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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 1, 2016Tracy ClaeysMinneapolis, Minnesota Q. Tracy, you touched on something on the radio the other day about the closeness of this team and how this time of year is when that really comes through. What is it that kind of signals that to you? COACH CLAEYS: I mean, if you -- being in the locker room after the Illinois game, and also practice, I mean, they have fun at practice, and we've had great energy, practice preparing as the year goes on, and so you can just tell that, for the kids that are playing, they're playing well. The kids that are on the work teams and giving us the scout looks each week have done a good job. So I think right now, you know, everybody is in a pretty good mood, and, like I say, we've won three in a row, and winning solves a lot of problems. Q. One thing that they mentioned was working with psychologists and that kind of thing. COACH CLAEYS: Uh-huh. Q. How have you kind of -- how did that initiate, and how has that been beneficial? COACH CLAEYS: I mean, we're no different than anybody. We have all of the different services or whatever provided to our kids, whatever they need to do, and so, you know, I do -- I'm not as hands-on with some of that stuff, as I meet with the seniors, and they keep me informed what's going on, you know, so any time it's -- it comes from them. It's a lot more effective than me forcing it on people. Q. What do you see so far from Purdue's offense? COACH CLAEYS: Just, you know, the -- all of the different passing games that they have, they like to throw it around, and they're skilled at wide receiver. So, from drop-back to play action, three-step, all of the screens, all of the different people, so they get the ball out in space, and just some good athletes. We're going to have to have a great job of tackling. I think the yards after the catch and keeping the ball in front of us will be a big determination over whether we can win, and the same thing will be with the pressure, you know? Just trying to get us pressure without as many people going, so, it increases your chances of tackling in space. Q. Tracy, what -- the nagging injuries you've had with some of the guys, including in the offensive line, but they've been able to play, is that stepping in the right direction for you right now, or you got a feel for their health? COACH CLAEYS: You know, I mean, knock on wood. I feel like I'm on vacation from injuries compared to what was a year ago. We're nowhere near what I went through a year ago, so, this is more like a normal year. That's part of it. I know that Jonah and Zo are listed as out, but they have been cleared to practice. Okay? And we'll see how they do on Tuesday and Wednesday for practice, and then hopefully they'll get cleared Thursday morning, you know, after they practice a couple of days. But the doctors and the training staff is going to let them practice here the next two days and see how they do. Q. And Richardson, is he still good? COACH CLAEYS: Yeah. He's good to go. He's good to go. Q. Tracy, everyone talks about one game at a time. How does this team actually been able to put that into action, and let's talk about it? COACH CLAEYS: Yeah. I think you have to talk about it, you know, and you have to show examples, so we try to do that. And I think that we had a thing there where we were starting to feel a little bit too good about ourselves there and didn't perform up to our capabilities there, and so, you know, that's all you can do, you know, and some people call it negative, but I tend to stress the opportunities you lose if you do that, you know, rather than what you gain, because you don't get those things back once you lose those opportunities. So, our seniors have done a great job, like I say, and by practice, when our kids, I ask them, they respect the opponents, and each week when we show up here, you know, our three to four hours that we get each day, that that's all it is is football, and they prepare that way. When they leave here, then they get a chance to relax and work on academics or whatever, but when we're here in the building, they need to work on respecting their opponent, and they've done a good job with that here lately, and we'll have to continue. We've got four tough games left, and we need to make sure we continue to take them one at a time. Q. Is part of that kind of looking how Purdue has competed in the first half, the last couple games, and how you guys played against them in '14? COACH CLAEYS: Yeah. You know two years ago they came in here and had me scrambling. They scored a lot of points and we struggled getting them stopped and found a way to win the game at the end. And, you know, they beat Nebraska a year ago, and played awfully well this year, and even at Penn State, into the third quarter, they scored some points and was there, so they played some awfully good football, and so we're going have to make sure we're ready or we won't win. Q. Tracy, you've had some great defensive backs here in recent years but what are the skills for Hardin that kind of make him the player that he is? COACH CLAEYS: I mean, all of them. One, they can run, you know? And, two, they have -- we talk about a burst or the ability to get out of breaks efficiently. You know, they don't take a lot of steps, and they can get out of breaks. It just allows you to close out that distance when the ball's in the air, you know? So they all have that. But I still think there's a mentality there of a DB, you know? I think kids either have the mentality that they want to have the ball in their hands and run away from everybody and not get hit, and then there's ones who have the mentality they want to take the ball away and get after people, and very few are true -- there's very few that can do both. I believe that they have the mentality to do both. So, KiAnte's another one. He'll go get the ball and do whatever he can to get it, but besides his athletic ability, so, those are the things that the kids here we've had. They also had the mentality. They all wanted to play DB. I'm not a big believer of taking a receiver