Dec. 5, 2008

C-USA Championship Game Press Conference Quotes

TULSA, Okla. - Friday afternoon, East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz and Tulsa head coach Todd Graham met with the media to discuss Saturday's championship game. Following is a sampling of their quotes:

East Carolina Head Coach Skip Holtz
Opening Statement: “It’s an honor to be here and have the opportunity to represent the East in the conference championship game. It’s been like any other week in the season, you go in business as normal and you go to Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in your preparation, and then all of a sudden you hit Thursday and Friday when you start to travel. Then when you get here it starts to sink in a little bit that we finally made it to the conference championship game. We are really excited about this opportunity, and we know that we have one heck of a challenge with a very good Tulsa team that we have to play tomorrow. However, we are really excited to be able to represent the East Division. It’s an honor.”

“It’s been a long time coming, and it’s ironic because this was our low point four years ago. Then we were 3-5 and came in here to play Tulsa and got beat rather handedly, and I didn’t think we put forth a good effort. We fell to 3-6, but we rallied to win the last two games to finish the year 5-6, and now we are here three years later with an opportunity to play Tulsa in the conference championship game.”

Does this feel like a two-day bowl week: “It really starts to sink in when you get here and you see the Conference USA signage everywhere and you start to understand that we really made it here. This was a goal that we have been looking towards, but you get caught up in the preparation and trying to get into game week again where on Sunday you are watching all the film and seeing what you are trying to do offensively and defensively. Then on the practice field it’s been a whirlwind as we’ve been trying to figure out the bowl scenarios and what’s going on with that, because you are trying to get that trip organized, but at the same time you are trying to take care of this one. There has been a lot going on, but it is all starting to hit home as we got here to Tulsa, for at least me anyway.”

Can you enlighten us on the bowl scenarios you are trying to figure out: “I think we are all trying to figure it out, but the exciting thing is that the winner will have the opportunity to go to Memphis and play in the Liberty Bowl and represent Conference USA. That is what both sides are playing for tomorrow and that is the thing you talk about with the way the conference is set up and our tie-in with the Liberty Bowl, is the road to Memphis. Twelve teams started this journey four months ago and there are two that are still in it with that opportunity. We know the winner is going to the Liberty Bowl, but if you lose I have heard about 400 scenarios on what could happen. I met with Alfred White and went through the bowl scenarios and after about 30 minutes of explaining everything that could happen, I said so more or less we could go to any of them. Then he said ‘Yes, more or less.’ So I don’t know exactly what is going to happen, but the GMAC Bowl has made the statement that they will take the runner-up in this game, but I don’t know if that is a certainty at this point.”

Since you didn’t play this team during the regular season, can you talk about what struck you as you scouted them: “The first mistake I made was that I looked at the statistics. When you start looking at how they are doing it, you see that they are averaging 578 yards of offense per game. Then you say we had our best offensive productivity last week and we had 478 yards. They are averaging over 100 yards more than our best offensive productivity. Then you look at third downs and see they are converting at 60 percent, and they have scored 81 touchdowns. To put that in perspective our placekicker is a junior and he has kicked 79 PAT’s in his career. So that was the first mistake I made in sitting down and looking at the numbers. I’ve said this all week, but it is like they are putting up video game numbers. What they are doing offensively right now is incredible.”

“When you look at them, they have a quarterback who is playing really well, he’s heady, he’s throwing the ball very accurately and he’s doing a great job of managing their offense. They have three really big-time receivers who can go get the deep ball especially. They definitely challenge you and make you defend the entire field, not just sideways but vertically, and they do that probably more so than anybody we have played this year. They are not a ball-control, dink-and-dunk spread offense, they really get the ball down the field. Offensively, they give you a handful and I know Coach Hudson and that defensive staff haven’t gotten a whole lot of sleep this week trying to put together a plan on how they are going to defend it. Then you look at who has done the best job defending them and you see that this team held them to 500 yards. Nobody has really stopped them, so what we have to do is play a great game on defense.”

