UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 2, 2003

Tyrone Willingham

COACH WILLINGHAM: I believe what they have been able to do over the years is to smooth that out so that now they don't have the peaks and valleys. They've got a pretty solid and smooth running program in terms of the populous they use and therefore been able to put together some good years back to back.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I would say those two environments are drastically different. It's a little different than South Bend, Indiana. Those two are separate. What you have to do is be consistent. They have begun to be consistent over the years and they have done a good job.

COACH WILLINGHAM: First of all, Bill has been excellent over the years. He's done a great job of working with quarterbacks. He is a young man that pays attention to detail, and he believes very much like I do that the game is so quick today that it's impossible for a coach to provide all the right plays. So, therefore, we have to provide a series of plays for our quarterback to take advantage of so that hopefully we can be in the right place at the right time.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes, it does, but I'm not sure on how much even our players have allowed themselves to reflect on last year. I haven't seen many of the articles so I don't know if they've spoken in great length about last year, but I think our focus is really on page with everybody in the program that it's what you do today. We've got to go out against Washington State, a very good football team, that's proven over the years they're a sound program. We've got to go out and play a great game against them. Anything we did last year really will not have any bearing on the ballgame.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think we all are, but at the same time my focus is really, as you can imagine having been around for a while, my focus is simply win. I'll say it again this year: If we can win by a half point, if they allow it, I would take it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, what we all hope for is that we have great offense, great defense and great special teams. I think that's every coach's desire. That will never change, but the one thing we try to tell our football team, at some point, the defense will give us 40 points. If it does happen, that means the offense has to score 41. The goal is to win. One day our offense may not score but 3 points, so you want a shared responsibility not only in terms of production, but you want a shared responsibility in terms of focus and effort to win the football game. That's the number one thing.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, because the hole focus of the program hopefully is of a positive nature, and we always focus on the positive. It's about winning the next ballgame to me.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Until you said that, I wasn't focused on it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: He's done a good job. He's a walk-on in our program, and he's distinguished himself with some fine play and put himself in a position where he'll be a contributor to our football team this year. We've needed, wanted and desired someone in the fullback position to step up. We've got so we're pleased with the group, we're pleased with the performance.

COACH WILLINGHAM: He's come in and really been a true competitor, and that's what we need in all our positions. It's been exciting to watch that, to watch his growth and maturity. We hope he continues to do that.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, with any of the young men we're constantly reminding them of this fact: If they're ready to play, we put them on the field. It should be in best interest of the team. I don't think you can be successful if your best players are sitting on the sideline.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You would always like to gain experience for any individual if you could, so you always make those attempts to provide some experience even through practice.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I have been very pleased with Jeff. He's come in and accepted the responsibility of trying to add something to our team. He's come in and been very aggressive, and I think he's in a position to make some contribution this year.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think everyone is always concerned in the first game about penalties and turnovers and pad level. Those are the things you come out of your first game and you usually get back into game speed; and the second game you eliminate those. For us, it is a concern that we make sure we talk to our team about avoiding the mental mistakes and turnovers and get our pad level in position.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I would venture to believe that most of our guys have butterflies for every ballgame. It's exciting to think about going into an 80,000-seat stadium. I think that's a natural thing to have butterflies. These guys have done this over a period of time, and they know how to negotiate those jitters that go with the game.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Cedric has missed a certain amount of days, but I anticipate he will be in place probably come the weekend.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think, first of all, we're blessed we have a group of running backs that have their eyes open and are willing to learn from their teammates. You can pick up certain things from him. I think that's what our players do. You have to understand where they're strong at. You can't adopt certain things from other players if it doesn't fit into your play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: He has continued his play from the fall and really strengthened it because I think he's done a much better job in the off season. He had a great rest. He got his body in better shape. To do that it means you also have to get into excellent mental shape. He's well prepared to go into the season.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's one of those questions that you're aware of, but you don't have a focus on. I think most of the coaches in this day and age are really dedicated to putting the best player on the field. It doesn't matter what his color is. I don't know if I have the right answer for that question in terms of specifics.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I can't shed any light on what the role will be, but Julius has had an excellent camp. He's done all of the things that I've requested of him; that the university has requested of him. He's put himself in a position to be a major contributor for our team. We've got a pretty good combination to work with.

