We're starting to run into that point of the year where nothing really interesting comes out of these situations. Until we get guys like Ronnie Perkins, Bookie, Jalen Redmond, it's just kind of the same old stuff.
Ruffin McNeill
Hard to rebuild culture and mindset of a defense:
It helps if you’ve been in the situation before and you do what you do, personally, as a coach. But then you see what you have and you see the talents of the young men. As a coach, you put them in the right spot, the best place they can be successful for the team, for the group and the unit. It can be difficult if you haven’t been there before and if you don’t have an open mind. I keep mentioning the staff. I’m very open-minded, with the players and the coaches as well. I rely on them for input into the game plan and we do it together as a group.
Facing big-bodied receivers:
We can’t grow too tall before Saturday. That’s one thing. Jolly Green Giant, the green beans and stuff. They have great length and size at receiver. That’s one of the things that we always had. You look at our guys. That length is there and you have to be ready to make competitive plays and 50/50 on balls. You just have to try to do a good job of blending your coverages and having enough bodies to make it competitive. It’s a tough task for anyone.
Defense make progress in game two:
I think they are making progress. We talked about different areas of effort and fundamentals. That doesn’t change. We make sure we’re getting proficient at doing our job on a consistent basis. There’s a part of the game that you have to focus on points if possible. In this league, offenses are capable of putting points on you. But when that happens, something tough or something positive – you’ve heard it before – you have to forget it and drive on and move onto the next play whether it’s a great play or a tough play. I think the guys have gotten better at those things. The other thing on the sideline is we have to make adjustments. They’ve done a good job of taking those adjustments on the sideline and taking them on the field.
Favorite thing about Lubbock:
I got really good at PlayStation – Madden – when I was there. I enjoyed the boys like I do everywhere. I enjoyed working with the boys there. Then I made lifelong friends like Coach Riley, Coach Simmons and Coach Bedenbaugh. Our family was able to be stable for a while. Getting to make friends – and not just me, but my family – with Coach Riley and Caitlin and Dennis and Tasha and Bill and his family. Really that was a big part.
What will it be like on Saturday walking down the ramp:
It will be live. You better have your big-boy pants on and your big-boy clothes. The crowd will be very exciting and electric. That’s just how it is there. As a program and as a team, we need to do what we can control before that date to prepare properly from all aspects of our tool box. Yesterday was big, but today was very big and we’ll continue that.
Friendships in coaching profession something to cherish:
I cherish my time. The coaching profession has been … it’s not about the money. I can’t tell you how much money I make here. I don’t care. What I care about is relationships. Erlene and I have been … you name it, we’ve lived it. Our daughter had moved five times by the time she was 9. That’s a really tough life for a coach’s wife and family. The friendships that you make … Did Lincoln and I think we would be together at one of the top programs in the country? We couldn’t plan that, as well with other guys I’ve met. It’s all a blessing to me. I’m grateful to be here. I’m grateful to be with people that I know. With coaches, you have automatic friends when you come to a new job. Wives have to make friends. Here, when we came, one of the first times I already having automatic friends by knowing Lincoln and knowing Cale and Coach Boulware and everyone. But Erlene knew a lot of the wives already. That really helps the transition. Happy wife equals happy life. Happy life if you have happy wife. She made a lot of friends when she came and had a lot premade when she came.
Tre Norwood
Opportunity to show defense's growth once again?
I do feel like it is. Tech is a very high-powered offense. They're gonna throw the ball a lot. I know on the back end, it is a game to take advantage of the opportunity that's gonna present it because there's gonna be plenty of opportunities out there. It's one of those games, you have to lock in and make sure we capitalize on those plays.
Tech's big WRs?
I feel like it's another week, another opportunity to prove to ourselves. That's our main thing, proving to ourselves that we can be that top defense. We just have to stay positive, keep pushing, keep our head down and keep working. I feel like it is a big opportunity. We have to come out there mentally, focused and locked in.
More important to prove to yourselves than others?
I feel like that's more important than proving to everybody outside. People outside can say what they wanna say, but when it comes down to it, we have to rally together as a team and as one. As a defense, as a whole, and just prove to ourselves that we know we can be that top defense in the country. We just have to keep working, keep taking steps forward.
You can't grow any more inches. What can you do against big WRs?
That's where the technique comes into play. You have to just make those guys beat your technique. You have to be crafty with them. Kinda do things that the bigger guys can't do. You just have to make them beat your technique, don't give them anything easy. I feel like that's the main thing.
