Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan Quotes

Nebraska Football

Weekly Press Conference

Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)

Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007

Pre-Wake Forest

 

Coach Bill Callahan

Opening Statement

“I just want to thank the University (of Nebraska) Athletic Department, Harvey Perlman and Steve (Pederson) for this extension.  I think it reflects greatly on our football staff.  I think that the continuity and the stability moving forward means a great deal to our staff and the future of Nebraska football.  It is greatly appreciated.  As I have stated many times, I want to be here.  I think (this extension) is indicative of my desire to be here at Nebraska.

 

“With this all being said, my focus and our focus has been on WakeForest. We’re moving on our preparation for Wake, who I consider an excellent football team.  If you had the opportunity to watch them play a year ago and of course in the opener at Chestnut Hill, you’ll see a football team that is outstanding.  I know they dropped that opener, which was a tough loss for them on the road, but they’re a very capable, dangerous, productive football team.  I like their team.  They have a lot of weapons.  There are a lot of great athletes on that team.  You don’t win the ACC Championship and go to a BCS bowl game without great talent and coaching. 

 

“Their schematics are outstanding in that, when you watch them on offense, they remind you of Texas Tech.  They’ve changed dramatically since the last time we’ve seen them.  They’re more wide-open than they’ve been in the last few years.  They’re throwing it moreso than they ever have.  Sixty attempts in the last game shows you where they’re going in terms of their athletes.  They feature a lot of skill athletes that can make plays for them.  There’s no dropoff at quarterback from the first-teamer (Riley Skinner).  We don’t know his status, so we’re going to prepare for both of those guys.  I think they’re both equally good and really effective.  They have a good offensive line, big guys with the ability to pass-protect and keep you out.  They have good running backs and tremendous skill across the board.  We have our work cut out for us.”

 

On receiving a contract extension

“We appreciate that (a contract extension).  The message for recruiting purposes and the future of our program is important.  There were several times in the last year when I had recruits and their parents visiting in my office and they wanted to know what my status was, where I was headed and where I was going.  I told them I was going to be here.  Now, the proof is in the pudding that I want to be at Nebraska.  This is where I want to finish my career.  I said that the first day I came here and I’m reiterating it here.”

 

On his vision for the program moving forward

“We’re going to continue to improve, game-to-game, week-to-week and year-to-year.  I think that’s our goal as a program.  It’s all about the quest to win a championship.  That’s our goal every day when we walk into this great facility, to win a championship.  (Nebraska Athletic Director) Steve (Pederson) said today at a head coaches’ meeting today that Nebraska is not about winning games, but winning championships.  That’s the goal here.”

 

On defending WakeForest’s passing attack

“Number one, (we need) improvement, across the board in terms of a pass rush, rush control and the ability to contain the pocket.  They do so many things well, and it’s not just about a three-step or a five-step drop from the shotgun, but they can break contain and get on the perimeter with a good run-pass option.  There’s a lot of misdirection.  They get you going one way and they have reverses that go the other.  They have throw-back passes, sprint-out passes and some nice cross action on their dive series that they do really well.  Our keys have to be exceptional.  Our ability to focus in, diagnose and have the proper responses is going to be crucial for us.  But it all comes down to playing ball, getting off blocks and making plays and having the opportunity when the ball is in flight to make a play and create a turnover.”

 

On the continued success of Nebraska’s running game

“Every week, we’re going to prepare to run the football.  How those attempts come out and how the flow of the game will always be different.  This past game, we never expected the success that we had running the ball.  I don’t think anyone on our staff would tell you that we were set to run 70 times.  It happened in my professional career.  We went to Pittsburgh and threw it a league-record number of times and then we ran it a league-record number of times later in the year.  It changes from game-to-game.  All you can do is build on what you’re doing.  You have a core in terms of your running attack.  You try to focus that core attack.  You keep practicing, focusing on the core aspects and elements of your core attack and adapt to what you see next.  We’re not seeing the same front that we saw last week.  We’re seeing an entirely different front and a new package of blitzes.  We’re seeing a variety of things we didn’t see in the first game, so our ability to adjust will be important.”

 

On having a better feel for the running game this year

“I couldn’t tell you that until we’re in the heat of the battle.  There are going to be plays that a defense makes.  There are going to be runs that the defense stops, runs that the defense stuffs and runs that are going to break out.  There’s such a fine line in that, for those five guys up front along with the tight ends and running backs, their coordination, their footwork, their landmarks and their ability to get the proper angles, the smallest, most minute error in that technicality can mean the difference between a great play or an average play, a gain or a loss.  Our focus as we return to the practice field today is to improve on those areas that allow you to have a more consistent running game.”