“Then when you look at them defensively, they give you a little bit of a different schemes with their 5-3 or 3-3 stack. West Virginia ran that same defense, but they are different with the way (James) Lockett comes off the edges to create a lot of pressure. They have 37 sacks, which is 10 more than anybody in our league, and they do a great job of trying to get you behind the chains for lost-yardage plays. They put their best athletes on the field and I give them a lot of credit because they’ve done a great job of coaching this football team. As a coach, your job is to find out what your strengths are and highlight them, and find out what your weaknesses are and hide them. They’ve done a great job of that, and they have a tremendous football team. It is going to be a heck of challenge for us. We’ve limped in here a little bit and we’re just fortunate to be here.”

Can you talk a little bit about the differences between Steve Kragthorpe and Todd Graham and the continuity they have had in this program: “It is different schematically on both sides of the ball. Kragthorpe’s teams played smart, had great schemes and highlighted their players. They were really good during that time as well and I have great respect for Steve and the job he did while he was here. Then you put on the film now, and while it may be a different offense and defense schematically, they execute what they are doing, have confidence in what they are doing, they play hard and play smart. They still have the same intangible things, and that is one of the reasons they have been as successful as they have been. They have had some stability here and with Coach Graham being here before under Coach Kragthorpe, and they probably haven’t had a whole lot of change when they went from one to the other. Bubba Cunningham does a great job as the Athletic Director here. I think there are a lot of positive things going on here, and there is a reason that Tulsa has been in three of the four championship games.”

Does is it work to your advantage to have guys who have never been in this game: “I don’t know. We will find out tomorrow. We always hear about how important playoff experience is, and Tulsa has a lot of playoff experience. I think there is something to be said for going out there and understanding the pressure that gets put on you to produce. We were joking on the field earlier that we won’t tell them that the winner is the conference champion until the end of the third quarter.”

Have you kept everything routine like a typical road trip: “Yes, it has been like the 13 games of the regular season. We haven’t really changed anything in what we have done. I don’t put them in pads as much late in the season as I do earlier in the season during the week, especially with a lot of the injuries we have had. I can’t afford many bumps and bruises during the week. Outside of that, everything has remained the same.”

Did you bring most of those injured players: “I didn’t bring any of them with the rule being 70 players, and I felt like I needed 70 players who could step onto the field and play. It’s hard to leave those guys at home, especially the seniors who have been very instrumental in us getting here. Those seniors have been real leaders for this football team over the past four years. They were in this locker room four years ago when we were here at our low point. I wish I could have brought them, but at the same time I have to bring the 70 guys who can step on the field.”

Can you comment on the facility here and the way Tulsa has been able to play at home this year: “They have won by very wide margins. When we were here four years ago, it was one of Bubba Cunningham’s first days on the job, and this building here was just dirt. It had been pretty much cleared and Bubba was talking about some of the plans they wanted to do with it, and it is a beautiful facility here. They have done a phenomenal job with it, and they have done quite a bit of work to the press box too. I haven’t had an opportunity to go through it all, but I’m sure it is first class.”

“I brought up the fact that they were scoring 50 points per game and someone was quick to point out that were scoring 60 points at home. We have that challenge going for us, instead of scoring 50 points on average we now have to score 60 points. They have played extremely well at home and playing at home is a huge advantage. Not only do you have your home crowd to play in front of, but you don’t have the travel for the players. It was already a tall enough order, even if we had to play Tulsa in our stadium, but having to play on the road makes it that much bigger of a challenge.”

What would a win mean for your program and the ECU family: “It would be huge for both. East Carolina has not won a conference championship since 1976 when we were in the Southern Conference. It has been quite awhile since we have not only won one, but had the opportunity to play for one. For everybody who has supported this program it means a lot and that’s all everyone is talking about in Greenville right now. It is great to have the opportunity in December to play for something, but this is a game that has eluded us the last two years. After that first 5-6 season we had to win at Rice to be able to play in this game and we went down there and lost to Rice. Then we played at Marshall a year ago and went up there and lost to them. We have been so close to this game and in our team meeting at the beginning of the season I told our team we have to improve one game. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel here, we have to build one game upon what we have done and find a way to get into this championship game. It is a tall order when you look at the non-conference schedule that we play, so we have tried to break our goals into two separate pieces. It has always been a goal of ours for the last three years to win a conference championship, and we finally have an opportunity to make the goal and dream a reality tomorrow on the field.”

