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00:00 - Hello everybody.
00:01 - Morning Coach.
00:02 - Morning.
00:03 - Morning.
00:04 - Coach, this defense has been one of the most stout
00:13 that they've had here.
00:14 They got, started getting real good last year.
00:18 What do you think has been the, you had transfers,
00:20 you got a lot of different parts and people coming in.
00:23 How has it meshed together to be as good as it is?
00:28 - You know, I was asked that question last week.
00:33 I think it really helped that I've been here before,
00:36 that Jeff had been here before,
00:37 that Brian had been here before.
00:38 And you know, you got a bunch of guys on the staff
00:41 that, you know, maybe were raised here
00:43 or from here or from Kentucky.
00:44 And so I think the whole filling out process
00:47 of them trying to figure out if we were really for them,
00:50 or I don't think we have to deal with that as much.
00:53 So, and then we just got lucky with a great group of guys
00:57 who really bought in.
00:58 They bought in and are really willing to do
01:02 what we asked them to do.
01:03 So it's been a fun group to coach.
01:05 - Coach, in three games, you guys have allowed
01:10 like 50, 56 unanswered points.
01:13 What things have you all been focusing on in that aspect
01:17 leaning into the Miami game defensively?
01:19 - You say we've allowed 56 unanswered points?
01:24 - Well, like Indiana was 14.
01:27 - Oh, you mean like a flurry type of situation?
01:30 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:31 Sorry about that.
01:32 - Well, to be honest with you,
01:34 you know, they had a drive last game.
01:38 And then, you know, the offense, we threw a pick six, right?
01:45 And then it's second and 20 some odd yards to go
01:51 and the ball bounces right to them.
01:57 You know, typically you don't want to allow one bad play
02:01 to become two, but I don't think we're facing that problem.
02:04 I think it was a situation where we gave up 17 points
02:07 in that game.
02:08 They had one drive.
02:09 They kept the field going.
02:13 I'll take 17 points a game all day every day.
02:15 - Ron, you kind of touched on it with that question,
02:22 but last year that defense relied so much on their pressure
02:26 and getting sacks.
02:28 Is it kind of a balance this year
02:29 where you really shut off the run game
02:32 and you get pressure as well?
02:34 And is that the best thing that they do?
02:37 The secondary seems like they're pretty stout as well.
02:40 - Well, we want, you know, I look at three stats.
02:43 The number one stat is points allowed.
02:46 That's number one, all right?
02:49 The second thing I look at is rushing yards per game, right?
02:52 'Cause if you can stop the run,
02:54 then you get to third in some advantageous situations.
02:57 And then the third stat is percentage of success
03:00 on third down.
03:01 That's the three things that I look at.
03:03 And so if you look at us,
03:05 I think we're in good shape in all those areas,
03:09 but we want to choke the run off.
03:10 We want to stop the run.
03:12 That's where football kind of starts
03:13 and then gets you to a third down
03:15 where we can get after quarterback.
03:17 - How would you characterize your relationship
03:19 with Jeff and, you know,
03:21 opposite ends of the spectrum, really,
03:23 your defense, his offense, or his no-nonsense offense?
03:26 - Well, I've been blessed, like I think I said before,
03:29 in that, you know, I'm,
03:31 he's telling me what they don't like,
03:35 what they don't like to see,
03:36 what the quarterback doesn't like to see,
03:38 what fronts they don't like to see,
03:39 what type of movements they don't like to see.
03:41 And so it's been awesome.
03:45 'Cause Jeff's a football guy, so I love football,
03:47 and he loves football, so we get along great.
03:49 But it's a cool thing at this point in my life,
03:52 in my career, to just really be able to talk ball
03:55 with a guy who's an expert at what he does.
03:57 It'd be different, you know, I'm not guessing.
03:59 I'm not, he's telling me exactly how they teach it.
04:01 This is exactly how we teach it.
04:03 So it's been an advantage for me.
04:05 - I would try to miss out, Storm's obviously stepped in.
04:10 I guess, how would you just describe the way
04:11 that he's been able to kind of fill in that spot?
04:14 - Well, you know, Storm has had some good years in the ACC,
04:19 and he's been an all-ACC player.
04:21 And I still think he can continue to improve,
04:24 and I think he is.
04:26 Believe it or not, I felt like, at times,
04:29 he needed to be more confident in his abilities.
04:31 But I like Storm, good kid, good family.
04:34 He's playing hard, he's getting better.
04:36 You know, Coach Ellis is an awesome coach,
04:40 and does a great job for those players.
04:42 So I like Storm, and I think he's gonna keep getting better.
04:46 - Ron, you were mentioning third down,
04:48 you're in the top 10, I think number six,
04:50 in third down percentage.
04:52 You use a lot of different guys,
04:54 and it's not always the same guys,
04:55 'cause I think Trey Franklin was in there
04:57 a little bit last week for our second Zen, Cam Wilson.
05:00 How do you kind of determine,
05:02 and how has that been successful?
05:04 Why has that been successful?
