Mark Stoops talks slow starts, Liam Coen, Akron on SEC Teleconference
The big news out of today’s SEC Teleconference is that Liam Coen will return to offensive coordinator duties on Saturday vs. Akron after being released from the hospital on Tuesday. Stoops shared the happy news with the reporters on today’s call, but that wasn’t all he said.
During his six-minute segment, Stoops shared his respect for Akron head coach Joe Moorhead and discussed the mistakes his teams made in the first two games. He stressed the importance of getting off to a faster start vs. Akron after an especially sloppy first half vs. EKU. That said, he really likes how his team finished the game, especially Devin Leary, who was 10-13 for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the second half vs. the Colonels.
Listen to Stoops’ remarks below, or keep scrolling for a full transcript.
TRANSCRIPT
Opening Statement:
We get another home game. I look forward to getting back on the field and trying to improve in certain areas. It felt like between Week 1 and Week 2 we improved in some areas and obviously have some work to do in some others, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of getting Akron. Joe Moorhead is someone that I have a lot of respect for and really like Joe personally and he’s a heck of a coach, obviously. We went against each other when he spent time in the SEC. I believe we split games when he was at Mississippi State but he always does a great job offensively. Very creative and a challenge. We need to be worrying about ourselves and looking to get out there and improve here this week.
On Liam Coen’s health:
Liam will be back in his normal capacity which we’re just very grateful [for]. I will refrain from saying too much. I’m sure Liam will tell the story as he wishes; I just want to respect him in that way, but it was most definitely a scary situation. Anytime you see any of the people you work with or anybody that you’re close to going through any type of medical situation, it’s challenging. Fortunately, things happened while we were in work hours, a lot of people were around and our trainers and doctors were here on Sunday morning checking out our players as we were up watching the film. So that’s all I really want to say about it. Thank you.
On what he saw in the film of the Eastern Kentucky game:
There was a variety of things. First possession of the game we have an opportunity to convert on second down, and come up a half-yard short but not finishing a run after a catch. And then we go up on the line and jump offsides on third down and create a third and five-and-a-half, six instead of third and under one. That is inexcusable right there in itself. So, I think penalties are a big part of it.
There were a variety of reasons that stalled us in the first half. Give Eastern a lot of credit. They did a good job. They played very well. We need to be more accurate. We missed some throws. We maybe could have had a catch or two we could have done. Had some penalties we have overcome so you put it all together and we need to improve.
Now the good news is still again that’s two games in a row we average nearly 7 yards per play. We finished the second half 10-13, almost 200 yards, and three TDs scored on four straight possessions and three straight in the second half, and probably was scored on the last one. We were in a really good rhythm. We’ve got to find a way to start the game that way. That’s two games in a row where we really finished strong and got a good offensive rhythm in the second half. We need to do that for a complete game.
On what he wants to see in the first quarter vs. Akron:
I’d like to see us as efficient as we’ve been in the second half in both games. Just putting it all together and you can’t — you have to be consistent. That’s the bottom line. Again, I can’t blame any one person or any one aspect of the game for the slow start. We need to do better. No excuses.
On the chemistry between his quarterback, wide receivers, and tight ends:
Yeah, they’re meshing well. I think, everybody, there’s room for improvement in all areas, certainly. We really pushed on that last week, just being more detailed and more precise between game one and game two. I think we improved in certain areas. I think the quarterback missed a couple [of throws]. Again, I’m not going to put it on Devin because all of us can do a better job, but he missed a few. And then there were penalties to overcome. So, I think we’re working hard at continuing to find that continuity and clean some things up. So we’ll continue to work.
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