Pinkel Press Conference
9/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2002
On the running back situation~ I think Zack can be a pretty good player. Sometimes I think he tries to be too nifty, but he's not that type of running back. He's more of a power back. I think he's got good quickness, but he's yet to prove that. But, I think we saw against some good people a year ago he ran the ball really well. We need to get Tyrone Roberson more involved. I think he needs to carry the ball more, certainly. I don't think Zack is consistent as we want him to be, but hopefully, in time, we can get him to do that.
On Troy State~ Their running back Black is a great player. They run the ball well. They don't hammer you. They pound you. They have very good speed, and their receivers have excellent quickness. And, right now, their quarterback is playing well. They're a very experienced football team. We certainly respect them.
On whether missed tackles is becoming a trend in college football~ With us tackling very poorly for one game, I tend to think it is more about focus. I don't think it's a trend. I think if you talk to a defensive coach, they'll say it's not a trend. Obviously, you are respectful of a great running back or great receiver or tailback or quarterback or somebody that runs the football and moves in such a way in which some guys are much more difficult to get on. I don't think there is any question. At the same time, I always thought that missed tackles had a lot to do with focus, concentration, and intensity.
On how he breaks up the run and the pass on offense~ Bobby Bowden just counts how many guys are in the box, and if there is a certain amount in there, he's going to throw the ball 25 straight times. Our problem is we can't block all those guys. I think everyone wants to have balance, but I would suggest too that there is a certain point where they line up so many people inside that you throw the football and stretch the defense out which, in turn, opens up running lanes. So, there are several ways of doing that, and I don't think that we are good enough to just line sit there and pound people with our schedule. I know we're not. There are not too many teams in our league that can do that.
