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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 5, 2011

Randy Edsall

THE MODERATOR: We welcome Maryland Head Coach Randy Edsall.
COACH EDSALL: Well, we have got a tremendous challenge coming down to Atlanta and playing Georgia Tech. They are doing a great job, ranked 13th nationally. You know, offensively, they are very efficient, being very productive, scoring a lot of points, and beating you with the run and the pass and then defensively, they are playing very, very aggressive.
So we have got a tremendous challenge on our hands as we get set to go down there on Saturday.

Q. After the game Saturday, you spoke about defensive fit, responsibility and assignment, football, all those good things, last week and now this week it's particularly essential. Talk about the process there and fine tuning this week.
COACH EDSALL: Well, when you're playing a triple-option offense, you have to have discipline and you've got to be able to -- when it's triple-option, there's three options. There's the fullback on the dive, it's the quarterback on the keep or the pitch.
So everybody has to play assignment football. Everybody has to put their eyes where they belong and you also have to contend with the cut blocks, because you're going to see the cut blocks.
The toughest thing that you have in preparing for Georgia Tech is that you can get TO look at it in practice, but you don't get the look in terms of the speed or the precision of how they run it, because that's all they do. So that's always the thing that is a concern as you go in to play them.
Again our guys, I think they are going to know exactly what they need to do now. What we have got to do is go out and execute against a team that does it day-in and day-out for an extended period of time.

Q. Coming off the last victory, you only had 14 points heading into the fourth quarter. What kind of concerns or keys are you looking at to improve upon this week that might end up being a shootout?
COACH EDSALL: Again, we have got to get better in every area. We have got to get better in run blocking, pass blocking, just execution. And you know, when we have everybody doing what they are supposed to do and all 11 guys doing that, you know, we are productive and we do things. And that's what it is. It's just a consistency factor. The consistency factor is what we have to improve upon, getting it done on all of the plays that were out there.

Q. Can you just sort of go through the film and sort of see what this offense is capable of, and what are you preaching to your defense this week going against a triple-option offense?
COACH EDSALL: Well, again, they have an excellent quarterback. They have got very good receivers, so they are -- more so than Paul's teams probably previously; and having played against Paul's teams previously, they are more of a factor throwing a football than at any time that I can remember going against them.
So again, you have to be conscious of the passing game now as well as the running game, and really, it just comes down to discipline. You can't get frustrated. You have to find a way to get them off schedule because they get three or four yards a pop and three or four yards on a drive and that's going to get you a first down.
You've got to be patient. You've got to be patient. You've got to understand that they might break a play for ten or 12 at times. You have to be patient but you have to play fundamental and you have to try to find a way to get them off-schedule.

Q. Is it harder, time-consuming-wise, to get ready for this kind of offense, because you only have four or five days, and you don't really see a lot of this?
COACH EDSALL: Well, there's no question, and when you only have 17 and a half hours, as opposed to 20, that makes it even a little bit worse.
But it does, it does make it tough. And that's an advantage for them it. And again, I think the other thing is, it takes -- sometimes it takes a couple of series to get used to the speed that you're seeing. Because again, you cannot demonstrate that speed and that execution with your scout team during the week.
So there are issues, but again, you just have to go out and find a way to get it done. And again, the more that you can get your guys to understand it -- and the other thing, you've got to be a little bit simple. You can't be real complex with what you do because you're not going to get that many reps.
And the thing about it is, they have a little bit -- they have more answers now than what they have done before in terms of what they do. Like I said, not only in the run game but also now that they are throwing the ball really well.

Q. Can you just talk a little about the emotion for you guys this week and the difference in going against your neighbors for the first time, and going against Coach Ambrose last week?
COACH EDSALL: I don't understand the question.

Q. I guess my question were you guys playing -- inaudible -- for the first time, is that such a different game for you up there compared to all of us watching, whereas everybody sees Georgia Tech.
COACH EDSALL: No, you just play the game that's on your schedule. You get ready for that. Again, this is a conference game that we are playing and we are 1-0 in the conference right now. We are looking to try to get to 2-0.
So all of our focus and attention is on Georgia Tech and knowing what's at stake.

Q. I read in the Baltimore Sun that some players have reached out to Friedgen to talk to him about how to deal with your style? But also I read that Gloria Friedgen has been on campus to talk to some of the players. And I was wondering, are you okay with that? And does that make -- I would imagine that has to make your job more difficult in terms of moving on to what you want to do there and your future in the program.
COACH EDSALL: Well, alls I'm focused on, Heather, is just getting ready for Georgia Tech, and just implementing what our program is going to be here at the University of Maryland, and just in emphasizing the team atmosphere, the team concept. And with that, just we are big on accountability and those sort of things and that's what my focus and attention is on.

Q. I see you played two freshman running backs against Temple; can you talk about the decision, the balance that you have to make about when to redshirt and when to play a true freshman?
COACH EDSALL: Well, yeah, Justus Pickett played since the beginning of the season against Miami, and then Tyler played fairly early, too, in the West Virginia.
But again, my whole philosophy is this: Whoever is the best players are going to play, regardless if they are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. So those two young men, along with some other freshmen that we have demonstrated to me and our coaching staff that they are the best players. So they are on the field playing.
As long as I've been coaching, like I said, whether it was in the pros or putting a rookie in there or whatever, I'm all about getting our best 11 on the field and it just so happens that we have quite a few freshman that are part of the best 11, be it special teams, be it on defense, be it on offense.

Q. Is it more likely that a guy that's a still can play coming out of high school, than a lineman on either line?
COACH EDSALL: I think that it is, just because of the physicality of the game, the maturity of the guys that they might go against on the offense and defensive line. We have a defensive lineman who is starting for us this year; but again, he's the best one, so he's playing.
Yeah, I've always said that the further away you are from the ball, I think the better chance you have of playing early. The closer you are to the ball, I think it might be a little bit harder. But there's a lot of exceptions to that rule.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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