University of Massachusets Athletics
Football Media Day Draws Lots Of Attention
August 18, 2009 | Football
Aug. 18, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass held its annual Football Media Day under sunny skies and humid conditions at McGuirk Stadium on Tuesday. Local and regional media made their way to Amherst to talk to the Minutemen and new head coach Kevin Morris to talk about the upcoming season. Several TV stations and photo outlets were also on hand.
Here is a transcription of Morris' comments about the 2009 team from Media Day:
On the opening of training camp:
"Camp has gone very well. It has been very hot, as you know, but the kids have really fought through it. We have had a lot of success, but we have a long way to go. Kansas State is getting closer and closer and we have some work to do."
On the seniors stepping up:
The senior class is a large group and we need that group to be `the group'. Jeromy Miles was the MVP of practice the other day. Tony Nelson, Victor Cruz, and all of those guys are really playing up and playing well. As long as those guys continue on the same path, we should be in great shape for the start of the season.
On the defensive back situation becoming any clearer:
Yes, because we have seen some good play there, but no as well because we have had some dings and injuries. So we have not had enough reps in a row to get that position solidified. Like every position, it is still open. We will not put a two-deep together until Kansas State week, but right now at the cornerback position we are still waiting for guys to step up and lay claim to it.
On other positions that are up for grabs:
Certainly the quarterback is a position we are looking at. We have a couple spots on the offensive line that are open. Really at every position as well. Some of those battles are happening at the second tier level with guys trying to get to that first tier as well as solidify their second spot.
On who, besides Tony Nelson, could see carries at running back:
Chris Zardas, our fullback, is a guy that has been banged up off and on over the years, but if we can keep him going and keep him healthy week to week, you will see a lot of Zardas getting the ball as well. Then we have sophomore John Hernandez and redshirt freshman Cedric Gonnet have both done a great job. At the end of spring ball they really came on and they have really continued on this fall.
On true freshmen that could play:
Ideally we don't want any of them to play. We would like to redshirt them all. You would rather have them as a 22-year old than as an 18-year old. The 22-year old is going to be a better player for you down the road. Unfortunately, that probably is not going to be the case this year. There are going to have to be a couple guys that step up and help us. At the defensive back position, Christian Birt and Mike Lee are really competing. Now, do you want them in the mix right away? No, but they are doing a great job and could play. Perry McIntyre at linebacker is really showing some signs that he can handle some of the load and we'll see how he fits into our linebacker scheme as we go.
On the quarterback position:
We have had our ups and downs. We had a good start to camp and then leveled off a little bit. So we have been on a little bit of a roller coaster there, so we aren't as far along as I would like us to be. We had a good two-minute drill last night and we saw some good things there. That was a good sign of things to come. The first week you are going to see a roller coaster. It is the second week where you really need to see a steady, gradual improvement at all positions, and obviously quarterback being the main one.
On if playing two quarterbacks is a possibility:
No. I have never been a platoon guy. If it works out that that is best for the team, then certainly that is what we will do, but I have always believed in getting one guy out there, let him be the leader, let him run the show and let the team rally around him and play up for him. If the situation works out that it is best to go with two guys, then that is what we will do, but at this time that is not in our thought process. I foresee that someone is going to step up and we will run with the one guy from there.
On the timetable of naming a starting quarterback:
The sooner the better because we want to get him out in front of the rest of the team, but there is no set date.
On Octavious Hawkins playing another position if he is not the starting quarterback:
He had a great practice last night. It all depends on where we are with the quarterback situation and where he fits into the quarterback position. He is a guy that has some skills. He was not in the mix at quarterback last season, so we decided to get him out and see if he can do some other things. We had some varying success with that. It is hard for a guy to adjust like that. He is right there in the quarterback situation right now. He ran a great two-minute drill last night. At this point he is all quarterback.
On what having Tony Nelson means to the team with inexperienced quarterbacks:
It is a huge, huge help for us. With Tony, Victor Cruz and Jeremy Horne coming back on the outside, those are guys that have handled the load. They got the ball a lot last year, so they know what it is like to get the ball in clutch situations in big games. That can definitely take some heat off the starting quarterback until he gets used to being the leader so it doesn't have to all be on the quarterback position.
On the tight ends:
Matt Silver, Andrew Krevis, and Emil Igwenagu are our three tight ends. Emil is an H-back type of guy who used to be a fullback for us and we are using him in a lot of different ways. Silver is a senior coming back and he is our guy at tight end. Krevis and Igwenagu will see time but they have to earn their playing time like everyone else. If they can get the ball in their hands and do good things with it or be really good backside blockers, then those are traits that will get them on the field.
On the offensive line:
Vladimir Ducasse is our left tackle. That is solid. He is the best offensive lineman in our program and we are looking for great things from Vlad. He is a preseason All-American and deservingly so. Vlad needs to be the leader and the anchor at left tackle. Josh Samuda is our returning left guard. John Ihne got a lot of playing time last year at center. Those other spots are really open and guys are battling. Ihne as well. He is still battling for the center spot.
On the CAA:
The CAA is going to be a juggernaut. You just cannot take a day off, no matter what their record is. You could take the best team in the league and put them against the worst and that game is going to go down to the wire no matter what. This year is no different. Richmond is coming back as the defending national champion. James Madison is ranked very high. Villanova, we don't play them this year, but some polls have them ranked in the top five. Then you can just take the rest of our schedule - New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, right on through. They are going to all be strong opponents week to week.
On how the receivers will help whoever the quarterback is:
Last year we Victor Cruz, who had over 70 catches, and Jeremy Horne as our two leading receivers and they are coming back. Julian Talley is a younger guy who is going to step up and play more of a role this year we think, as well as senior Joe Sanford. We have another couple guys in the mix too, so that group is a go-to group. You can get them the ball and they are going to do some good things. They call themselves the playmakers, that's their mantra, and they are going to have to live up to it this season.
On how Brian Picucci is as a play-caller in comparison to Morris:
That remains to be seen. We have had some unscripted situations in practice and it has gone well. The offense is evolving with him at the helm. How different is it going to be? I think most people from the outside in might think it is the same UMass offense, but there will be a lot of things different from the inside. Brian and I have been together for so long that I can be the head coach and not have to worry about the daily regimen of getting the offense ready, which is great for me and certainly will help me hopefully become a better head coach.
On the defensive line:
Brandon Collier, Kyle Harrington, and Mike Hanson are all returning starters. Bob McLaughlin is coming back with a lot of playing time from last year. With those four guys across the front, we should have a great returning group. We have some young guys coming up and competing for the positions as well. We think, if we stay injury free, we should be pretty solid up front.
