UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 5, 2004

Tyrone Willingham

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, we didn't hold in the correct manner. All of the little things that go along with it to create a big play, we didn't do well.

COACH WILLINGHAM: What is usually a breakdown in your lane structure that you don't cross the space at the right time and you don't push the guy back into the wedge. And their's was more of a double team in a couple of places. You don't break or penetrate the double-teams; therefore, you widen the lane and allow them a chance too get up in there and we didn't constrict it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Very much the same thing.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think the play of all of those guys, not just Victor, is based on the productivity of the group. What we try to do is rotate those guys in such a manner that you've kind of created one with the many and to keep them fresh, keep them active and keep our defense being productive. You want to look at their individual statistics, but I think you have to look more at the group statistics and the statistics of your linebackers to see exactly how they are doing.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Victor is growing each day. He is becoming more of a mountain of a man in his physical presence and he has a physical presence along with the quickness, and I think you saw like he had one of the sacks Saturday, it was a very nice move and started, busted inside and just a marvelous play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I would say sometimes that could arise but in that case it was just a definite question you needed to ask upstairs.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, you constantly try to find the right personnel to put in the right positions to get them to execute the job, but it still comes down to execution. And sometimes you search and the guy behind that guy is not as good as the guy you recognize. And as a coach it means you have to coach our guys better to do their job.

COACH WILLINGHAM: When you do that sometimes you lose some other players and that's where you have to look at it as a coach and see the overall picture and not just that picture; do we want that area to be stronger? Absolutely. Guys maybe think you can do that, but you don't do that in order to weaken yourself someplace else.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, you try to, yes.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You never say that you regret good leadership, and when our guys step forward and give us very positive leadership, you always welcome that.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I would think that what our leadership would be doing is ensuring that that's not the case.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think my statistics were correct. Absolutely.

COACH WILLINGHAM: But that's something we started the year with. That's not something that has popped up this moment. But you always touch on things that you think are important to your football team and keep them positive, keep them moving in the right direction. Not that anybody has dropped their head, but you want to always keep them moving not right direction.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, some of them don't have the memory that I have, don't have the history that I have. So therefore, yes, that's part of educating them and making sure they are knowledgeable of the total environment.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No. I think we've demonstrated that we are a good football team. The fact is that Saturday, we played another good football team, and the season will tell just how far they go with their season. But there's no question they are a good football team, and I think we showed them we are a good football team.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Stanford is coming to town, I think probably the best that we've seen them in the last two years. I think they are coming in here a very confident team. They have got one loss, that one loss to co-National Champion, USC, and they took them right down to the wire. So I think they are coming in believing that, one, their defense is very strong, they are aggressive; that their offense has big play potential in it with the runner and the receivers that they have. So I think they pose a lot of threats.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, confidence is the No. 1 thing, confidence and experience. You blend those together and then you start getting good, sound execution, and you're making plays. You making plays, you put yourself in position to win and they are doing that

COACH WILLINGHAM: We are very much aware that -- I think it was T.J. Rushing and is dynamic in his abilities. He has done a very good job against some other very good teams. We'll have to put in some safeguards to make sure he does not have that kind of success against us.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Three, and one field goal. You always focus on those things.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think that's true. And Stanford, even though some of them were recruited by myself, hopefully they have some fond memories of our relationship. But when the game starts, I'm quite sure that they will forget who is on the other side and see only Notre Dame and see only that they want to defeat Notre Dame.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it should, and I say that because as a coach, you try to use every tool that you can to motivate your team and we would be no different.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Gosh, I guess I could to some degree. As you know, I'm usually prone not to have any evaluations till the season is over, because that is the final mark of where you are and what you've done. I would say we've done some good things, and in some areas, we still haven't been as complete as we need to be. That would probably be a general statement.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It always depends on the game and where you are at during the game. I think it was the Washington game, we were able to get a few guys a little bit more experience. I thought that game dictated that. Some other games, one way or another, it may not feel that way; so therefore, you don't get them in. But you want as many people to play as often as you can get them, provided it does not hurt your team; but at the same time, you are adding that experience.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Okay.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's that same old good and bad; that we've done some good things. Guys to be able to throw the ball as many times as we did Saturday and produce the yardage that we produced, you have to be something good things in our protection. You look at our run game, we did not run the ball as well as we'd like to; therefore, some things we did not finish and we didn't complete. So you are kind of always juggling, I guess, that, and walking that tight wire of being good in one area sometimes and not good enough at other times.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think some of it has to be sometimes the guy that you're playing across from. I think sometimes they do some good things that make it very difficult for you to do your best at certain areas.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I said all along that I have a great deal of respect for Brady, his skill level, his leadership, his focus, his concentration. I think we have an excellent quarterback to command our system. I think he keeps getting more knowledgeable each day and I think he's driven to be the best.

