Tulane coach Willie Fritz previews SMU game

[PonyPride]

MEET THE PRESS: Fritz Previews SMU at Weekly News Conference

NEW ORLEANS - Listed below is the complete transcript from Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz's weekly press conference leading up to Tulane's matchup vs. SMU on Thursday.

Opening Statement:
“We’re playing a great SMU team. They’ve played great offense over the last few years and they’re playing even better this season. I think they’ve added a run game that has really helped their passing game. They’ve done a super job of getting some transfer guys in there who have landed in the program and done a very very nice job for them. They have five, six excellent receivers and probably two, three or four of them have an excellent chance to play after they get done in college. They’ve got a quarterback transfer who is throwing the ball I at a 71 percent completion rate. They have a great running back — they’ve always had a solid running game but I think they have a really good running game this year. They’ve got a very very experienced offensive line, so their offense is very explosive and can move the ball on the ground and defensively they don’t give up the big plays. They do a nice job of keeping it in front of them when it is a passing situation and bringing some guys at the second level. They have a great return game. They also do a great job with their kickoff and punt return units.”

These guys have broken your heart on more than one occasion…
“Yes they have, they’ve done a good job finishing ball games. It’s going to be a game where we are going to have to play well in all three phases. What we’ve been talking about all week is the turnover-takeaway margin. We’ve got to be plus one, two or three in that area. That’ll give us a very good opportunity to win the ball game. If they have an extra series and we have a series less than them because of turnovers and we don’t get any takeaways it’s going to be difficult.”

Is there anything noticeable that we will see where you guys hit the reset button in the last week or so?
“We did get a little bit of time off and got the guys to recharge their batteries, and I think that’s important on the off week. When we came in on Saturday to prep I talked about working on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday on what we are going to do on Thursday. They’re not going to have played a game, we’re not going to have played a game, so let’s be 100 perecent solid in what we’re doing. A lot of times guys try to start experimenting early in the week and then all of a sudden by the time Thursday rolls around they’ve got it kind of locked in on what they want to do. Hopefully that allows us to start better because we have not started very well the last couple of weeks.”

What do you attribute that slow to?
“If I knew it I would change it. I’ve said from day one that we’re going to work our openers, work on what we’re going to do defensively, and have a 100 percent game plan rather than experimentation throughout the week. We just can’t come out in the first play of the game and have someone jump. That’s a play we’ve worked on 20 times. We’ve got to make sure that we’re dialed in on those plays and I think that if we start off well we’ll do an excellent job and I think it’ll carry over. You never know how a game is going to unfold, but it sure unfolds better when you start off well.”

So the game plan has been in since Saturday?
“Yeah, we’ve got it all in. We know what we’re doing in all phases of the kicking game. We know what we’re doing offensively, defensively, and we’ve worked on situations. We’re not trying to experiment. I kept my coordinators in so that they have an opportunity to work on it. There are going to be some wrinkles in what we’re going to put in that will be different from what we’ve done in the first six weeks and they’re going to do the same thing. Everybody does that on a bye week. We just want to make sure that the Wave knows what the Wave is doing.”

How big of a challenge is it to pull this team out of this?
“Luckily we’ve got really good young men and we’ve had very few issues. We’ve had very few issues since I’ve been here. I think when you recruit guys with character who have some adversity they have the ability to fight through it. These guys have done an excellent job in that regard.”

There are reports that the conference may be looking to expand. Do you feel like that is out of your purview or do you have any feelings one way or the other on that?
“I have no idea what they’re going to do. Certainly no one has asked my opinion. I know we’re looking to add on so it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next few days.”

[Vitale]

2 takeaways:

His comments about the SMU running game are all about Bentley. When he plays, this offense is pretty loaded. When he doesn't, Mordecai has to carry the offense.

Also, when he says 2, 3, 4 receivers have a chance to go pro ... 4? I think most of us think Roberson, Rice and Gray have a chance, but who's the fourth? Kerley? Daniels? Upshaw?

[PNW_Stang]

2 takeaways:

His comments about the SMU running game are all about Bentley. When he plays, this offense is pretty loaded. When he doesn't, Mordecai has to carry the offense.

Also, when he says 2, 3, 4 receivers have a chance to go pro ... 4? I think most of us think Roberson, Rice and Gray have a chance, but who's the fourth? Kerley? Daniels? Upshaw?

Kerley IMO. In 2-3 years.