05:05 - Well, we wanted to build depth,
05:07 and as the year's gone on, you know,
05:10 we just keep wanting to help guys improve,
05:13 'cause at some point, they're gonna have to go out there
05:14 and help the team win the game.
05:17 We do move some guys, like last year,
05:20 we were missing Jarvis last week,
05:23 so, you know, we had to move Quincy in there,
05:25 because we wanted him to cover number four,
05:27 which he did a good job,
05:28 the guy caught one ball against him.
05:29 So, I mean, we just really believe in developing guys,
05:34 getting them ready, because at some point,
05:35 you're gonna need all those dudes,
05:36 and so that's really the philosophy.
05:39 - Coach, you guys have talked about how important it is
05:44 to have coaches from this area
05:45 in building a culture and a program.
05:48 I asked Jeff this question at the beginning of the year,
05:51 I'm gonna ask you, how important is it
05:52 having a guy pass player like Mark Sander on staff,
05:56 given the impact he left on the field as a player?
05:59 - Oh, all those guys.
06:00 I mean, you look at Mark Sander,
06:02 you look at Brandon Sharp,
06:04 even Coach Cassidy's back here,
06:07 and our players love those guys,
06:09 because they're Louisville guys,
06:11 they played here, they care about the program,
06:13 they're selfless.
06:14 I mean, this staff is just so unselfish,
06:16 it's just so much fun to go to work every day,
06:18 because you're dealing with a lot of people who,
06:21 I'm the coordinator, but there's a lot of input everywhere,
06:27 and I never am like shutting a guy down
06:30 or not listening to a guy or whatever.
06:32 So, for our players, they see that, the players see that.
06:35 So, it's not like they don't take input
06:38 from every single guy who's out there,
06:40 and we're just blessed to have some guys out there
06:42 who have been big time players here,
06:44 and beyond here, and are great people.
06:46 - Yeah, Van Dyke was the quarterback, got pulled,
06:51 looks like he's replaced by his current quarterback.
06:53 What does he do well, and what does Miami try and do
06:57 when they try and beat you?
06:58 - He's played a lot of football,
07:00 you know, that always comes into play.
07:02 You know, I think you, you know, he's been criticized,
07:06 and I think when you're criticized as a human being,
07:10 particularly in the sports world,
07:11 you're gonna go one or two ways.
07:12 You're either gonna, you know, be hardened by it,
07:16 and get better at what you're doing,
07:18 or you're gonna fold up.
07:19 Now, I expect this guy to be hardened by it.
07:22 I expect him to play his best game against us.
07:25 Miami is talented, their offensive line is as athletic
07:29 as any line we've seen all year long.
07:30 Maybe even the most athletic, in my opinion.
07:34 They throw the screen game better than anybody
07:36 I've seen in a long time.
07:37 Those perimeter and those tunnel screens,
07:39 they throw 'em really, really well.
07:40 They're running, they have some big backs, smaller backs.
07:43 They play about five guys.
07:44 You know, tight ends can run stuff.
07:47 So, it's not only him, but I think the way
07:52 they're running their offense, they're gonna allow it.
07:54 They're gonna try to have some success.
07:55 You know, they run the RPO game.
07:57 I expect them to screen it out there,
07:59 give him some easy throws, get his confidence going,
08:01 and run the ball.
08:01 - You use so many guys up front,
08:05 but it seems like with Jermaine,
08:07 has been healthy and playing well,
08:09 that you're maybe a little bit stronger out there.
08:11 How much does he bring to that defensive line?
08:14 - Well, if you watch him lately,
08:15 he's getting back completely healthy.
08:16 So, he's really quick and he's really strong.
08:19 And he's what I saw on tape.
08:21 I thought the guy was a pro guy when I got here
08:23 and studied the tape.
08:24 And he, you know, I think, I call him homeboy
08:29 'cause he's from California.
08:30 I'm from California.
08:32 And at first, he was kind of feeling us out,
08:34 I think, a little bit, just to see, you know,
08:36 what we were about.
08:37 But now, I feel like he feels comfortable with us and stuff.
08:40 And I think that helps too.
08:42 But he's a, I think he's an awesome player.
08:44 - You mentioned Coach Ellis earlier in the staff.
08:47 You never know when you put a staff together,
08:50 how it's gonna gel.
08:51 And you and Mark have obviously worked together,
08:54 Hagan, but Mark Ivey hadn't with you guys,
08:56 Steve Ellis hadn't with you guys.
08:58 You know, Carl's there.
08:59 Can you just speak to what you guys on the defensive side
09:02 of the ball have done as a staff?
09:04 - Well, I think it started a few years back
09:06 when Jeff had some issues with a guy he hired at Purdue.
09:09 So he didn't, he kind of wanted it to be
09:12 a collaborative situation in terms of staff building.
09:16 And so I was open to that.
09:19 I didn't have a problem with that, you know.
09:21 And so when we came here, Coach Hagan and I
09:26 had obviously worked together
09:27 and we were the co-coordinators.
09:31 And so, you know, we had worked through that dynamic.
09:35 Well, Steve Ellis was a guy I'd mentored for a while.
