Oct. 7, 2014
Mason | Duncan, Sims & Scheu | McIntosh | Gameday Central | Game Notes
Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason, wide receiver C.J. Duncan, defensive back Darrius Sims, tight end Steven Scheu and safety Jahmel McIntosh met the media Tuesday to talk about the Commodores’ next game against Charleston Southern. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. The non-conference matchup will be televised on FSN.
Head Coach Derek Mason
Opening statement:
“For ourselves, we took some positives out of the Georgia game when you look at protection and turnover in the secondary. We missed some opportunities but we were a team that was fighting in the third quarter with the game getting really tight. A couple of miscues led to that game changing quickly. For us, we just have to continue to be about doing the little things and our margin of error is slim. We are a football team that is working extremely hard to play better and to fight for the opportunity to get the ball in the red zone. We were three-for-three in the red zone last week. We feel good about how we are rushing the football right now and we just have to continue to find a way once we cross the 50-yard line to put the ball in scoring territory because when we do, we come away with points. We just have to keep growing. Our QB situation is getting close to being a little different. Hopefully with Patton (Robinette) getting better, we’ll know today when we hit the practice field what that looks like for us. He is getting better and that is good for this football team. We just have to continue to work, grind and put it together. We have Charleston Southern this week and we need to try and go 1-0 to get a chance to go into the bye with a right frame of mind.”
On the quarterback situation:
“The quarterback carousel is not one that anyone wants to deal with. We’re dealing with it here. You see LSU’s dealing with it, you see teams all across the country having to deal with it because you’re looking for consistency out of the position. When you don’t have consistency, what you’re looking for at that point in time is who can manage it for you and who gives you the best chance. You’re talking different game plans for different guys in terms of what they can do. When you have a guy that can drop back and spin it versus a guy who can get on the perimeter or be able to go to a gun, read and get it out quickly because you know he may not be as fleet of foot and/or as confident about not seeing the rush. It’s made us somewhat of a roller coaster in terms of what we are doing and what we have to deal with. We are doing as well as we can and we just need to continue to know that we are on the right track. Hopefully pretty soon we can get Patton back and that can alleviate the roller coaster, but there’s still going to be a time and place for Wade (Freebeck) to get some time as a young guy.”
Thoughts on the first half the season:
“There’s a slim margin of error. When you look at our games, besides the Temple game, you’re talking about a No. 3 Ole Miss team that just beat a good Alabama team, a South Carolina team that we took to deep water, a Kentucky team we held pretty much the whole second half and a Georgia team that’s a top-10 football team. When you look at our schedule versus what everyone else has played and where we are at with our quarterback situation, I think we’ve learned a lot in our first six games about who we are. The type of teams we’ve played should give us confidence. We have to shore up some of the small things and give ourselves a chance and not beat ourselves with turnovers and penalties. We have a chance to start 1-0 this week and see where it goes from there. This game (vs. Charleston Southern) is our focal point and that’s where we need to be. We’ve learned a lot and know who we are. We just have to be about our work and understand what our own expectations are heading into the second half of the season and meet those goals.”
On defending against Charleston Southern’s Offense:
“They are a 5-0 football team, we’re a 1-5 football team. Football is football. The game has to be won between the white lines. What we have to understand in playing a Charleston Southern team that plays a triple option attack, we have to be ready to defend the dive, quarterback and pitch. Changing the structure of what that looks like defensively and schematically is a different challenge for us. Discipline and tackling is definitely going to be the name of the game because they get it out in space and do a good job of using the clock and scoring points. We played Army last year and beat Army at Army pretty convincingly so the coaching staff understands how to defend it. It’s more about us having a discipline defensive attack and understanding as your structure changes, who has dive, who has quarterback, and who has pitch and then understanding that the play action is going to come off it. When the play action comes, eyes have to be right, our guys have to be in position and you have to able to play top down.”
Wide Receiver C.J. Duncan
On the staff getting five playmakers more involved:
“I think all five of us have the ability to make plays when given the opportunity, but this is a team effort. It is going to take more than just us five, especially when we get the ball. We can’t do it by ourselves. All of us are looking forward to seizing the opportunity when it comes our way.”
On slow starts:
“I don’t think it has anything to do with motivation. It is the SEC. I definitely think things will be different in the second half of the season.”
Defensive Back Darrius Sims
On getting the ball on offense against Georgia:
“It was great. I felt like I was back in high school again … getting the ball back into my hands and just really contributing to my team. I just take advantage of my opportunities. If the coach feels like I should be on offense getting the ball, then that is what I am going to do. I am also going to focus hard on the other aspects of the game such as special teams and defense.”
On team confidence heading into final six games:
“Speaking for my teammates, we have the utmost confidence to end this season right. I know we had a rocky start and what team hasn’t gone through adversity? The strongest team will succeed through adversity and go toward their common goals. Right now, we are just taking these steps forward to be successful in the second half of the season.”
Tight End Steven Scheu
On if there is added pressure facing an FCS opponent:
“Honestly I don’t think it puts any more added pressure. We just have to treat every game the same, no matter if it is the No. 1 ranked opponent in the nation or the 125th. It really doesn’t matter. You just have to go about your work the exact same way you would every week and handle it as any other game.”
On the offense:
“We know that our offensive line is our strong point. Running the ball is what we do well. We will go as far as they go. They are the talented guys in our offense; they are the core. Running behind them is what we do best.”
On getting open in the secondary:
“I may have been a little fortuitous in some of my plays this year. Honestly, probably the last few years have helped me get open considering I really wasn’t much of the offense. That probably played a big role, honestly.”
Safety Jahmel McIntosh
On facing the triple option:
“It is a little different. There are three options that they can go to. We just have to be fundamental in our keys and in our alignment and assignments.”
On overcoming slow starts:
“It is obvious that we are pretty close. We just have to focus on the details and come up with the ones that are given to us. There are a lot of opportunities that are given to us and we don’t take advantage of it, so we just have to be fundamentally sound and take advantage of those opportunities are given to us.”
