On today’s practice
“It was new. We’re doing mock game weeks right now. So this is a Tuesday practice. So there’s a lot of new periods. We’re exchanging scouts, we’re doing good on good. We’re trying to run the opponent’s looks a little bit. There’s a lot of new stuff being thrown at the guys, so naturally they think more and the intensity’s there. Hopefully, the next Tuesday we have is just a little bit more intense because they’re used to it. Then we’ll have one more Tuesday before we kick off and that Tuesday, hopefully, we’re used to it, accustomed, and we’re moving full speed.”
On offense rhythm with new cadence
“Offense we have such an array of things in. In practice, we challenge them to memorize the book. In a game, we challenge them to memorize a chapter. Today there were less MAs than a normal practice even though we’re in a gameplan prep week because the menu gets smaller. There may be some variations, but what they have to learn is actually less.”
On who has impressed Dillingham in film
“I’m not gonna go into who but I thought there were some players who made drastic progress throughout fall camp. One kid, Keith Abney. A dude who showed up and we’re like ‘Okay, freshman who knows what he’s gonna do’ crap, we need him. He’s a necessary piece of who we are right now. There’s a bunch of guys, 3-6 guys, in that mold.”
On the team’s football shape
“Today we looked better in the eight-play periods. We didn’t have penalties, we had some energy about us in that period. The key is not how many periods you can go, the key is can you go eight-play drives with intensity? Football is not a marathon, football is two to three minute bursts. It’s four seconds, break, four seconds, break. Can you run eight, 15-yard sprints in a row? Then you get a five-minute break. So we try to simulate that. We’ll have a lot of off-days coming up to get their legs ready but when we’re out here, we gotta simulate the strain of those extended drives.”
On special teams and their reaction to the viral campus kick
“I feel great. I think our specialists have done a phenomenal job. On that note, whoever kicked that last kick in the video, that we posted the other day on campus, if you haven’t seen it go watch the video of kickers on campus, the person who kicked the last kick, we’re missing out on an opportunity. They kicked a hell of a kick. I’ve joked around with them about it. I said ‘Y’all better watch out or I’m finding him.”
Biggest adjustment into HC role
“Administrative stuff. Not the football stuff. Being able to feel like I can add value to the defensive side of the ball, not just be offensive-driven. Go over to the defense and say this is what the offense is looking at, this is why this disguise is so important, this is why if you put the guy in a four instead of a five, it makes this gap seem so much more difficult. So I love being able to go to both sides of the ball, I would say that’s my biggest difference. There’s a lot of offensive guys, and defensive guys out there, I hope people look at me as a football guy. I wanna be able to coach football, not just offense.”
“You can’t create that adversity every day. You gotta pick and choose when you challenge them in that mold. So the next time we challenge the offense and defense with that level of intensity, we’ll be able to find out.”
Importance on involvement with players
“I just love coaching. I don’t know if it’s about the players, I love coaching. I love teaching. I love explaining. That’s what I love to do, that’s why I do this. I love that
. I’m always gonna do that.”
“It was new. We’re doing mock game weeks right now. So this is a Tuesday practice. So there’s a lot of new periods. We’re exchanging scouts, we’re doing good on good. We’re trying to run the opponent’s looks a little bit. There’s a lot of new stuff being thrown at the guys, so naturally they think more and the intensity’s there. Hopefully, the next Tuesday we have is just a little bit more intense because they’re used to it. Then we’ll have one more Tuesday before we kick off and that Tuesday, hopefully, we’re used to it, accustomed, and we’re moving full speed.”
On offense rhythm with new cadence
“Offense we have such an array of things in. In practice, we challenge them to memorize the book. In a game, we challenge them to memorize a chapter. Today there were less MAs than a normal practice even though we’re in a gameplan prep week because the menu gets smaller. There may be some variations, but what they have to learn is actually less.”
On who has impressed Dillingham in film
“I’m not gonna go into who but I thought there were some players who made drastic progress throughout fall camp. One kid, Keith Abney. A dude who showed up and we’re like ‘Okay, freshman who knows what he’s gonna do’ crap, we need him. He’s a necessary piece of who we are right now. There’s a bunch of guys, 3-6 guys, in that mold.”
On the team’s football shape
“Today we looked better in the eight-play periods. We didn’t have penalties, we had some energy about us in that period. The key is not how many periods you can go, the key is can you go eight-play drives with intensity? Football is not a marathon, football is two to three minute bursts. It’s four seconds, break, four seconds, break. Can you run eight, 15-yard sprints in a row? Then you get a five-minute break. So we try to simulate that. We’ll have a lot of off-days coming up to get their legs ready but when we’re out here, we gotta simulate the strain of those extended drives.”
On special teams and their reaction to the viral campus kick
“I feel great. I think our specialists have done a phenomenal job. On that note, whoever kicked that last kick in the video, that we posted the other day on campus, if you haven’t seen it go watch the video of kickers on campus, the person who kicked the last kick, we’re missing out on an opportunity. They kicked a hell of a kick. I’ve joked around with them about it. I said ‘Y’all better watch out or I’m finding him.”
Biggest adjustment into HC role
“Administrative stuff. Not the football stuff. Being able to feel like I can add value to the defensive side of the ball, not just be offensive-driven. Go over to the defense and say this is what the offense is looking at, this is why this disguise is so important, this is why if you put the guy in a four instead of a five, it makes this gap seem so much more difficult. So I love being able to go to both sides of the ball, I would say that’s my biggest difference. There’s a lot of offensive guys, and defensive guys out there, I hope people look at me as a football guy. I wanna be able to coach football, not just offense.”
“You can’t create that adversity every day. You gotta pick and choose when you challenge them in that mold. So the next time we challenge the offense and defense with that level of intensity, we’ll be able to find out.”
Importance on involvement with players
“I just love coaching. I don’t know if it’s about the players, I love coaching. I love teaching. I love explaining. That’s what I love to do, that’s why I do this. I love that
. I’m always gonna do that.”