09:40 And so when we had the chance to get him,
09:42 I was like, thank God, and then Jeff liked him.
09:44 So it worked out.
09:45 And he's a selfless guy.
09:47 The guy's just a no ego guy, ball coach guy.
09:51 And then Ivey, so think about this.
09:53 Mark Ivey has success coaching defensive line here.
09:57 A lot of success.
09:58 I mean, you lead the country in sacks.
10:00 I mean, that's, so he's had a lot of success.
10:03 He coaches a position he's never really coached
10:05 at this level, right?
10:06 And we're, you know, we can be aggressive in those meetings
10:10 and I can be demanding.
10:12 And never once has he felt sorry for himself
10:16 or flinched or anything.
10:17 He just coaches hard and he works really, really hard
10:21 to try to do a great job for the team.
10:24 And I tell people this all the time.
10:26 I mean, that is so impressive to me,
10:30 the way Mark Ivey has carried himself
10:33 and the humility he's shown has been incredible.
10:37 So we just been, and then, you know, we got some,
10:42 like Kiernan Douglas is our graduate assistant.
10:46 He does an awesome, awesome job, right?
10:48 We got other guys who are working with us
10:52 who are doing awesome, awesome jobs.
10:55 So it's not, it goes past the full-time staff,
11:01 like Malik Miles, it goes to him,
11:03 or like John, it goes to him, or like,
11:05 so it's more than just the full-time staff.
11:07 It's really just a really great group of people.
11:10 - Obviously you guys will be playing
11:13 for the Howard Schnellenberger Trophy.
11:15 Having been here before, just curious on
11:17 how much you feel like Schnellenberger's legacy
11:19 kind of looms and what your perspective on
11:22 just learning about him from your time before and now.
11:24 - Well, he was a program builder
11:25 and the guy who I played for and coached for,
11:30 Bruce Snyder was a program builder.
11:31 So Bruce Snyder played fullback at Oregon.
11:36 And then, as a brief rundown, he coached at SC,
11:41 coached Charles White and Ricky Bell and those guys.
11:43 And then he went to the NFL
11:45 and coached Eric Dickerson with the Rams
11:50 when he got, when he set the record.
11:52 So he was a running back guy.
11:54 He gets the head job in New Mexico State,
11:57 wins enough in New Mexico State to go to Utah State.
11:59 They win a couple championships, goes to Cal.
12:02 And in his fourth year, they end up number nine
12:05 in the country, beat the Brights off of Clemson
12:07 in the Citrus Bowl, goes to Arizona State
12:09 and was then, within 60 seconds,
12:12 they win a national championship.
12:13 So that's kind of how I grew up.
12:15 And Coach Schnellenberger, I think, was the same way.
12:20 He took some programs that nobody thought much of.
12:22 And when he was at Miami, I don't think Miami
12:25 was winning very much.
12:26 And so he kind of built that, came here, helped Louisville.
12:28 So I kind of look at us like that.
12:33 We're still kind of, you know,
12:35 not the biggest brand in this league,
12:39 or even the country, as it pertains to college football.
12:42 But we, in our minds, we are.
12:47 And we are gonna play with anybody.
12:51 And we're gonna work as hard as anybody in these offices.
12:54 And we're gonna compete when we get out there.
12:56 So, you know, we still feel like
12:59 we're helping Louisville become bigger.
13:03 - Ron, obviously for offenses heading
13:07 into a road environment, they have to deal
13:09 with the raucous crowd and the noise and all that.
13:11 But what is it for defenses heading
13:13 into a road environment that makes it so difficult
13:15 to kind of perform in the road sometimes?
13:17 - You gotta travel.
13:18 Defensive special teams have to travel.
13:20 You have to do that.
13:21 You're not gonna win if you don't.
13:22 So what I mean by that is you gotta play
13:24 well on special teams and you gotta play
13:26 well on defense to win these road games.
13:28 The road games that we won, we've done that.
13:29 The road game that we didn't win,
13:31 we did not play good on defense.
13:35 We did not play with any energy or enthusiasm.
13:37 You know, the numbers were okay.
13:40 I mean, we were under 300 yards total and all that.
13:42 But the reality is that wasn't the story of the game.
13:45 The story of the game was is we had a chance
13:47 to win the game if we would've played
13:48 as well as we could play on defense,
13:50 and we did not do that.
13:51 And it was for, due to a lack of intensity,
13:54 in my opinion, and energy, and those things.
13:57 But you have gotta play good special teams
14:00 because, you know, that's, you know,
14:03 field position is a real thing.
14:04 And so when you play in these games
14:06 and you got them pinned back,
14:07 or let's say they make a big play
14:09 and they have great field position
14:10 and now the crowd's into it and now they got
14:12 a shorter field to work with and all those things,
14:14 just like when you pin 'em back, you know,
14:16 now they take a step back a little bit too.
14:17 So special teams and defense have to travel.
14:20 Thank you.
14:24 Thank you.
14:26 Thank you, Coach.
14:26 Thank you, guys.
14:27 Thanks.
14:28 Thank you.
14:29 [COUGHING]