 

On Quentin Castille’s performance helping Marlon Lucky Saturday

“When you have a big back, he’s a different load, a different guy to tackle for the defense.  With a big back, if you consistently run the football, you have a chance to wear down the defense.  Sometimes, defenses get tired of hitting those big backs.  It’s nice to come with a little change-up.  We’ve been blessed with these players.  Cody Glenn will be back in the mix this week.  We’re hoping Major Culbert and Roy Helu get more touches.  These guys are capable players.  The more you can mix and match and get different bodies in there, different styles, it changes them (the defense).  It’ll change how the defense gear or gauge a different runner.”

 

Coach Bill Callahan

Opening Statement

“I just want to thank the University (of Nebraska) Athletic Department, Harvey Perlman and Steve (Pederson) for this extension.  I think it reflects greatly on our football staff.  I think that the continuity and the stability moving forward means a great deal to our staff and the future of Nebraska Football.  It is greatly appreciated.  As I have stated many times, I want to be here.  I think (this extension) is indicative of my desire to be here at Nebraska.

 

“With this all being said, my focus and our focus has been on WakeForest.  We’re moving on our preparation for Wake, who I consider an excellent football team.  If you have the opportunity to watch them play a year ago and of course in the opener at Chestnut Hill, you’ll see a football team that is outstanding.  I know they dropped that opener, which was a tough loss for them on the road, but they’re a very capable, dangerous, productive football team.  I like their team.  They have a lot of weapons.  There are a lot of great athletes on that team.  You don’t win the ACC Championship and go to a BCS bowl game without great talent and coaching. 

 

“Their schematics are outstanding in that, when you watch them on offense, they remind you of Texas Tech.  They’ve changed dramatically since the last time we’ve seen them.  They’re more wide-open than they’ve been in the last few years.  They’re throwing it moreso than they ever have.  60 attempts in the last game shows you where they’re going in terms of their athletes.  They feature a lot of skill athletes that can make plays for them.  There’s no dropoff at quarterback from the first-teamer (Riley Skinner).  We don’t know his status, so we’re going to prepare for both of those guys.  I think they’re both equally good and really effective.  They have a good offensive line, big guys with the ability to pass-protect and keep you out.  They have good running backs and tremendous skill across the board.  We have our work cut out for us.”

 

On receiving a contract extension

“We appreciate that (a contract extension).  The message for recruiting purposes and the future of our program is important.  There were several times in the last year when I had recruits and their parents visiting in my office and they wanted to know what my status was, where I was headed and where I was going.  I told them I was going to be here.  Now, the proof is in the pudding that I want to be at Nebraska.  This is where I want to finish my career.  I said that the first day I came here and I’m reiterating it here.”

 

On his vision for the program moving forward

“We’re going to continue to improve, game to game, week to week and year to year.  I think that’s our goal as a program.  It’s all about the quest to win a championship.  That’s our goal every day when we walk into this great facility, to win a championship.  Steve said today at a head coaches’ meeting today that Nebraska is not about winning games, but winning championships.  That’s the goal here.”

 

On defending WakeForest’s passing attack

“Number one, (we need) improvement, across the board in terms of a pass rush, rush control and the ability to contain the pocket.  They do so many things well, and it’s not just about a three-step or a five-step drop from the shotgun, but they can break contain and get on the perimeter with a good run-pass option.  There’s a lot of misdirection.  They get you going one way and they have reverses that go the other.  They have throw-back passes, sprint-out passes and some nice cross action on their dive series that they do really well.  Our keys have to be exceptional.  Our ability to focus in, diagnose and have the proper responses is going to be crucial for us.  But it all comes down to playing ball, getting off blocks and making plays and having the opportunity when the ball is in flight to make a play and create a turnover.”

 

On the continued success of Nebraska’s running game

“Every week, we’re going to prepare to run the football.  How those attempts come out and how the flow of the game will always be different.  This past game, we never expected the success that we had running the ball.  I don’t think anyone on our staff that would tell you that we were set to run 70 times.  It happened in my professional career.  We went to Pittsburgh and threw it a league-record number of times and then we ran it a league-record number of times later in the year.  It changes from game-to-game.  All you can do is build on what you’re doing.  You have a core in terms of your running attack.  You try to focus that core attack.  You keep practicing, focusing on the core aspects and elements of your core attack and adapt to what you see next.  We’re not seeing the same front that we saw last week.  We’re seeing an entirely different front and a new package of blitzes.  We’re seeing a variety of things we didn’t see in the first game, so our ability to adjust will be important.”

