Each Monday, offensive coordinator Josh Heupel meets with the local media. Read the full transcript of Heupel's teleconference as the Tigers begin to prepare for Auburn.
Opening statement: “Obviously disappointed with what happened a week ago. Got to execute. It’s all part, the coaches and the players. Looking forward to the opportunity to go play Auburn, who is extremely talented defensively. Their size and the athleticism up front in the front seven makes it difficult to run the football. You look at it, giving up 1.9 or 2 point something yards per carry right now. Their length out on the perimeter and their speed makes it tough and they contest everything in the passing game as well so it’s a big test for us offensively. At the end of the day we’ve got to handle and win some of our one on one matchups. That’s in pass protection, that’s out there throwing and catching it as well.”
During camp the talk was to have Ish Witter and Damarea Crockett expand their role catching the ball out of the backfield, but each of them only has one catch. Is that something that’s been an issue or something that you think will develop as the season goes on?
“We ran some more things where they’ve had a part of it, just haven’t got it in their hands. Sometimes coverage has dictated it, sometimes we’ve missed a read on it. Their role as far as catching the football will be a part of what we do. It’s not going to be the major part of what we do, but it will be a part of what we do moving forward.”
On Damarea, how comfortable were you playing him last week? He played a decent amount, but didn’t start. Was that related to health or something else?
“That was just related to health and his opportunity to practice in the course of the week. Obviously, we had a limited number of snaps in the first half. That's why, there weren’t a lot of snaps and he wasn’t as heavily involved.”
Are there one or two things you think you can lean on as an offense to get through these struggles?
“Running the football since the middle part of last year has been something that we had been pretty consistent at. Obviously we weren’t consistently successful at it this past week. We didn’t win some of the matchups inside on a consistent basis. I thought we were in a bunch of third and longs. For us, at the end of the day, we have to be able to run the football. We are an offense that needs and strives for balance. We can’t sit back and throw and catch it all day long. Running the football’s going to be something that we have to lean on. Five guys up front, running backs and tight ends doing a great job. That’s something that we’ve got to hang our hat on and then obviously our passing game’s consistency has to come on.”
What did you think of the offensive line’s performance compared to the first two games of the season and even going back to last year?
“It wasn’t our best performance, but it was everybody on offense. Offensive football, you’ve heard me say it before, say it to the kids all the time, it’s 11 guys operating as one. Everybody kind of took their turn the other day and when you do that you aren’t going to be successful. Obviously that’s why we didn’t move the football and didn’t have any rhythm and consistency on offense.”
Hindsight is always 20/20, but at the end of the first half there was about 12 seconds to go. You only had one shot at the end zone and then kicked the field goal. Can you take us through what was happening there?
“Thought we were balanced in alignment where we had to snap it. It was a first down thought we had a chance to snap it immediately because we were set in our formation, or had the potential to be set in our formation. Not allow the defense to get set and defensive backs to get dug in. That was the reason behind it. Hindsight, obviously, we ended up wasting a couple of seconds with our slot maneuvering right there and then having to get reset. Hindsight 20/20, absolutely a timeout would have been the right thing.”
Obviously the X’s and O’s and execution didn’t work, but do you worry about the guys on offense, whether it’s confidence or whatever, struggling beyond just the lack of execution?
"Confidence can be an issue. This group of guys for the most part, excluding a couple of the young O-linemen that are playing and Albert O at tight end, those guys had to battle through some things last year and found an identity. Obviously we’re not playing where we’re capable of right now after last week. Could confidence be an issue? Well, yeah it can be. I don’t think it should be with this group. We can play, we can play at a high level, we can do it against quality opponents. We have to compete at a higher level. We have to execute at a higher level. We’ve just got to do the normal everyday things at a higher level. That’s the disappointing thing, but also the thing that can take you through the other side of it. Nobody’s got to do anything extraordinary, you’ve just got to do the ordinary at a higher level. We’re capable of doing that.”
The guys said after the game that everyone was pleased with the preparation going into Saturday’s game. Is there anything you do differently in practice this week to help it translate to the game more effectively?
“Was pretty pleased. I thought our guys had a good week of practice. I thought they were ready to go out and compete. Couple things that we don’t execute on cleanly early in the ballgame and we end up punting the football. You’re down early, I think our kids just got to realize that it’s a 60 minute ballgame, settle in and continue to compete. Are there things that we can do differently at practice? Yeah, there are things that we can. But at the end of the day once the ball’s snapped, we’ve got to be mature competitors. Players and coaches. Settle in and understand that it’s a 60-minute football game.”
Why the change coaching in the press box in the second half and is that something you’ll try again?
“Just the ability to see it up top, a little bit different view. That may be something that I end up doing this week as well.”
The tight ends didn’t have any catches, not sure they were targeted much. Was that a game plan thing or where the reads took Drew on Saturday?
“Couple of them were reads. We had some things built in with our guys and some of our spread sets. We were in some gap protection this past week just because of some of the multiple pressures that they had shown on tape. He ended up not bringing a lot of it, but going into it he had shown a bunch so they weren’t as targeted. Obviously our run game wasn’t going like it typically is so some of the play action passes to those guys weren’t as primary a thought either as the game unfolded.”
Some of the struggles you had last year have surfaced early this year. What’s the biggest difference between this group and the one last year?
“A year ago I think we were truly looking for an identity. This past week, and maybe a few series in the South Carolina game, we maybe were looking for an identity a little bit, but I think more than anything really this past week it’s really about execution. A week ago obviously, we moved the football. Didn’t have any three and outs against South Carolina, were in the red zone. We just didn’t execute in the red zone. A year ago those same things couldn’t have been said. I think our kids will respond in a great way. They’ll go out and compete this week and that’s what we’re going to lean on.”
