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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 21, 2016

Bronco Mendenhall

Greensboro, North Carolina

COACH MENDENHALL: It's good to be with you today.

I think our football team is improving. I see bits and pieces and plays and situations that we can continue to learn and grow from, focusing on every single success we have to keep momentum and chemistry going that our team has in terms of belief and focusing on the process of what will help us become a very good team and a program. Anxious for the next test and all that it brings.

Glad to take questions.

Q. I'm going through the official stats. If they're correct, Andre Levrone and Eldridge were only targeted twice, each in the UConn game. What is going on with their development? When you mention the deep passing game, are they guys that can be a factor there?
COACH MENDENHALL: Yeah, we're hoping so, because both had showed a lot of promise through fall camp. Really, we need them to and want them to. In general our outside receiver play in terms of the intermediate to deep passing game, the number of targets collectively versus the number of successes, again, kind of according to our inside, where we're looking at it, we're basically about 4 out of 19 in terms of number and times targeted.

Targeted doesn't always mean the ball is thrown there. It means they might be the first look, or the person we're hoping would be open. There's still a lot of work to be done in terms of creating separation, having the burst necessary to create where we think the ball can go when we believe the play is targeted to go there.

We would like both of them to step up, and they are. We're just trying to accelerate that as quickly as possible. But they're certainly both capable.

Q. Defensively Central Michigan, what do you see from them, particularly in their ability to defend downfield?
COACH MENDENHALL: Yeah, I think just maturity and role identification and leverage. I think they're a team that concentrates well. I think they're a team that's coached well. I think they're a team that has a very clear identity as to what each player is supposed to do, what their position requires of them, then their ability to execute that within their defensive scheme. I think they've done a nice job of identifying roles, asking them to do the things they're capable of doing.

It's not a lot and it's enough and they do it well.

Q. How much do you think Saturday's game will help Juan Thornhill's development with everything that went on, his interception as well as the interference penalties?
COACH MENDENHALL: Well, it's a really good point, because kind of the untold story about the interception is he lost his man in coverage and was trailing by about 10 to 12 yards before he caught up to him. Then conversely, on a couple of plays there were penalties. He had fantastic concentration, was on him every step of the way. At least on one of them, went a little bit more through to get to the ball, then stayed clean.

I think what Juan will learn, like the rest of our team, every play has to be played right to the very end, and every game has to be played right to the very end. It could be where you're trailing by 10 yards, recover, then intercept it. You might be in perfect position on a play, but make a mistake or aren't as clean as necessary right at the end, and the outcome can change.

We're a team right now and we're a program that is really striving for execution and consistency and competition all the way to the very end and for four quarters. I think Juan's development would possibly mirror that of the team.

Q. I'm curious about the team's mindset after a tough start to the season, kind of where guys are with their confidence getting ready for the game this week.
COACH MENDENHALL: It's an amazing thing. I just barely came off the practice field. If someone were to come watch us practice, be around our meetings, our program, there's smiles, there's optimism, there's probably even more confidence now than there was in the off-season that this program and this team is capable. It's really fun to be part of.

I didn't know what to expect, not only when I arrived, but certainly after our slow start. But the sincere belief and optimism that this will work and our approach in the processes will pay off is contagious. These kids are really fun to be around.

In answer to your question, I think they're gaining momentum rather than losing momentum. They're clearly finding out that just a new staff arriving isn't the only answer, it's going through the processes that we put in place and the amount of work that's necessary. They're embracing that part at even a higher level than they were before, which is a good sign. A lot of times if you don't have success, it goes the other way.

So far, man, I'm really pleased and proud of just how hard they're trying and how unified they are, how optimistic they are. So far so good, at least on that front.

Q. I know you haven't had a season that's started quite in this way before. How have you dealt with the setbacks now that this is a new situation for you?
COACH MENDENHALL: It's unchartered territory. I've been trying to remember. I don't think that I've ever been the head coach or in my head coaching tenure I don't think I've been part of losing three in a row. I think the most has been two. I might be wrong on that, but that's what I think.