or running back and say you have to play DB. We recruit kids that want to play DB and have the skills and so I think that has a lot to do with it. Q. How do you describe the confidence you need in a DB because of being on an island a lot? COACH CLAEYS: You don't describe. Like I say, they got to give me confidence. That's what I tell them, you know? You watch any level of football, they get beat deep. It's the next play mentality. You really have to treat it like they're lucky to get that done and snap back and go again, you know? There's a lot of space out there. Anybody who goes on a football field and just stands back there, you know, and there's an awful lot of space out there, and the rules are such that people want more and more offense, and I'm -- that's okay with me, and it's just a bigger challenge. So, I think the mentality part of it is, along with the athletic ability, it's important that they have both. Q. Is KiAnte up there among tacklers, too, in that position? Because he is a smaller guy. COACH CLAEYS: Again, he's smaller, but he's strong. He's got a lot of strength and, you know, in high school ball, they -- in his high school, you know, everybody is going out doing seven on seven in passing and that, and I think they were lined up in the middle drill at Webb City, and that's just the mentality there. That school's won a lot of games, John Roderique, so he's been -- there's a toughness there that he enjoys about football. Q. You talked about Demarius and his ability to watch film with those guys. COACH CLAEYS: Yeah. Q. What other aspects have there been with his leadership? COACH CLAEYS: In the offseason when the players have their player-only practices, they go out and do those practices. The seniors did a good job make sure they're organized and competitive, but not in situations where you get people hurt. I think that's a big deal. I think the NFL is -- you know, they know how to practice without pads and not get people hurt, and if you learn to do that in college, I think that's a huge advantage. Those kids, we've been in places before, and either be fights when they do player-only practices, or everybody's getting hurt and you just have to cancel and quit doing them. So our kids have learned to work together, and because the more of that that they can do in the offseason, it probably becomes are a little bit more funner since coaches aren't out there, you know, and let them, again, take ownership of it. I think that's played a big part in how close we are. Q. Coach, do you notice any difference in recruiting when you have won three in a row? COACH CLAEYS: Three in a row is -- you know, it's still -- it's the end result. You know, I don't know that -- you know, we get sent mail that we've won three in a row, and the Tweets and all that, but it just I don't want everyone to be judged on three games. I don't think recruits every judge anybody on three games. It all comes down to the end of the season and relationships. Q. How do Travis and Winfield's skills complement each other and make them kind of compatible back there? COACH CLAEYS: That's what you why try to do at safety, you know. You don't want to get a kid where you say -- sometimes you have to now, but you don't want ones that, hey, he's good against the run, and he's better against the pass, that way, wherever you line them up, you really give away what you're doing. We try to find those kids that can get in the box and tackle, and at the same time, have the ability to cover the receiver, you know? And just so happens those two can do it. But it's a hard -- it's a hard deal to find. You watch a lot of people, and one guy's always usually in the middle of the field, one guy's always in the box, and, you know, there's times because of injuries we had to do that, but I'd rather have those guys that can do both, because I do think still disguising and giving different looks before the ball snaps is an important part of playing pass defense. Q. How has Jalen Myrick graded out lately? COACH CLAEYS: Good. He really has. He's played well. Disappointed he gave up the post. Not this week but the week before, he gave up the one post route. One thing we tell our corners, first thing, is you can't get beat on the post or you can't play here. Because, we do, we put them out on an island and they don't have middle-of-the-field help all of the time. So that's a route that -- I can handle a lot of other things than get beat on a route, but the post we got to make sure we take away. But, no, he's done awfully well and continues to improve, and, you know, the side of the field he's on has been very productive for us this year. Q. Tracy, do you feel like you guys played a complete game in all three facets? COACH CLAEYS: Not yet. I mean, we've gotten closer, but, you know, we have not put it all together yet. Even at Illinois, we -- and I know the time's going to come, we got to be more efficient in the passing game, you know. The hometown win was tough, you know. I was down there, and you sit there and watch the film and pay attention to the officials and how bad the -- the ball was rolling all over. It reminded me of some golf tournaments when the ball blows off the green. It wasn't the best thing to throw the ball, but we have to be more efficient in throwing the ball her as we go down the stretch. Q. As you get down to these last games, Coach, do you feel a little more comfort level or willingness in running Mitch more with the ball? COACH CLAEYS: You know, we've really felt comfortable all along. But obviously, yeah. I mean, we're going do what it takes to win the ball game, and I still -- I think both tailbacks on the field at the same time has helped us a little bit with one split out and one in the backfield and vice versa. But, yeah, yeah, but it all comes down to we can find ways to run the ball. I believe that. But eventually we're going to have to be more efficient in throwing it. But whatever we have to do, if that means Mitch runs it more, then that's what we'll do. Q. Thanks, Coach. COACH CLAEYS: Thanks. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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