COACH WILLINGHAM: He might not ask to be back there anymore for that one, because he did get dinged on that one. No, that was -- he was aggressive like we'd expect him to be.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I don't know yet. We'll see as we progress through the week. Tuesday is usually our first day, but we have an opportunity to really see him on the field, but we start to evaluate today to pace them on the week and see where they are at.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I would say that every loss disturbs me. There's not one that I've had that doesn't bother me that, doesn't sit well.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Every loss disturbs me.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Ryan Grant has a leadership presence, he has a performance presence, and he has an experience presence. And all of those things are things that you count on in a play in your system; that players around him feel very comfortable with what he adds to our football team. He gives us -- his running style is that of a splasher; so therefore, he can do things that some of the other backs can't do. So, we miss his presence.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, right now, we're playing for, I believe, the same thing that every other team out there is playing for. Everybody would like to be the National Champion. We say that with two losses that percentage of team that make it reduced, but there are a lot of things that are going to happen this year. We don't know what's going to happen. But what we have to do is position ourselves best and the best position we can be in at the end of the year would be with two losses.

COACH WILLINGHAM: As you know, you can go both ways, okay. When good things happen, it can elevate you and when bad things happen, it can take you down. What you have to be careful of is that you don't let that happen, and that's where you have good, strong leadership, and there's where your perspective has so much to do with what your response is.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I saw last year that our team kept battling and that is the mentality of our football team. I think that hasn't changed. Our guys will keep battling. I keep saying there's a great deal out there for us to accomplish. I truly believe that and I think our young men believe that. I think that's why -- I think it was Tom mentioned that the players were talking to each other about that, and that's what you do as a teammate, you talk to him about the things you want to accomplish and what you want to achieve. So to me, that's a very natural process.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, if you went directly, and looked only at that game, you would have to say yes. But I think our players understand that we can get things done and they can get things done.

COACH WILLINGHAM: When we recruited Trent, we thought he was one of the most accurate high school quarterbacks that we'd seen, and it looks like he's getting back to that level. I think he as a freshman had some very difficult times and was thrown into the fire and it's very difficult when you're in that situation. But I think now he's emerging and becoming a quarterback that we thought he could be. His delivery is very quick. He gets the ball to a lot of good and right positions for their receivers and he is impressive. I think if I'm correct, they are completing about 61 percent of they are passes if I'm correct.

COACH WILLINGHAM: They are a sizable line. I think their smallest guy is about 200, if I'm correct, and they seem to have good athletic skill. They seem to be working well together, and yet at the same time they are still, I think, fairly young, when you look across that front. So it's kind of an impressive group that has size and good athletic potential that seems to be playing very well together.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think the thing with Corey Mays that I've been most impressed with is that each day he seems to become more knowledgeable of the system and provides the leadership and the direction that you need on the field with your group, with within your front seven. Because part their job is to make sure that everyone is in the right position. And I see Corey is really having much better grip and understanding of where everyone is supposed to be and getting them in the right places.

