Rich Rodriguez press conference summary: 8-12
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez addressed the media Tuesday and WVSports.com provides a summary of what was said during his press conference.
–Rodriguez said they got some pretty good work in pads and it was warmer weather. Did some situational stuff and will go full pads again on Thursday. They still had some self-inflicted penalties when they went live with procedural stuff and two holding penalties. They threw two interceptions during the team period which weren’t bad throws but were bad decisions. They must get that cleaned up. They have to get better running the plays and need to do a lot of fundamental work as well.
–Rodriguez blames some of the mistakes on the newness of it all. Quarterbacks need to keep their eyes on their guys. So much of the quarterbacks’ decision making is based on having their eyes in the right spot. They must trust the routes to be where they need to be and they’re constantly getting information before the snap, at the snap and after the snap and it all happens quickly.
–Rodriguez said the install was faster in the spring but this time he intentionally went slower with so many new guys. He said they have to meet in the next couple days offensively to hone in on some things. There are some things they have that he doesn’t think they need.
–Rodriguez said he wants to snap the ball at around 15-seconds each play, but you can’t let the defense get comfortable. The offense can control when you’re going and they want to use that variable as much as they can to their advantage.
–In every game Rodriguez will have an answer sheet. At halftime and certain breaks they will look at the answer sheet to dictate based off what other teams are doing. It is built before the season and updated throughout so if an opponent does this, you do that.
–West Virginia did some special teams work today such as running players on and off for fast field goal.
–Rodriguez felt that they weren’t getting enough push up front on the offensive line, but today might have been incrementally better. The backs need to hit the hole. There is a trust factor running certain plays.
–Some plays there are four options and the only player that decides is the quarterback on each play. The RPO world has grown in the last ten years enormously and you used to hand it off quickly or throw a bubble screen now you can tag any of the quick routes onto the run game. You have to have communication with the offensive line and all of it plays into a factor.
–Rodriguez was just looking for a job anywhere when he first started coaching. He was a student assistant here and then he was an assistant as a defensive backs coach at Salem among other jobs. He got $2,500 for the year and he lived in a little cabin. When he was the head coach at Salem he was running the defense and didn’t have anything to do with the offense.
–Some the same and some different at returners they have several candidates at both kick and punt returners.
–Rodriguez didn’t think it was guys not intentionally practicing. They never get in the middle of the trainers telling who can go and who can’t but the guys have done a good job being there for treatment and doing extra work to get healthy.
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