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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 30, 2013Randy EdsallRANDY EDSALL: Well, we're just going to take this week and work to get some of our guys back from the injury list and then just work to get better on some of the things that we need work on, which is got to get better on 3rd down defense, 3rd down offense, got to stop turning the ball over offensively, and those are things that we'll take care of this week. Q. I wanted to ask about your attendance this year. You guys are drawing about 5,000 more fans a game. Is that gratifying to you, or what's your take on the increased attendance at Maryland games? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I think it's a combination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people here within the athletic department, plus with the players that we had coming back, I think, and guys going out there and playing hard. So I think it's a combination of a lot of things. We're pleased that it's up, but we want to get it to where we've got it sold out here every weekend, and that's what we're going to continue to work on. Q. With Mike's departure this week, how will you elevate now at left tackle? RANDY EDSALL: Well, what we'll do is we're going to practice today and tomorrow, and we've talked about things, and we've got things in mind. But we'll end up putting that out when we get the two deep out at the beginning of the week. Q. I wanted to ask about your wide receiver play. Jacobs obviously had a huge play in the game Saturday, but after losing your top two guys against Wake, can you talk about how your other guys have responded and how you feel they've stepped up? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I think that Levern has shown progress and has made some big plays in the last two games against Wake Forest and Clemson, has big‑play capability, and again, I think the other guys are getting better but were inconsistent, and that's the thing that we've got to continue to work with those young men on and continue to coach them to get them to where they're more consistent play in, play out, doing the things with their route running and blocking. You know, they show signs of doing some really good things, and then they show signs like where you scratch your head and say, what were they doing. That's just something that we've got to continue to work on, and we'll work on that this week. Q. How tough is it with the shuttle at quarterback? You've obviously had to change there, too. RANDY EDSALL: Again, it's one of those things that you can't worry about. You go with what you have and everybody has got to adjust, and the quarterbacks throw to all the different receivers during individual, and we do things along those lines, and then we get in team and have that. But again, all last week during practice, Caleb worked with those, so whoever has been out there, CJ or Caleb, they've been working with those receivers they're going to be playing with in the game. No excuses, we've just got to get better. Q. Looking at the numbers here, it looks like you were one of the best teams in the country in plus turnover caused margin early in the season, and then the last four games have been completely the other side. I don't think you've changed coaching methods; what's happened in your eyes? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I think we did some careless things on offense to cause that, be it interceptions or be it fumbles, and then we finally got three turnovers this past week against Clemson, but didn't get any the other games. That's all just little things. You might not play the technique properly, your eyes might not be where they're supposed to, or when we go in and have the opportunity to strip the ball, we didn't strip the ball. I just think it's one of those situations where we caused too many ourselves, and then not getting them is because of those little technique things and not taking advantage of some of the opportunities we did have to be able to get some turnovers. Q. Is it something you emphasize before the team goes out and takes the field each Saturday? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I mean, we work on it every day in practice. We work on getting turnovers each day in practice. We always talk about winning the turnover battle before each game, and again, I think it's one of those things that if you do what you're supposed to do and put yourself‑‑ use the technique and put yourself in position to be able to do that, you can, and then also to understand that, like I said, when the opportunity presents itself where you see a ball that's hanging there or the guy is not covering up to get the ball out. We talk about it during the week, we practice it, and then we always talk about it usually the night before the game in terms of winning that turnover battle. Q. I wanted to ask you, you've got a couple of linebackers who have performed well. Cole Farrand is coming off a 23‑tackle game; Marcus Whitfield leads you with seven and a half sacks this year. Just talk a little bit about what those guys are giving you at linebacker. RANDY EDSALL: Well, those are the two positions within our scheme that the guys should be very productive, and Cole had a lot of tackles against Clemson. Again, the reason you make those tackles is because the defensive line is doing their job and you're doing your job of reading your keys and following those keys and taking you to where you're supposed to be. And then Marcus is a guy who's kind of stepped into the starting role and has just been very productive and has done well, and again, I think it's more of a factor of those guys doing exactly what they're coached to do, putting them in a position, and other guys around them that are doing their job that allows them to have the success that they're having. Q. And also with a week and a half until your next game, will that be enough time for CJ Brown to heal? What's his status? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I think CJ will be fine. We're going to go out to practice today and he's going to be out there on the practice field. I think hopefully, barring no setback, he should be ready to go. Q. Just how timely was this bye week and how optimistic are you about getting multiple players back from that long injury list? RANDY EDSALL: Well, I think with where we were health‑wise, I think it's an opportune time for us in terms of this bye week falling where it did. Again, I'm optimistic we'll get some guys back, but again, I don't want to make any comments today because the fact is we haven't been on the practice field yet this week. We'll be out there today and tomorrow, and we'll see how things go. But I'm optimistic we'll get some of those guys back. Q. From a program standpoint, when you have injuries, the mounting injuries this late in the season and you've got guys that you've already earmarked for red shirt, how do these mid‑ to late‑season injuries affect everything, because there are certain guys that you don't want to burn their red shirt this late in their freshman campaign. RANDY EDSALL: Yeah, there is, and I think that's a concern that all of us at this level have, head coaches have, from the standpoint that we'd like to see the rules altered where you could take these freshmen at this time of the year when you do get these injuries to be able to play them and where if you had five years of eligibility or you could play them in X number of games. But I think that's a concern, and here we've got healthy bodies on our team that have progressed throughout the year where they've gotten better where now they're in a position where they're able to contribute, maybe early in the year they weren't, and to sit here and have to make the decision as to do I burn a kid's red shirt with only three games to play or four games to play, I wish we could get something done about that, because again, I just think that's‑‑ it makes a better product that you can put on the field, and also to be able to have guys out there who are healthy, who can contribute in one way, shape or form. I think that's something that needs to be looked at, and hopefully that's something that we'll bring forward to try to get changed. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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