Head Coach Scott Frost Quotes - 9/16

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Monday, Sept. 16, 2019
Pre-Illinois

On if the team is too reliant on big plays
“I think we might be looking into stuff a little too much if we’re worried about having big plays. We want those to happen.”
 
On what impressed him the most offensively this past weekend
“I think we can still play a lot better on offense. We left some points on the table, we left some plays on the table. I think we were more efficient, but we still lack a little bit of execution more often than I would have liked to. So, we got better again but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
 
On offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes
“We’re not really going to comment on Jaimey, but we have a depth chart and the next guy up will be the next guy up.”
 
On if the amount of reps they do in practice helps the depth of the team
“Repetition is the key to execution. We did it a long time ago at Nebraska with four groups going at once. We have two groups going all the time at a really high pace, getting a lot of reps for everybody. That helps. Certainly, there is no substitution for live game reps and actually being out there doing it. Anybody that we would put in that’s been through camp and been through three weeks of the season is going to have a lot of reps of doing what we ask them to do on offense or defense so that certainly will help if anyone else will need to play.”
 
On how many reps the second and third string guys gets
“Through fall camp it’s pretty even. The ones probably get a few more, but we try to spread them out, ones, twos and threes. During the season it’s about 60 percent for the ones and 40 for the twos.”
 
On starting Big Ten play and what it means to him
“I’m excited to get into Big Ten play. We've got a big test on the road this week. Watching Illinois on tape more on defense so far, they’ve improved a bunch since last year defensively. Some of the schematic things they’re doing are different. They look bigger and faster to me. You can tell they’re older and more experienced than they were a year ago. I’m looking forward to going on the road, and we’ve been close on the road a few times since I’ve been here and haven’t finished one, so if we get that opportunity Saturday I want to see our guys see it through to the end.”
 
On if there’s beem a difference between playing on the road and playing at home
“No. Two games in particular, we had every chance to win and we didn’t. We had a lot of talk amongst the team last week and the guys found a way to finish the game when they needed to. So we just need to do the same thing on the road. It’s kind of a challenge going on the road, it’s even more of a challenge when you’re playing a night game, have to sit around the hotel all day. Sounds like we’re going to have three night games in a row, so we’re going to have to adapt and play well in those games starting this week.”
 
On an evening game kickoff against Ohio State
“I don’t like night games. I’m ready to get it going in the morning and have some time at home after the game and be rested on Sunday. I do like night games from the standpoint that our fans are unbelievable. It seems to be even better at night. We will play when they tell us to play. I will get sleep later.”
 
On Assistant Coach Tony Tuioti and the job he has done since being hired
“We interviewed a lot of guys. From a fit with our coaching staff standpoint, he was the best of anybody we hired. I think from a technique and fundamentals standpoint with the defensive line, he was the best of anyone we interviewed. He hasn’t disappointed at all. I think he has made that group better and really a lot of guys better from the top to the bottom of the roster and guys that are playing. We have a lot of guys on the D-Line that are contributing now, and every one of those guys has improved since Tony got here.”
 
On where Lane McCallum fits in the kicker position
“Well its only Monday, so we will figure that out as the week goes along. Lane came in and did a good job. I saw him kick a week ago for the first time and he did a good job. He got a little sore from kicking for the first time, so we weren’t quite ready to give him a chance out at Colorado, but when he came in Saturday he did a really good job.”
 
On defensive tackle Darrion Daniels performance Saturday
“Darrion had a really good game. He is solid. He is a leader for us. He is a big body, which is what we need when we play odd front at the nose guard try and plug up the middle. All of those guys up front are playing pretty well, but Darrion was a big addition for us and he was the D-Line player of the week for us last week. He had a really solid game.”
 
On the blocked kicks
“Kind of different issues. One came over our left side and one came from the edge. Like I said after the game, you don’t ever know you have a problem on those types of things until you have a problem, but then you have to get them fixed or people will keep trying the same things.”
 
On Darrion Daniels and Mohamed Barry setting the tone and mentality for the Blackshirts
 “We try not to tell our guys what to say too much. We try to teach them the right things and the right ways to do things and the right things to say. Then they are going to do what they need to do and want to do. I just prefer we don’t say much and nothing leaves this building. I want them to get our guys excited and ready to play, but not talk too much outside of the locker room and meeting room. Those guys are both fiery guys and fiery competitors. They want to win as bad as anyone.”
 
On sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez in the run game
"I'm sure defenses have to account for that. We've tried to design some runs for him since he got to Nebraska in a year and a half. People need to account for that. We've played three defenses, where so far this year, we didn't get what we were expecting in any one of the games, which is unique, I've never had that happen before. South Alabama was mostly even, Colorado was fifty-fifty and played us differently than we'd seen on tape, and then last week we didn't practice for at all. I don't think Illinois is going to be that way. They might surprise me too. They're good at what they do. They know what to do, they know their assignments and what they do. I expect we'll get what we've seen on tape for the most part. That will help us be able to scheme things a little bit."
 
