Tommy Armstrong Jr. Quotes

Nebraska Football
Spring Game
Postgame Quotes

Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
On the game overall
"I thought it went well. Run game went well, pass game could've been a little bit better. A few drops here and there, a few over throws. We didn't play to win as well as I wanted to personally, quarterback as a whole. I think we didn't play to win as well as we thought we could, but in certain situations you gotta be able to judge the wind the right way, deliver the ball on time and get the ball in the guy's hands. We had a few guys that were open but we were overthrowing or underthrowing in certain aspects, the ball is behind them. Coach W always says we gotta make catches but we also gotta make throws. At the end of the day, offensive-wise run game went well, had times here and there where we missed the hole but other than that in the backfield I think we did a great job of making those plays and our offensive line did a great job of getting those guys open enough for us to make thsoe plays."

On his long touchdown run
"I was tired honestly. I was hoping he wouldn't call that play but I knew that he was going to call it. Kind of just a replay, we ran that nine or 10 times today just seeing if the tight end could get the ball, but if they pushed out we had to run. It was kind of just a scheme that we run and that's how we open up the run game a little bit. We've got the right look offensive-wise, they gave a great hole to run through. They kind of set up my block to try to outrun that backside safety. They were talking mess to me about catching me on that first one, so I had to kind of veer away from them the whole time I was running. I know Alonzo (Moore) is kind of mad at me because he said if I scored on that play we had to do a celebration but I didn't want to get flagged so other than that I think they blocked their tails off up front and got us some good looks, so I think we look good as a unit and on that run game, as I said before, it's incredible. Those guys work their tails off. We had a couple centers that couldn't practice today, but we had a bunch of guys step up."

What happened on the 4 in 1 play?
"We actually called the play wrong. Coach Langsdorf thought we were on the left hash when we were actually on the right hash, I've got to know what he means by line up the tight ends in the field and being able to run that. I've got to identify that he made a mistake sometimes and be able to fix it or call a timeout, so it's kind of on both of our parts, him not being able to know when we are on the right hash and me being able to identify when the play is wrong. So, that's on both of us being able to call a time out and fix the play, not just run it and try to just make the play, but in certain aspects that happens. As a quaterback you've got to understand that you've got to be able to identify when things are wrong and you've got to be able to call a timeout or fix it. So fourth and one, we've got to be able to do it so that's on us."

On running the ball
"Honestly, I'm just hoping as a unit that we're going to be able to do what we did out there. If I have to run the ball, I run the ball. But like I said, it's all on coaches. They put us in the right position to win games, so if it takes me running a little bit more I'm up for it. We've got athletes all over the field, we've just got to make sure we put it in the guy's hands. Me being able to run a little bit more will open up the run game for those running backs. It'll obviously get those guys open out wide being able to make plays, so when a quarterback can make plays like that it kind of lets those linebackers know that they just can't get out of their assignments too fast because you have another threat in the backfield that might beat you with his legs. So, like I said, it opens up a lot of things for our offensive playbook."

On De'Mornay Pierson-El and the receivers
"Like I said, that's the most experienced group we have out of anyone is the receivers. They've been together for three or four years. Jordan (Westerkamp) will be back, De'Mornay will be back. You've got Alonzo, Brandon, Graham, there's a bunch of guys that can make plays, we've just got to get the ball in their hands. Like I said before, it all starts with me being able to identify certain things, make plays with my legs in certain aspects, and just being smart with the ball, when it's not there throw it away. Let my feet determine where I need to go with the ball, I think that's what kind of helped me today was just taking what Coach Langsdorf and Coach Riley have installed into my brain a little bit more this second go around with their playbook and just being able to know exactly where I need to go with the ball in certain aspects."

On the difference between this year and last
"Last year was more of a teaching thing for them, just because you've got to eliminate a playbook that you've been around for three years and you've got to actually take a playbook that they're installing now and throw away a lot of things. But, terminology-wise it was kind of hard. The first year was more teaching and just being able to know exactly what we needed to do and where we needed to line up. It's kindj of tough when you start your off-season learning how to huddle. This season it was more like learning from the past and fixing those mistakes we made last spring and last fall and the season of last year. We just want to make sure we have everyone on the same page and make sure we take care of the football, those are the main things. Those are the main focuses of this off-season and I think we did a great job."

On the option
"It's tough. We've just got to get great looks, we've got a bunch of options. You could obviously hand the ball off and the defensive end runs up field, if he squeezes down, you take the ball to your pitch guy. There's a forced defender which could be your linebacker or your safety. It has to happen so fast that me and Terrell or Devine have to be on the same page when it comes to certain things. They know that in certain times we got plays that they won't get the ball but they're aware that sometimes I may pitch it, sometimes I may not. It's hard to defend because it's actually 3 on 2, which is two running backs and a quarterback versus a defensive end and a forced player, so once he bites down then you're 2 on 1. You have a lot of blockers out there so you eliminate one guy and then you have two guys on one so you can either pick the quarterback or the running back and it kind of opens up the field."

On the progression of the coaching staff
"I think it's more of the repetition, just seeing different looks. Honestly, we haven't done anything different than we did last year with the play, it was just more of getting those guys up front aware of things and in the backfield with myself and those running backs just being able to understand certain plays, more repetition of a play you get better at it. I don't think it's been something we had to fix, it was just more repping the play at practice, getting different looks at it so when we got out there we knew exactly what kind of look we needed, who to go with the ball, who to throw it to, and those guys at running back position, they make key blocks on certain times I broke open for long runs so, you know, it's just more repetition with those, not basically fixing anything. We just had to get other looks at how to run it differently. We may motion the guy out one time, we may not. That's just repetition, being able to see different coverages first."

On overall play
"We're looking good. Like I said, we've got a bunch of veteran guys on the offensive side of the ball, a bunch of guys on defense stepping up, young guys. We got a bunch of guys returning from injuries, but we're only as good as we can make ourselves be so like I said, it's all determined by what we do with our off-season. I think we're two or three steps ahead of the game than we were last year and that's because of the teaching phase of everything, now it's more of fixing everything this offseason. Going into this offseason in the summer, we want to get bigger, get stronger, get faster and then in fall camp just get those young guys, those upcoming freshman, like POB and Graham, those guys, just make sure we get them ready just in case they have to step up and make plays for the fall."