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Princeton University Athletics
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Football Coach Looks Back At '07, Discusses 2008 Offense In Part One Of Annual Spring Chat
April 24, 2008 | Football
Head coach Roger Hughes knows that the biggest question on the minds of the Princeton faithful revolves around the quarterback position. Who looked good in the spring? Why did you bring a defensive starter to the offense? Do you feel confident in the current No. 1 on the depth chart? Hughes touched on all those questions, as well as the rest of the offense and a brief 2007 recap, in part one of his annual spring chat.
Let's start with a recap of last season. When you look at all the close wins in 2005 and 2006, those seemed to be the games Princeton lost in 2007. With a few months to digest it, were those close losses simply about turnovers, or was there more to it?
I think turnovers were certainly the key statistic, but it wasn't the only thing. We weren't nearly as efficient in the red zone offensively as we had been the previous year, and the number one statistic, when you look at winning and losing percentages, is scoring defense. So we were not efficient on either side of the ball in the red zone, or at least not as efficient as we needed to be. Turnovers were a big thing, but defensively we dropped our ranking among Ivy schools in six major categories. Offensively, we did the same thing. When you are turning the ball over and not creating turnovers, the field position puts your defense in a bad position. It really does the same thing to your offense, because you now have to drive further to score.
I think we were inconsistent in a lot of areas. At times we looked brilliant, and at times we didn't. Another thing that happened, and where we were fortunate in 2005 and 2006, were injures. We lost about eight guys after that Hampton game. Injuries are part of the game and it's not an excuse, but we were just a different team for two weeks following that, the Brown and Harvard game. So when you consider all of those and you remember how close the talent level is in the Ivy League, they all played a part in why we just didn't make those plays to win games that we had made in previous years.
When you look back at the Hampton game, how do you remember it? It was such a special day here, do you remember it for the atmosphere and the intensity, or for how it left you heading into the heart of the Ivy League season?
I think I remember all of those things. I remember the atmosphere, because that's exactly what we're trying to create as a college football program here at Princeton. I don't know how it could have been better, between the fan base, the intensity and the excitement. I think our kids elevated their play that day. This is how you hit people. This is the speed with which you need to play. For most of the game, we hung right in there, and I really feel that if we score on that fourth-and-1, maybe it could be a different ending.
Although we still would have dealt with the injuries, maybe the attitude, the deflation we felt afterwards after putting so much emotion into it, would have been different. We had not played a scholarship-level school and gotten so high emotionally going into the Ivy season. Our staff probably could have done a better job with the emotional preparation for the Brown game, because I think we came out a little flat. Even Phil Estes, the Brown coach, indicated that his team really couldn't “feel” Princeton, and teams should always “feel” Princeton. So maybe we did have that letdown. I was also upset that I didn't get to see the halftime show, which I heard was phenomenal. But seriously, while the result and lingering effects were disappointing, everything about that day was really special.
Because the record was disappointing, people tend to focus on the negatives. What positives did you take from last year that make you feel good heading into 2008?
Well, let's go back to 2006. We had a completely inexperienced offensive line, but because we had a quarterback in Jeff Terrell who made quick decisions, the line really didn't have to hold its blocks quite as long. I thought they came into last season still fairly inexperienced, but we were also inexperienced at the quarterback position. Not that those guys were bad, but the inexperience might have forced them to hold on to the ball a little longer. There is nothing like experience to prepare you for the game, and I think that a few of the weaknesses of the offensive line began to show. But they continued to work, just like our young defensive line that mostly all returns. I saw the development in those guys, but it didn't necessarily translate to the scoreboard. Getting more experience seeing different things on the field and getting more used to the speed of the game will only help those two positions going forward, and I think we can really depend on those two units this season.
Since your teams have improved in winning percentage four straight years, this was the first offseason for any of these players to come in with a worse record than the previous year. Did you have to monitor the psyche of the team a little more during the offseason workouts and spring season?
Going back to after the 2006 season, we had just worked so hard to achieve a goal, and when they ask is there a Super Bowl hangover or an Ivy League hangover, I'd like to say there wasn't but I'm not sure I can. A couple things happened after 2006. We structured our offseason a little differently, and as a coaching staff, we did a lot more spring recruiting and a lot more alumni relations. I think maybe we got away from the kids a little too much. This spring, we changed that. We did very little of those things and were around the players a lot more. I think we needed to re-instill the work ethic, commitment, and desire needed to be a championship team. To this point, I'm really pleased with the leadership of this senior class, which looked at our results last season and felt we underachieved. They want to make sure that doesn't happen again. I really like the team this year because of team chemistry, and the way they checked their ego at the door. The work ethic has been exemplary, and they are all hungry and motivated. This isn't meant to disparage the current senior class, because those guys were key components in our championship two years ago. We all factored in to our disappointing season last year, but I just think the current senior class has taken it upon themselves to make sure the attitude and commitment is where it needs to be as we get ready for another championship run.
On the offensive side of the ball, when was the decision made to move Dan Kopolovich to the quarterback spot?
