Tom Herman Quotes and Notes:
Really really good day today. I was anticipating how we would respond to putting full pads on. Four really tough and long days leading up to it, and the guys came out with a lot of juice. It was hot. The last couple days we hadnt seen the sun very much, but the sun was beating down on us pretty good today.
Credit to Coach McKnight and his staff. The defensive players in our tackle drill and our O-Line on our inside drill had much better pad level than they did in the Spring. Much better knee bend and hip explosion. We're not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. We have a lot to clean up, but our body position and our pad level was encouraging.
Reggie [Hemphill-Mapps] was help out. Precautionary. We're treating it still as a migraine, which I think it is. He was cleared to go into meetings and all that stuff last night. We just didn't want him in any contact today. I should know later today if he'll be good to go [for tomorrow's scrimage]. If we keep progressing he should be back on Monday.
Do the players understand the importance you place on pads?
Yeah we talk about it all the time. We had a team meeting last night. They grow up in this generation of 7on7, which is good. There is nothing wrong with that. It builds certain skills, but it's definitely not real football. They understand the importance of putting full pads on, tackling to the ground, training as real as we can and that simulating real game situation is how you get better. And they believe in that and understand the importance of it.
On Kyle Porter running with the 1's and if that is because of Chris Warren's injury?
Kyle did everything we asked him to in the spring. He stayed relatively healthy until the Spring game because he rolled his ankle.
Chris has had a great summer. It's kind of like the question I was asked about defensive ends yesterday. Whether you take the 1st snap or the 4th snap at running back, we're going to need to roll guys at that position. Chris has done what we've asked him to so far and so has Kyle. But I think it's only fair that a guy who makes it through the entire Spring practice, and does it well, that he gets the chance to jog out there with the 1's.
Rating RB group as receivers?
Good not great. Probably Toneil [Carter] would be the most fluid ball catcher with then Kyle, then Chris, and Daniel.
Was there anyone who surprised you with the physicality?
I think our two young tight ends coming out of the Spring, because they weren't here. It was good to see them throw their stuff around in inside drill and team settings. They need to get stronger, but they certainly weren't scared.
On scrimmage set up
The whole scrimmage will be 1s vs 1s and 2s vs 2s. We'll go a couple hours probably. I would think each group in scrimmage one would run anywhere around 60 to 70 plays. We don't have all our special situations installed. We don't have 2-minute in yet. We have a very bare bones red zone and goal line package. It'll be a lot of put the ball down on the -25 and play football.
(My question)
We've noticed the players have the stripes on their helmets. They've usually been red and we know those are the newcomers, but now we're seeing guys like Shane Buechele and Kyle Porter have black stripes on their helmets. Are those only to see line of vision?
Correct. That's very astute. (Tom Herman said I was astute) The red stripes are the newcomers. Kind of "pledging" if you will. They're not quite members of the family yet. They have to go prove it on the practice field. At some point they'll get the stripe off.
The black stripe for our QBs and RBs. We want to be able to see on video where is the center of their helmet to see where exactly are they looking. Now, granted, I can look at you and my head be this way (looking away from me with eyes focused on me), but in a helmet that's pretty tough to do.
So the red stripe is sort of a mental thing for the players?
I think it's just that when you get here, you haven't been through everything that the veterans have been through. So to just hand them the keys without earning anything, I think we'd be doing a disservice to the veterans. They don't get treated any different, but we make a big deal when they earn the right to take off the stripe and become a full-fledged member of our family.
How long does that usually take?
Sometime after tomorrow. Sometimes a couple weeks.
Do guys separate themselves in the coaches eyes more during scrimmages?
I don't think so. For us, the scrimmage setting is good because it allows coaches to get off the field and allow us to go through game-like situations, game-like executions, and game-like procedures without a set drill... It's just 11 on 11, go play football. But it doesn't carry anymore weight than an individual drill on a Monday practice.
On Elijah Rodriguez starting at RT. Why did he insert his name into the battle?
Because he's good enough. We're going to put the best five offensive lineman out there. Zach Shackelford has come back really well.
Right now if we had to play a game, those five would be the best five with Shackelford at center, McMillon at right guard, and Rodriguez at right tackle.
What it does allow, is it allows Denzel [Okafor] and Tristain to get reps at left tackle as well.
As I've said before, most teams I've been on you've got about seven or eight offensive linemen that you feel good about putting into a game, which is usually your five starters, one tackle who can play left or right, and one interior guy who can play guard or center.
They're still improving and we don't play a game tomorrow, so they will have every opportunity to go earn that spot too.
But it will be a good battle. Right now those five guys plus Denzel, Tristain, and probably Pat Hudson are all eight guys we have to find the best combination to go jog out there.
On Jake McMillon being the most underrated versatile guy on O-Line
No underrated by me. I really like being around him. He is versatile in terms of his ability to play center and guard. Really smart guy. Powerful. He's able to hold his own against the Poona Fords of the world.
On Herman being more complimentary of guys than he was in the Spring means they are starting to meet expectations
I've felt that too. I've gone back and watched a few of these. Yeah, I guess that's the only conclusion that you can draw. Again, I'm glad we don't play tomorrow. We aren't a finished product by any stretch of the imagination, but for the most part, they've been doing what we've asked them to do. The two things I still wish were a little more polished now than they are would be there are still some busts on defense not communicating and some assignment errors on offense.
But we talk to them about this all the time. Especially at this time of the year, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Go really hard, be really physical and we'll correct those mistakes. Now, if it becomes a pattern and those mistakes continue to repeat themselves then we've got issues, but right now, this time of year it's about going hard and being physical. For the most part they've done that.
Does it make you nervous to be happy with them this early in camp?
Yeah [laughing]. I don't know if I'm ever happy. That's pretty exaggerated. You're proud of the guys for doing that. So we're a very honest and transparent program. When they're doing well they're going to be told keep it up and do better. When they're not meeting expectations they're going to be told that too, and be taught how to do that.
Was there an install today?
Goal line and red zone was the install today, as is pretty much every year the first day we put on pads. We want to put them in as physical of a situation as we can and short yardage, goal line, and red zone are football in a phone booth. We were glad to see guys responded well.
What do you and Coach Orlando need to see from Jeffrey McCulloch to feel good about putting him in a game for Naashon?
They've each got their strengths and weaknesses. I think Jeffrey's got to be more consistent against the run. I think his strength is rushing the passer.
Naashon is the opposite. He is pretty good against the run. He already knows where to be and how to be there. But we need a little more production from him rushing the passer.
Both of them are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. It'll be a good battle the whole camp.