 

On having a better feel for the running game this year

“I couldn’t tell you that until we’re in the heat of the battle.  There are going to be plays that a defense makes.  There are going to be runs that the defense stops, runs that the defense stuffs and runs that are going to break out.  There’s such a fine line in that, for those five guys up front along with the tight ends and running backs, their coordination, their footwork, their landmarks and their ability to get the proper angles, the smallest, most minute error in that technicality can mean the difference between a great play or an average play, a gain or a loss.  Our focus as we return to the practice field today is to improve on those areas that allow you to have a more consistent running game.”

 

On Quentin Castille’s performance helping Marlon Lucky Saturday

“When you have a big back, he’s a different load, a different guy to tackle for the defense.  With a big back, if you consistently run the football, you have a chance to wear down the defense.  Sometimes, defenses get tired of hitting those big backs.  It’s nice to come with a little change-up.  We’ve been blessed with these players.  Cody Glenn will be back in the mix this week.  We’re hoping Major Culbert and Roy Helu get more touches.  These guys are capable players.  The more you can mix and match and get different bodies in there, different styles, it changes them (the defense).  It’ll change how the defense gear or gauge a different runner.”

 

On the return of NU wide receiver Maurice Purify

“We’ve moved on from his incident.  He’s ready to play.  We’re going to put him in the lineup and he’ll have the opportunity to play.  Nate Swift will start at that position and Maurice knows that he’ll have to earn his position back. It’ll be a competitive environment this week during practice.”

 

On improving Nebraska’s passing offense

“There’s nothing different than what we normally do (to improve).  We go back to the chalkboard, and all the core passes are in.  It’s just a matter of tweaking the passes we have in the game plan, adjust the protections against the blitzes we’re going to see and go out and practice it.  Normally, when you get out of training camp, you go into your first two to three games with your core attack.  You continue to do what you do.  You don’t make any dramatic shifts in your philosophy or routes or route structures. You go into the game with what you worked on, so there’s not a dramatic departure.  There might be a tag on a particular route that we change to take advantage of a particular matchup, but there won’t be wholesale changes.  The structure of practice does not change relative to what’s already been installed and implemented in the attack.”

 

On the performance of NU quarterback Sam Keller

“I was very pleased (with how he managed the game).  After the game, we talked about a few things where he can improve.  That’s the nature of the game: what we can do better today to win this weekend.  That’s where our focus lies in the short-term.  The short-term focus of our team is to get in the meeting room, absorb as much as we can in terms of the installation against Wake.  The ability to see Wake on film and study them through the week is going to be huge.  Interesting enough, in listening to the Appalachian State quarterback (Armanti Edwards) in his interviews after the game (ASU’s 34-32 win over No. 5 Michigan), it was interesting to hear him talk about his studying and preparation, and how he saw opportunities, and how those opportunities gave him confidence.  I relayed that to the team the other day.  What you can gain from learning and studying film in your preparation for a big game, like the one we have Saturday.  It’s important our guys get in the film room or get on their new laptops and watch as much film as they can in their spare time in their preparation.”

 

On WakeForest’s offense

“The No. 1 thing you say to yourself (when you watch film) is: Who are their playmakers?  And for Wake, the answer is all five of their eligible (receivers).  If they could get the tackle out, he’d be a playmaker too.  But they’re all out, and they utilize a lot of scat protection, as we call it, which is five-man protection in which the line is accountable for the five most dangerous pass rushers and everyone else goes out.  If that sixth defender comes, they’re going to throw hot, make a sight adjust or have a quick answer.  Any of those guys can become a playmaker.  They have good distribution.  They got the ball to 10 or 11 guys (against BostonCollege Saturday).  Sometimes, one position or the other will get the ball more so they can take advantage of a matchup.  But to say that it’s solely one guy, we can’t afford to take that approach.”

