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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 25, 2013Al GoldenCOACH GOLDEN: Good afternoon. Yeah, we're excited about the opportunity to go to Tampa and play South Florida. We'll be facing one of the best defenses we'll see all year, for sure. I think they're No. 11 in pass defense and top 40 in third down. I think they're in the top 25 in total defense. So a veteran defense led by their middle linebacker, DeDe Lattimore, and a host of veterans. A great challenge for us on that side of the ball. On the other side of the ball, big play threats from Davis that we have to be concerned about. Marcus Shaw is one of the best running backs in the country. His yards per carry is what's alarming to us. 7.0 I think he is, somewhere around there. Sean Price, the big league tight end. It's an age that can get vertical, and obviously with coach they're trying to run the ball and be physical. They had a bye week, so we have to be cautious about what changes they've made on that and what they're doing in terms of which quarterback they're going to go with. A great test for our team, a lot of challenges, a lot of individual challenges in addition to what we have to have happen in the game for us to be successful. But we know what we're getting ourselves into at 12 o'clock up in Tampa. Q. I wanted to ask a little about Tyriq McCord. Good freshman year last year. He seems to be more of an impact player this year. Can you talk about his improvement a little bit? COACH GOLDEN: Yeah, he's got a toolbox now. His skills have developed. He wasn't in condition at any point last year. He's in better condition. He certainly has benefited from the increase in weight. So his strength and conditioning and his weight are dramatically improved from a year ago. He's playing with a lot more poise. He's playing Sam for us on first and second down, then he's an excellent pass‑rusher on long yardage situations. So I'm very pleased with his development and excited about the attitude and the energy that he brings to our defense every day. Q. Curious from your perspective with USF, a couple years ago they played you guys really close. They won a few years back, but last year things got away from them and they are off to a slow start this year. Wonder if you've seen anything from them about maybe why they've had some struggles here the last few years? COACH GOLDEN: Well, again, I can't speak for coach. But I think the reality of it is they've turned the ball over. But I don't think anybody's talking about last year. We know particularly on defense this is a unit that last time we went up there we won 6‑3. This is a unit that went to South Bend and won. This is a team that beat Miami three years ago. I don't think there's any question that they have our guys attention, and most particularly their defense. Take away the McNeese game, which is obviously an opening game in a transitional year for a coaching staff and the team. Take that away, and really nobody's scoring on them. Two defensive touchdowns from Michigan State, another one from FAU, so there haven't been a lot of points scored on. They're coming off a bye week, they're going to be fresh and that's a concern for us as well. Q. Talk about last week's game. You had a running clock in the fourth quarter or switched in the 12th minute. Can you explain what happened? COACH GOLDEN: Nothing, just that it was mutually agreed upon by both coaches, both staffs, and it was really what was best in that situation. We've been on that side of it. When we went to Temple, we were 120 out of 120 in the country. Our first year we lost 11 games by an average of 30 points a game. I've been on that side of it. I think we operated with integrity and class throughout the game. We did not try to score within in the first quarter, and certainly I don't think we scored in the fourth quarter. I think I might be wrong on that, but I don't believe we did. We tried to slow it up and do that. So it's difficult to do that too when you have a lot of guy that's don't play a lot and they want to get in there and show you what they can do. So it was just out of mutual respect and clear and open communication and best interest of everybody involved to do that. Q. How is Morris this week? Is he ready to go for South Florida? COACH GOLDEN: Well, he'll be ready to go by certainly Saturday. But I expect him to be as close to a hundred percent as possible by tomorrow. He made a lot of progress Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and he's getting markedly better every day. It's really just has to loosen up and fight through the pain a little bit. But there is no danger of reinjuring it or anything like that. So he's getting treatment. He's a conscientious young man, and he's throwing the ball really well. So I don't really have a concern relative to that. Q. When you play other teams from in state. The big three have dominated so long with Miami and Florida and Florida State. When you play the other teams, is there an edge there? If they're from the same high schools, I know a lot of them are probably frustrated that they didn't get the scholarship offers from the big three. Can you address that? Does that add a little emotion to the game? COACH GOLDEN: Yeah, I can't speak to the scholarship offer of the thing because certainly South Florida has produced a lot of NFL talent in the last five to ten years. I don't want to own that part of your question or that quote. But what I will say to you is there is an edge. These kids do know each other. Whether it was us playing FAU or FAU playing USF. Don't forget now this South Florida team beat Miami three years ago, we won 6‑3 two years ago, and I think during that span too this team went to Florida State and won. It's really one of those deals. There is a lot of pride. There is a lot of energy. There will be a lot of passion. Again, it should be a great environment. Last time we went up to Tampa there was a great crowd and it's a game that we have to really gear up and get in the right frame of mind and be ready for. Q. I'm wondering, is Shane McDermott out for the game against USF? COACH GOLDEN: He is not out for the game. We're monitoring it every day. As I said to the group after practice today, I just think he's the kind of guy that he's got so many reps built up and he's so smart that as long as he continues to make progress, he's going to be part of the travel unit and have an opportunity to play. Not where he wants to be yet, but we're still three days out. So I'm hopeful that I'll have an opportunity. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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