COACH WILLINGHAM: So you won't have a problem if you're really curious after this question; is that right?

COACH WILLINGHAM: I'm one that focuses on the next opportunity. I don't spend a great deal of time looking back whether that's good or bad. Do you need to make corrections? Yes, you do and try to move forward at a greater speed. My focus with our football team is to go forward. What happened last year is, to me, old news. It's about what we do today. That's where my focus is. When I work with my team, I work with that mind-set.

COACH WILLINGHAM: The status of Mike is that Mike is not listed as a participant in our opening ballgame, and that probably states exactly where he's at.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Amazingly, first of all, yes, he's going to have both of those responsibilities for us. I'm not sure how much of a challenge that is. I think he's the kind of individual that leaps all over that and probably is saying, gosh, Coach, I could have done this my whole career.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think that is a challenge that we recognize as coaches. I think the question has already come up, and I think it was about penalties, turnovers, and I think I even added pad level, and those are things you see a tremendous improvement from Game 1 to Game 2. We've got to find a way to make that improvement with the fact that they have a game on us.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, as you know, that is an area that usually takes the longest to develop, and we've got the situation this year where we lost four young men to the NFL, and having to replace those is a challenge, but I think our coaches have done an excellent job of bringing our group together in trying to figure out all the best combinations, and I believe this week will slowly begin to process to put all those guys in the right places so we can have the kind of chemistry it takes to play a ballgame. I think they've done a great job bringing the group together.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's very difficult to do that simply because there is so much history and so much tradition with this program that even as an opposing coach when one decided to use that tactic, it's very difficult, so we would go -- on occasions, we would go to the College Football Hall of Fame to do those kind of things to make sure our guys appreciate not only college football tradition but all traditions of the game of football, and I think it enhances our ability to play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You asked that question, and I want to believe we were up there one time in the snow near the end of the season, and our trainer's rainsuit caught fire, so that one jumps out at me.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I'm certain I believe we won it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: The stadium.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I don't think you can say that football is sometimes important at Stanford. Having been in that program, the young men and the people around that program want to be successful, want to be the best. I don't think that's any different at Notre Dame. The young men, coaches, et cetera, want to be the best. Now, attendance is a different story. We're very fortunate at Notre Dame that we have tremendous crowds every weekend.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I try to follow the entire country just to keep a pulse on what's taking place around the country. There is something you can learn from keeping up with all of the teams. There are things happening in and outside of the programs that we need to have an awareness of.

COACH WILLINGHAM: What book?

COACH WILLINGHAM: I don't think I have one.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Please do. Excuse me, I think your reference is probably to Grant's book; is that right?

COACH WILLINGHAM: We've listed that and I've kind of been somewhat humorous and I hope it's appreciated that it's been day to day, week to week and month to month and year to year, and you're able to choose the one you're most comfortable with.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's nice to know that we have a game coming up, and Washington State is definitely an opponent. They were impressive last week. I liked the play of their quarterback. I thought both running backs, especially Smith, had just a spectacular game. I'm very familiar with their defense, and it looked like a traditional defense. Their athletes are explosive. Not in all areas the biggest guys, but very explosive. Their secondary plays a tenacious game. I was really impressed, and I thought their place-kicker did a wonderful job.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it was one of those blow heaters that you have because it was cold and snowing, and I think he stood a little too close a little too long, and it ignited.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes, and being a trainer, he was prepared to take care of himself.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I prefer not to give away exactly what those are. Traditionally, as a coach, I'm reluctant to do that because as soon as I say how many minutes he's playing, and he doesn't play it, he's very disappointed. I've learned you don't get into that area. It will happen. You know we want to get him in. We know he's done a lot of great things this fall. I don't want to define it to that degree; whereas if something doesn't go that way, then all of a sudden the young man is upset, you're upset with me because I deceived you, and I don't want to do that. Thank you. Go Irish, and let's have a great game.