Odom sees issues and fixes

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Opening Statement: “We’re excited to be 1-0. Obviously got a lot of work to do, but excited for having another chance to play in Columbia, Missouri Saturday night against a really good opponent in South Carolina. We have digested the video, had a number of meetings both with staff and team and then we practiced Sunday night. Very, very productive day on all accounts. We learned from things we did well and then things that obviously we didn't do well, a lot of teaching moments in a game, lot of corrections made and then also a lot of adjustments that we can make to make ourselves better going into week two. Got a lot of guys in the game on Saturday that had never really played in a college setting. Some we learned a lot about and really specifically two guys that really excited about how they performed on the offensive side, Trystan Castillo and Tre’Vour Simms, both up front. Graded out and played exceptionally well and obviously we know that both of them are going to have to continue to do that for us to have success on that side of the ball. Defensively, a lot of new faces out there, moving parts and we’ve got a lot of corrections that we’ve already made and have a chance still to be a really good defensive football team. We got a lot of work to do."

Barry Odom: "Obviously once you get into conference play things will change dramatically. The size, the strength, the speed will be on a different level than what we faced week one. Great respect to those guys, but it's a different league. For those guys up front, they protected well. They were able to communicate with the other three, four offensive linemen the communication that goes on. They were able to make adjustments on the sidelines when needed and they blocked very well at the point of attack and then also did a nice job in the protections whether we were man protection or whatever it was. They executed and did it at a consistent level."

Odom: "I haven't spent much time in Columbia, South Carolina, but I know what's been told to me. Very similar in the campus look and feel and obviously sharing the name, that's been brought up more in the media notes than anything else as you go through those throughout the week. Anytime we've got a chance to go compete, you want to be the winner. This one is another opportunity, a challenge for us and our guys will be ready."

Odom: "That's probably the thing, we showed a lot of video last night not only offensively and defensively and special teams, but as a team brought them together and showed some things that helped us play well as a team and the thing that was probably the favorite thing to point out the entire night was the way that our wide receivers blocked when they didn't have the ball. I think that our maturity level and expectations on that side of the ball when you don't have it, what to do and how to go compete, that was the thing that probably pleased me most about how the offense played. Guys that their number wasn't called so to speak on that particular play, but they ended up having such a huge factor in the end result of the plays. We've got to continue that and it's got to be something that that's who we are and that's how we go approach things and that's how we do it week in, week out."

Odom: "They're very talented and I know that they'll have a game plan against what we're trying to do offensively. We'll have to continue to work our fundamentals and base habits and not only understand what's on the other side of the ball, but we need to make sure that we compete and prepare and worry about ourselves."

Odom: "I looked at it as soon as I got out of the press conference game day, was able to come up and start looking at the video and as bad as it seemed on the field, it was that bad on video. Like I said the other day, it starts with me. We didn't tackle very well which I was more than a little surprised at that, as well as we had in practice. Our eyes in the secondary, our focus was not in the right spots. We were trying to do too much in the first half specifically. A couple calls that I had didn't put us in a favorable situation. They had six explosive plays for like over 300 yards and then the other, whatever, 68 plays on the day, we held them to right around 100 yards or something like that. If you're going to be an average to good defense, and then not even talking about going beyond there, but just playing good, solid defensive football, you have to eliminate explosive plays. The opponents, they're going to have players too as the season goes on here. But we've got to do a great job on they're going to make a play here or there. We've got to get them down, we've got to be sure tacklers, we've got to play well together and we can't beat ourselves on errors that are day one mistakes. Had a great practice and meeting session last night and we'll be a lot better going into week two."

Odom: "There shouldn't be. In the second half we had one call. Called one call the entire second half. Obviously, pretty simple. We've been running it, if you go back to spring practice number one, it's something that we've done every day that we've been out on the practice field. Schematically, I would venture to say that we were about as base and vanilla as you could possibly be."

Odom: "He practiced last night, looked pretty good and hoping that he's got a chance to continue that this week. He'll help us. But also starting with the play call with me, I've got to be better and we've got to be better at the point of attack on making the tackle. We've got to be better at getting our eyes in the right spot which there were a couple times the other day we were a little too aggressive. One time on the third down run I called a blitz, heavy pressure from the field, they sealed one guy and it was out. So we had a missed assignment up front. A lot of correctable things. Nobody wants to hear that, I understand it, but I feel pretty good going into week two on realizing what the issues were, making the correct changes on what we need to do and then pushing forward on who we are and getting better."