Ruffin McNeill
Hard to rebuild culture and mindset of a defense:
It helps if you’ve been in the situation before and you do what you do, personally, as a coach. But then you see what you have and you see the talents of the young men. As a coach, you put them in the right spot, the best place they can be successful for the team, for the group and the unit. It can be difficult if you haven’t been there before and if you don’t have an open mind. I keep mentioning the staff. I’m very open-minded, with the players and the coaches as well. I rely on them for input into the game plan and we do it together as a group.
Facing big-bodied receivers:
We can’t grow too tall before Saturday. That’s one thing. Jolly Green Giant, the green beans and stuff. They have great length and size at receiver. That’s one of the things that we always had. You look at our guys. That length is there and you have to be ready to make competitive plays and 50/50 on balls. You just have to try to do a good job of blending your coverages and having enough bodies to make it competitive. It’s a tough task for anyone.
Defense make progress in game two:
I think they are making progress. We talked about different areas of effort and fundamentals. That doesn’t change. We make sure we’re getting proficient at doing our job on a consistent basis. There’s a part of the game that you have to focus on points if possible. In this league, offenses are capable of putting points on you. But when that happens, something tough or something positive – you’ve heard it before – you have to forget it and drive on and move onto the next play whether it’s a great play or a tough play. I think the guys have gotten better at those things. The other thing on the sideline is we have to make adjustments. They’ve done a good job of taking those adjustments on the sideline and taking them on the field.
Favorite thing about Lubbock:
I got really good at PlayStation – Madden – when I was there. I enjoyed the boys like I do everywhere. I enjoyed working with the boys there. Then I made lifelong friends like Coach Riley, Coach Simmons and Coach Bedenbaugh. Our family was able to be stable for a while. Getting to make friends – and not just me, but my family – with Coach Riley and Caitlin and Dennis and Tasha and Bill and his family. Really that was a big part.
What will it be like on Saturday walking down the ramp:
It will be live. You better have your big-boy pants on and your big-boy clothes. The crowd will be very exciting and electric. That’s just how it is there. As a program and as a team, we need to do what we can control before that date to prepare properly from all aspects of our tool box. Yesterday was big, but today was very big and we’ll continue that.
Friendships in coaching profession something to cherish:
I cherish my time. The coaching profession has been … it’s not about the money. I can’t tell you how much money I make here. I don’t care. What I care about is relationships. Erlene and I have been … you name it, we’ve lived it. Our daughter had moved five times by the time she was 9. That’s a really tough life for a coach’s wife and family. The friendships that you make … Did Lincoln and I think we would be together at one of the top programs in the country? We couldn’t plan that, as well with other guys I’ve met. It’s all a blessing to me. I’m grateful to be here. I’m grateful to be with people that I know. With coaches, you have automatic friends when you come to a new job. Wives have to make friends. Here, when we came, one of the first times I already having automatic friends by knowing Lincoln and knowing Cale and Coach Boulware and everyone. But Erlene knew a lot of the wives already. That really helps the transition. Happy wife equals happy life. Happy life if you have happy wife. She made a lot of friends when she came and had a lot premade when she came.
Tre Norwood
Opportunity to show defense's growth once again?
I do feel like it is. Tech is a very high-powered offense. They're gonna throw the ball a lot. I know on the back end, it is a game to take advantage of the opportunity that's gonna present it because there's gonna be plenty of opportunities out there. It's one of those games, you have to lock in and make sure we capitalize on those plays.
Tech's big WRs?
I feel like it's another week, another opportunity to prove to ourselves. That's our main thing, proving to ourselves that we can be that top defense. We just have to stay positive, keep pushing, keep our head down and keep working. I feel like it is a big opportunity. We have to come out there mentally, focused and locked in.
More important to prove to yourselves than others?
I feel like that's more important than proving to everybody outside. People outside can say what they wanna say, but when it comes down to it, we have to rally together as a team and as one. As a defense, as a whole, and just prove to ourselves that we know we can be that top defense in the country. We just have to keep working, keep taking steps forward.
You can't grow any more inches. What can you do against big WRs?
That's where the technique comes into play. You have to just make those guys beat your technique. You have to be crafty with them. Kinda do things that the bigger guys can't do. You just have to make them beat your technique, don't give them anything easy. I feel like that's the main thing.
