the punt coverage team…
"Well Mitch I think is quietly having a terrific year. I think he is in the top-10 in just gross punt in the nation, but we are leading the nation in net punt. And that is what you really look at because that is the bottom line because that means he isn't out-kicking his coverage. He is doing a great job of hanging the ball up there. We have given up minus 12 yards in the opponent punt return game, which is a couple of things. First of all, it is the way he is kicking the ball. We've got great buy in on the punt coverage unit, they give great effort. Our gunners are doing a great job with Kenric Young and Boobie Hobbs. So it is a collaborative effort, but Mitch is the catalyst for that, there is no doubt."
On if he sees anything they can exploit on the defensive side to stop Luke Falk…
"I don't know if exploit is the right word, but we hope to slow him down. I think Mike Leach had the first offense doing up-downs on the sideline a couple of weeks ago, which was entertaining to see, but they responded and came out and scored on the next drive. They know exactly what they want to do and they have the pieces to do it. They have receivers that are completely schooled up in that system. The offensive line, you can't overlook them because if you don't have time to throw the ball, nothing works. Their offensive line has performed very well this year as well."
On Washington State's defense…
"The way they fly around. They are undersized, their front guys are only 250, 260, 270, they aren't big 300 pound guys so they are very active. They are hard to get blocked because they are slippery and they slant and move on virtually every snap. They play exceptionally hard. All 11 hands are running to the football on every snap so the effort and athleticism and overall speed they have on their defense stands out. It is an undersized defense that is very effective."
On if they will have to use the pass against Washington State to open up the run game…
"We hope not. We hope we can still be efficient running the football, but like I said, you have to scheme maybe a little bit differently. That's the key, is they move so much that you have to be able to hit movement and have your guys get a bite on their defenders. They have a tendency to slip gaps and get up field and anytime you have defensive linemen in your back field, it is hard to run the ball. So, we don't want to say that we are going to change our M.O. dramatically, but we are going to have to have a little different approach this week."
Players Mentioned
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DB
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