Odom: "They did some different things formationally. They ran a few more misdirection type things than what they did at the end of last year. Route concepts were somewhat similar. A couple wrinkles here and there. As expected going into the first week, there's always going to be some different things with formations or possible concepts that they've changed up and that held true with those guys."

Odom: "Has not yet. No. Has not. Getting close. I don't think it will be much further. Hopefully he will get back at some point this week."

Odom: "He didn't play on Saturday and that was a number of reasons going into that. He's still part of the program and working hard and has a chance as the season wears on here to get back on the field."

Odom: "Since he's been here he's been in the same position. Good to have him back in action. He's got a chance to be a really good playmaker. He was inconsistent with some of the base reads and fits on where we needed him, but also there's some things that he can do athletically. He'll be a lot better week two than he was week one. I'm fairly sure in saying this, he'll continue to be a lot better with the more game reps he gets at that spot."

Odom: "He did some good things for first time to ever be on the field, but also there were a couple times out of position that effected us from the middle of the field and he was getting in position that didn't allow us to get a guy down. He learned and we all learned and he specifically about how he's got to be exactly right with his initial reads. There's not anybody lined up behind him and he's got to protect us. He had a couple misreads on that. I didn't ever think going into week one that he would be perfect. He'll continue to progress. Excited about him being a true freshman and being able to help us."

Odom: "Yeah, he's got a chance to be a really good player. It's been good for him going against our offense up front with some of the guys we've got on that side because he shows up in practice too. I think with a couple of guys that we've got in there, three or four or five guys that we've got at that spot, all have a chance to help us. That's a spot that you want to be pretty good at, interior defensive line. I think with hard work and determination I think we've got a chance to get there with those guys."

Odom: "Watching the quarterback Bentley, last year was a young guy, I guess could have still been in high school or whatever it was and as the season went on he played so well. Really calm and poised and then he made some throws yesterday. One specifically rolling to his right, got pressure, the defensive end lost leverage on it and he did exactly what he needed to do and escaped and then threw it kind of off balance in the back of the end zone where one guy could get it and it was a perfect shot. There was another one down the seam, down the middle of the field, looked the safety off and drilled it, they were in man to man coverage and he fit it right where it needed to be. Very impressed with him. They've got playmakers all over the field. I think they're really good up front. The quarterback makes them go, but also Deebo Samuel, I think is one of the best guys in the country and I thought that last year as we left him. There were one on one or jump ball situations, so to speak, last year and that dude came down with every one of them. And he kept doing it the other day. Bryan Edwards, 89, is a really good player. And then the freshman, 13 (Shi Smith), played really well and maybe as productive as anybody offensively for them, 81 (Hayden Hurst), their tight end. He is a physical dude that runs extremely well. They're so balanced and the quarterback allows them to do a lot of different things and they do it really well. Then up front, they're big and strong and physical at the point of attack. Very, very impressed with how they played the other day. They only had like 55 snaps or something like that. They had one score in teams, in the kickoff return by number 1, and then they scored four others. Very efficient with the ball. They've got something really good going on on that side of the ball."

Odom: "I think on the times that we did the perimeter screen game, not that those are really high level skillset throws, but the efficiency on how he got them out there, the quickness on the release to get it there and delivered, then the position that he put it on the receivers, they didn't have to move much, or he put it in the direction they were moving. I think the timing, all that stuff makes a difference. He had one throwaway which I was glad that he did it. I don't know that he would have done that very long ago. That shows some maturity. The pass to J'Mon (Moore) down in the south end zone, he dropped in there pretty good. J'Mon obviously did a great job adjusting to the ball. The third down plays, one to Kendall Blanton was a big time throw, the completion to (Jason) Reese and the touchdown, there's a small window there and he fit it in right where it needed to be. The one to Dominic Collins in the back of the end zone, he put it exactly where it needed to be for him to have a chance to make a play on the ball. I was pretty impressed with his performance."