COACH WILLINGHAM: First of all, we are blessed that we do have guys of that ability in front him. But I don't say necessarily "in front of him." I say alongside with him. What we do as coaches, we respect Corey's ability and we get him in there in certain packages, and really we look at him like he is a starter and count on him to give us that kind of leadership and that kind of role.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think with Anthony's increase in experience and he's starting to get back, to get over his surgery now that he becomes more of the athlete and player that we knew he could become and that manifested itself in his play on Saturday. It was a career day for him in terms of catches and yardage. And he just adds a complete element to our tight end position, ability to catch the ball and hopefully run after the catch and be a physical tight end and aid our running game.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it is because I think really it's what separates tight ends. There are some guys that have the ability to block and are not very good receivers, and there are some guys that have the ability to be receivers and not very good blockers. But when you have a guy that can give you something in all of those areas and give it to you in a very strong manner, I think that separates him from the rest.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It is very difficult. It is not easy, but what you try to do is find the things that they do well and then build their playing time around that. In some cases it may not show up in one particular game, but it may show up in another game; and that for a player is very difficult because a player wants to be on the field all the time.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes, I mean, that's something that we work on and we talk about and make a major focus for us. We have to complete drives. That is one of the big differences on good offensive teams; that is not just about yardage.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I don't think it's just him. I really think it's their entire defense. Their entire defense is very aggressive. They are doing a great job because the stats that you mentioned is quite impressive. I think they have had only one team in the four games that has had over 300 yards, and if I'm correct, it might have been San Jose.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, we think our chances are much better to have success if we have our ground game with us. But if not, if it's not there, we have to find another way to be successful.

COACH WILLINGHAM: What we tried to do is put Ambrose in a decision where we can further his career as an individual and also help our football team. And we feel like he will develop and be a fine corner for us.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, he would have been a good receiver. But I think if you look down the road at his ability, he may be an outstanding corner.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, all consistency is a concern. You are always trying to be consistent every week out to prepare yourself to play a great game. And at the same time, I think you were playing a pretty good football team during that stretch, I don't know if we would have had 12 men on the field if we would have been able to stop him that day because he threw as perfect a pass that day on a any occasion as I've seen him.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I don't know if I know how to answer that.

COACH WILLINGHAM: As I said, there always is. Before the game you have a chance to see and meet and great people that have been especially important in your life, and that's always important and always has a great deal of meaning. But once the kickoff starts, it will be Stanford and Notre Dame.

COACH WILLINGHAM: That is an interesting question, and I'm usually one that kind of takes it day by day and try just to make the most of every day, and be prepared to make all of the adjustments necessary to make that next day a good day. I would hope that I would have more wins and more success as I sit here today. To me, that's the goal. The goal has been always to win every game that you play. And that has been my focus and will continue to be my focus.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, we have all of the normal challenges that any program continues to have. Players that we have, you have to develop them to be absolutely the best that they can be. We have to continue to recruit young men that can help us be a better football team; and in the process, starts all over again; that once they are here, coach them to be the best they can be. And we have to do what I think are all of the other things you want done in a collegiate football program. You want to have great students, great people, etc. Those are all challenges.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think people do have respect for our team and respect for our program. But the thing that you have to do, you have to win and you have to win consistently, and that's the thing that we've got to do. It can't be win two weeks, fall back. We have to get on one of those rolls.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I would say, if I were sitting on the other side, and I could twist that in such a manner to use it as motivation, I would try to use it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No. If we were to get the same rush which we've had, I think we've had it twice this year in games, and if we are that situation where we're not backed up on our goal line and the percentages are not favorable, we'll try to complete.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You have to.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I said this some time ago and hopefully I phrased it the right way, and I would say that probably in 80 percent of the cases, this is true. The only time that a team wins when it passes for a lot more than 300 yards is when two teams pass for 300 yards, okay. Usually when you're throwing the ball that much that many times, usually it doesn't mean that you win and we are aware of that. That's why the run game, the addition of the run game is so important to what we do. And yes, we need to have a run game.