How much time did you have between your arrival and practice: “It was an uneventful flight. We took off and we landed and those are two positive things. We came straight here from the airport and got the guys out here to run around for 45 minutes and get a sweat going. We will go back to our hotel and have our meetings and we will give them some free time tonight before we put them to bed. It is a very typical routine for us on the road.”

Tulsa Head Coach Todd Graham
On this Saturday’s game for the Conference USA Championship: “We are very excited to be in our third Conference USA Championship and to be able to host it here at Tulsa. It has been a great thrill for us. We are looking forward to the game tomorrow and playing a great East Carolina team. I think this will be a great game to showcase the best defense against the best offense in the league, which should make it an exciting game to watch. We are excited that for the first time in Tulsa’s history that we have had back-to-back 10-win seasons. We are going for our 11th win of the year tomorrow, which would break a school record. We have tied the record the last two years in a row, so we have a lot of exciting things to play for tomorrow.”

On maintaining the team’s regular routine during this championship week: “We have stayed very traditional this week. It is awful nice to host the game because the team’s routine stays the same and everything is pretty familiar. We practice everyday on this field so our routine has stayed exactly the same this week.”

On any differences for the team because it is playing in a championship game: “We told the team that how we have played for 12 games is not acceptable to win this game. For us to win this game we have to play in championship form. Some of our guys are lucky enough to have the experience of winning a championship in 2005 and playing in the championship game last year, so those players know exactly what they are in for. We have a lot of young players as well that have not played in a game like this, but for the most part we are a pretty experienced team. Our guys are very even keeled and very poised. They understand that the level of play must go to a different level to win this championship.”

On East Carolina Head Coach Skip Holtz: “I have a lot of respect for Coach Holtz. The things I see on film from his program are things our program is trying to do as well. He always has a well-coached and disciplined team. In my dealings with him and his program there has been a lot of integrity and doing things in first class. We are very honored to have his team here. It will be the two best teams that this league has to offer going at it tomorrow afternoon.”

On Quarterback David Johnson getting the opportunity to finally play for a conference championship: “I think he will play great. I am proud of him and the type of person he has been for the University and how he has represented it, showing the patience he had waiting for his turn to play. I know he is very excited and very motivated for this chance. Dave is a guy that could have transferred, and you see that a lot now days, especially at the quarterback position. He could have played two or three years somewhere else in Division I, but he chose to stay here. It means something to him for him to be a Golden Hurricane.”

On Courtney Tennial being in his fifth conference championship game: “He was in two at Oklahoma, and this will be his third game here, but he has not got a chance to play in it yet. He is really excited and we will have to calm him down a little bit.”

On the seniors on the team: “I am very proud of the young men I work with. This week in practice I have had several of them come up and thank me for what I have done for them. They are talking about the relationship that I have with them and it is not about the wins. This is a bunch that I am very close to, especially this senior bunch, and they had a lot to do with why I came back here and they are a reason why I love being here. We have some young men with great character that are a joy to coach.”

On the game starting at 11:00 A.M: “We are pretty used to it. It has been an 11:00 a.m. start every year we have played in it. This year it will be much easier for us than it was in 2005. That year we got there about 12:30 in the morning the night before and we played our game at 11:00 a.m. and we won the game. I like Saturday afternoon games, but it is not going to be a problem for us. Our kids are excited to play in a championship game. The guys have done it before and the starting time will be no problem for us.”

On encouraging fans to show up for tomorrow’s game: “I have faith that this community will come out and support our program like they always have. We are a 10-2 program, and for the first time in school history, we have had back-to-back 10 win seasons. We are going for our 11th win which would be the most in the history of our program. I have a lot of faith that our fans will come out and support our program. I think our guys have earned the fans support and I look for this place to be packed.”