On junior outside linebacker JoJo Domann's versatility
"JoJo's unique, big and physical enough to play the run for us on the edge, but athletic enough to cover and even cover man-to-man when we need him to. He had a good game on Saturday. He had some injury issues in fall camp and was just kind of getting back in shape, so I think we're just kind of scratching the surface of what he can accomplish this year. Coach Chins [Chinander] and the boys teach every angle at tackle, every way to tackle, and some guys are better at it than others. Some guys have a knack for it, some have to learn, but JoJo's a guy that has a knack for it. We're going to teach it every way that he might have to approach a tackle, but he's a guy that does it pretty naturally." 
 
On scouting during the season
"We do some during season quite a bit on the bye week of self-scout. We've got two bye weeks this year, so I'm sure we'll take a hard look on the bye weeks to make sure we're not giving up any tendencies. Most of it is done in the offseason."
 
On progress from the first game
"I thought the defense took a big step forward Saturday playing four quarters. That was a big step that needed to happen. I thought the offense executed better. I thought we played at a better pace within plays and in between plays. Those things still need to improve. offensively we need to execute at a little higher rate, play a little faster yet, but we took a big step Saturday. If we build off of that, we will be in good shape."
 
On losing junior safety Deontai Williams
"Losing Deontai was big for us. He had an unbelievable camp. I was excited to watch him play this year. He didn't get much of a chance to do anything before he went down. It's a testament to [Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Travis Fisher] Fish and all the guys in that room on how many guys are playing well right now. The starters are playing well, the guys who are backing up Deontai are playing well. We have a couple of walk-ons that are helping us. You're really starting to see the fruits of the walk-on program that Nebraskans love, that I love so much, with guys like Sully [junior safety Eli Sullivan] and Stalbird [redshirt freshman Isaiah Stalbird] playing so well. We've got some pretty good depth there. There's a lot of positions though where we can't afford to lose too many guys."
 
On true freshmen
"Like I said before, I think some of them are wait and see. Several of the guys are ready to help us on special teams and we're going to use them when we can on special teams when we need them. Right now, especially, with what's happening to our secondary, we're having to play a lot of those guys on special teams and defense and they're getting a lot of plays on defense. So we need some of those young guys to give us good plays on special teams so we can get Marquel Dismuke [junior safety] and Cam Taylor [sophomore cornerback]and those guys off the field a little bit. If a guy is going to be playing a lot, all four special teams and on defense or three special teams and on offense and defense, we're going to have to play them. There's a few guys who fall into that category and we'll kind of make those decisions as we go along and use the guys that we need. We'll include them in those conversations too and make sure they're good, but almost every one of them would say that they want to play."
 
On freshman safety Noa Pola-Gates
"They're the same and they're separate. We talk to guys all the time when you get to the NFL unless you're a superstar, you're going to play on special teams so it's going to help you get in that live game experience whether it's on special teams or offense or defense. I think the four-game rule is a good rule. I think it helps get guys' feet wet and helps them improve even if they only play four."
 
On Illinois
"I think they've changed quite a bit. Last year we saw cover two and man coverage. They're playing a little more quarters and versions of quarters and mixing in three and man and still playing a bit of two. They're doing a good job of disrupting and re-routing receivers to keep guys from getting down the middle of the field. I think the defensive line is playing well. There's a lot of movement up front. They are pretty physical at linebacker and they definitely improved a lot on defense, I'm impressed with them. Offensively, they've put up quite a few points. The running back is a really good player, I'm impressed with him. They have some really good people around him. We have to be ready to go on the road and have a big test."
 
On if any of the walk-ons got put on scholarship
“We decided on one. Jeramiah Stovall is going to go on. He’s been a core special teams player for us for a long time. This is his last season. He’s a starter on all four. There are several guys who deserve it, but we rewarded him with one and are closing in on adding another.”
 
On how sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez has done throwing against zone defenses
“Adrian has played well. When you think about Adrian around Nebraska, you forget that he’s a true sophomore. He’s played well enough for us to win in every game. I think he has gotten better in every game. The one thing we keep talking about is when he is decisive and makes the decision to let it rip or when he keeps it and runs, he is really good. We need to get him in positions where he feels good about what we’re doing, so he can get the ball in the right place.”
 
On if the team played with practice helmets without the area codes on Saturday
“I took the area codes off for that game.” 
 
On if it was a statement to the team
“No. I just kind of made the decision to take them off.”

On if the area codes on the helmets will be back this week
“Probably not this week.”
 
On if anything will be done different this week considering the recent road game struggles
“We just need to do what we do. It’s not about anything we do traveling or at the hotel or any superstition. It’s about practicing really well, being in the right frame of mind and going in and playing the best we can.”
 
On any reason they don’t do walk-thru like Coach Tom Osborne and Coach Frank Solich did in the afternoons at the stadium before the game
“First of all, for the sake of the student-athletes' education, we want them to be here as long as they can and attend as many classes as they can before we leave Friday. Secondly, playing in league games, a lot of the guys have seen the stadium we are going to. As a player, I never really felt like I needed to see the field to go out and play well on the field. Everyone’s got good facilities, the same grass and turf. I could reference a Hoosiers scene if you want me to. All the fields are 100 yards long. In some cases, we don’t stay too close to the fields, so you’re talking about an hour bus ride just to check out the field, run around on it, play patty cake and go back to the hotel. We’ll stick with what we do and it’s worked well.”
NU Athletic Communications