 

On the contrast between Wake’s offense in 2005 and its offense now

“There’s an emphasis on throwing the football.  That’s the biggest thing.  When you’re looking at 60 attempts (against BostonCollege), that gets your attention.  It got my attention.  Coz (Defensive Coordinator Kevin Cosgrove) is down there putting together his defense plan with all the guys.  When you throw the football 60 times in one game, that tells me there’s a real concentrated, focused and committed philosophy in what they’re trying to get accomplished.  That’s evident.  They’re going to throw the football down after down after down.  They’re a little like Texas Tech.  They mix and match the run game.  They have the draw game and various things they do off their run game, but they’re primarily a passing attack.  If they go back to the run game, that’s something we’ll have to adjust to.  But right now, they are throwing the football.”

 

On the performance of NU cornerback Zackary Bowman

“I think he looked relaxed, comfortable and confident in a total of 27 snaps.  It was good work for him and a good opportunity for him to get on the field and compete at a high level.  That was his focus and target: to make it back for the opening game, get back and compete at a high level.  I couldn’t tell you exactly how he felt, but he looked pretty good.”

 

On the importance of the play of Nebraska’s defensive backs against WakeForest

“We’re going to have to share the workload back there.  A lot of guys are going to play.  Our sub packages become more important as they spread the field and put three and four wide receivers out there, so all those things are going to factor in.”

 

On going on the road for the first time this season

“We’re excited about going on the road.  Addressing our team about Wake, it was important that we understand that these are the ACC champions.  They are the defending champions of that conference.  They are a BCS bowl team.  That has to grab your attention.  When you get on the field between the white stripes, you have to play.  For the player, it’s not about the atmosphere.  It’s about your focus and your concentration on the task at hand.  I think a lot of players would tell you that they didn’t even realize that there were 85,000 people in the stands because they’re so focused on their role and their responsibility to execute it.  If they’re thinking about anything else, then we have a problem.  Our guys are excited.  We have great respect for WakeForest.  When we played them two years ago, they were talented, and they have even more talent now.”

 

On the defense of WakeForest and their struggles against BostonCollege

“That’s uncharacteristic of their defense.  You go back to the success they had a year ago, they generated a tremendous amount of turnovers that gave their team a chance to win, and they’re the same way this year.  I get the film on Sunday, and the first play I look at is a deflected-ball interception that went for a touchdown.  A couple series later, they get a scoop-and-score off a fumble.  They get your attention from that regard.  Ball security becomes a huge issue when you go on the road.  As we talked about a year ago and even in the beginning of this season, turnovers do play into the success of your football team.  We have to do a great job on the road of securing the ball, in decision-making and in protecting the ball in traffic around piles, because they can physically knock the ball out or they can strip the ball out, and they do an excellent job at both.”

 

On the effects of the new timing rules

“You never know how the new rules will affect you until you get to the heat of the battle.  We talked about it at great length.  We talked with the supervisor of officials about it and he was great.  We talked about the consistency of where the clock was going.  Our clock was fast (Saturday).  Television is pushing this.  We just want to be fair to the players to give them time to do what they do.  When you consider that, from the time the play was over until the time they chopped in the 25-second (play clock), was somewhere between 8-11 seconds, and normally they want to be around 15, it was a little fast, especially with a 25-second clock.  Next year, they’re going to a 40-second clock and I think they’re preparing teams for that inevitability, but it seems there will be more time next year than there will be right now.  We talked about that, and they’re working really hard to maintain consistency or establish a consistency in terms of television games.  It was a little funky, because you get up there, you’re rushing through your series and, all of a sudden, there’s a TV timeout and then, with 15 seconds on the clock, your team has to be on the ball because, if there’s any checking or audibles to be done, you have a minimal amount of time to do it.  It’s a juggling act, and you really have to be prepared to deal with it, and we are.  We’ve adapted, but I’ve voiced my concern with it.”

 

On limiting pre-snap motion because of the timing rules

“We did a little bit, but we still had the opportunity to get plenty off.  That wasn’t the problem.  As you look back, when we’re on the field, we were breaking the huddle and getting the play to the quarterback last year between the 18- and 22-second mark on the play clock.  It seemed like we were just getting the play in at the 20-second mark and we were scrambling to get the ball snapped.  We adjust all the time.  If there happens to be a play that’s too lengthy on the card, I’ll just call him (the quarterback) over and tell him the play.  As we move on here, we’ll modify that as well.  As we move on here, they’ll work it out and we’ll work it out.  We have to adjust as well.  I see us still being able to do what we do.  We just have to be a little smarter about selecting those opportunities.”