So it's been a great learning experience for me, as well. I think there is something that's called, the real phenomenon, is called command influence. Besides the searching every part of our program to try to accelerate it as fast as possible, what I consider now a massive change effort, I'm invigorated by that and I'm exhausted by that at the same time. A tangible result would be helpful.

In the meantime, what I'm focusing on, as well, in terms of how I'm coping with it, I'm looking for the simple successes as well. They help me to keep going as well as what I'm focusing on with the players. I think it's the same approach for both of us. I'm trying to model, but also the things that are helping me I'm hoping help them, looking for every little thing in our program that is getting better. Difficult, though. I'll say difficult.

Q. Obviously you're not taking anybody lightly at this point. Is there an education process with a Central Michigan team with whom your guys are not familiar?
COACH MENDENHALL: Sure. That's really been, for every one of our opponents, with the exception of UConn, because myself and our staff had played them twice each of the last two years. That process I would say was similar with Richmond. I'd only coached against Oregon once, and that was under a different staff. So I think there was an education process there.

And now Central Michigan. So three of the four opponents I think have been brand-new starts. That's one of the things that I think the question is insightful. Each of these opponents, we're working longer and harder, if possible, some of the background information about the program, the coaches, where their philosophies came from in terms of trying to aid our preparation because our familiarity wasn't quite the same as it was when you have repeated opponents or opponents that you're playing every year.

Q. I'm curious what you see in Cooper Rush, their quarterback, what challenges he presents.
COACH MENDENHALL: The first thing is poise. Poise comes from experience. He's played a lot of football games. He's been through some really strong performances against really good defenses, and he's been through some tough performances against good defenses. He's won and lost and probably everything in between.

It just looks like the game is slow for him, meaning that the ability for him to recognize what coverage, what front, possible blitz, et cetera, those aren't things that bother him much. He's seen enough, he's played enough, and he's had enough success, it's really just the next play and the next team. He's difficult to rattle.

Certainly has the arm strength and decision making to move the team. Coming off six touchdown passes, which I believe was a school record a week ago. They've given him a great scheme, some good players and a supporting cast around him. But experience, maturity, with capability, I would say are the things he's blending well.

Q. Another little question about Central Michigan. They're part of the MAC Conference that has the reputation of being that conference you don't want to play. I know you don't overlook anybody, but is that how you look at this conference?
COACH MENDENHALL: I'm not sure it's conference-specific. I think every college football team, it's hard to win college football games. Central Michigan, any time you're 3-0 and you've gone on the road and beaten a team like Oklahoma State, the thought that, number one, I don't believe in overlooking anyone. We're not in a position to focus on anyone other than ourselves. Central Michigan can beat most teams in college football, have beaten a lot of teams in college football. The ones they haven't beaten, they've played very close.

The MAC Conference, I know a lot of the coaches, who they are, the reputation. Watching the film, they deserve the reputation. They are well-coached as a conference, they're well-coached football teams and they have ability.

Coming from a team that wasn't considered Power 5, there are a lot of teams that you don't want to play that have that tag. Their conference and this team would be one of them.

Q. You talked a little bit about the problems that Rush presents as a passer. Your pass defense, looking at the numbers, it looked like you struggled first two games, did a better job last game. Was that a factor of who you're playing or was there improvement in the pass defense?
COACH MENDENHALL: I think it's both. We have been susceptible in week one and week two to big plays in run and pass through lack of consistency, through lack of execution, concentration and youth. Seven new starters, really first-time starters to college football on the defense.

There will be moments of execution and there will be some pretty significant lapses in run defense and pass defense. We saw that in week one and week two. I saw improvement from week one to week two. Week three, it would be a combination, the style of play that we were defending, the familiarity we had with the opponent we played, because we played them the previous two years.

But also we're modifying and changing every single day to find the right format to give the volume of work necessary to a pretty youthful and inexperienced group to add to our consistency.

So I think all of those things are improving our performance. The step forward from week two to week three wasn't just a slight thing, that would be a giant leap forward, which was necessary. We need a few more of those to where I believe we'll be playing the type of defense that I'm accustomed to, but I think also will be helpful to us to have a chance to play competitively this year.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for being with us today.

COACH MENDENHALL: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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