I'd rather go back and start with the decision to start Brian Anderson in the Dartmouth game. It is always hard to have two experienced players and choose to go to the guy who hasn't really been in the game. I thought Brian handled it remarkably well. He completed his first 11 passes, and had he not broken his thumb on his throwing hand in the game he would have even better numbers. I think that did a lot for his confidence and for the confidence of the team. So really we didn't make the decision to bring Dan over until Brett Kan injured his knee for the second time in nine months. It was clear that Brett was going to have to have surgery, and if you look at the board, we had Brian and we had Andrew Dixon, who is a freshman and didn't get a lot of playing time last year. And so we didn't feel we could get through spring practice with just two quarterbacks, and more importantly in our offense we asked our quarterback to carry the ball. It certainly increases exposure to injury.
So Dan Kopolovich was a logical choice. He started here as a quarterback. He was the Division IV Pennsylvania player of the year as a quarterback and he has the athletic skills we look for in people who play that position in our offense. The beautiful thing about talking with Dan is when I asked him to come over, he said ?Coach, I'll do whatever you want me to do to help this team.' And he said the same thing when we moved him from quarterback to corner and he ended up playing in over 700 plays with us over the past two years. His work ethic is unbelievable and he is an unbelievable competitor. He is a playmaker and he is clearly one of our best players. Our challenge is to find ways to get him on the field if he remains the backup. I was very pleased with Dan's progress during spring. As far as running the ball, that part of the things he has been phenomenal. Throwing the ball, he is very good at throwing on the run. He is still a little rusty with blocking out the rush coming at him when he is the pocket. He wasn't a big pocket quarterback when he was in high school. He is getting better at it and I saw exponential improvement during spring practice. That is something he is going to have to work on during the summer.
What progress did you see in Brian Anderson this spring and why were you comfortable listing him as the number 1 heading into the fall?
First of all he reminds me of two people that I have respect for and that I have coached a lot in this league -- Jeff Terrell and Jay Fiedler. He understands football and he is a coach's son. He works at it tremendously hard. He has been watching film all the time on his own. He organizes seven-on-sevens. He emails the team to make sure the right things are being done. He is organizing the freshmen to make sure they do their volunteer work. He is just a constant coach who is a player. And with all those attributes, he understand football and he wants to be good. He is extremely coachable in that you tell him what you want done and he'll do it. He has gotten to the point confidence-wise where he is not afraid to make a suggestion. If we are working on new footwork for a certain play, if he doesn't like it, he is not afraid to say, “Coach, what do you think about this?” and that is exactly what I want. I have come to trust him and I respect his opinion.
How do you envision the trio of R.C. Lagomarsino, Jordan Culbreath, and Kenny Gunter being used next year?
In our offense we've been best when we have had two tailback types in the backfield at the same time. We always have been, even before my time here at Princeton. In Jordan and Kenny, we have two kids who are physical enough to be fullbacks and very unselfish, so they will do whatever we ask them to do. That means blocking for the other guy, catching passes and protecting our quarterback. R.C. is not as physically blessed as those guys from the standpoint of stature. He is a smaller kid who has really never had to block before. He is more of a quickness-and-speed guy who is learning to become a more physical runner and I think he is continuing to improve in that way. One thing R.C. has been especially good at is catching balls out of the backfield and making big plays out of it. We are blessed to have three high-caliber people that can play that position. The other person who did very well in the spring was Matt Zimmerman. Ryan Smith missed most of spring as fullback because of injury, so Matt played a lot of the position, and he is showing a lot of promise there. I think we really have four backs that could play for us, and when we put Ryan back in the mix we have five guys who could be good contributors.
You seem to have a plethora of good wideouts next year, but is it necessary in this offense to find a go-to-guy, similar to Brendan Circle of 2006?
I don't know. I don't know if we need that kind of person, but certainly every quarterback has a go-to-guy and I think throughout spring Will Thanheiser has kind of evolved as someone the quarterbacks really trust to go and get the football. They put it anywhere around Will and he is going to go up for it. I do think we have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position. I don't see a blazer exactly, but I do see people like Trey Peacock and Matt Ransom and Andrew Kerr, who are all young players who had very good springs. Adam Berry had a hip pointer early and couldn't participate in a lot of spring practice, and Jeb Heavenrich has been in and out with injuries as well. I think those six guys, when you include Thanheiser in that mix, everyone of them are good receivers and are quick enough to go the distance.
More importantly, they are all good physical blockers down the field. They get just as excited about throwing the block that causes the touchdown as they do about catching a touchdown pass. It is going to remain to be seen how well we run the football, especially how much we run the football inside as to how much we throw the ball. My hope would be that we be pretty balanced.
About 55 percent run/45 percent pass?
That is where we would like to be. That is what we go into thinking we'd like as a model. Depending on how our line progresses, how our backs progress, and how the quarterback progresses, we'll modify that base. In 2006 we were about a 65% pass, 35% run and last year we were a little more. It kind of revolves around the guy behind the center.
With an experienced offensive line of primarily juniors, can you start looking at that position as a strength in the 2008 season?
I do look at it as a strength. Even though we only have one senior, Matt Reynolds, who started the game against Dartmouth, we have five guys in Mark Paski, J.P. Makrai, Andrew Hauser, Marc Daou and Nick Morgan who played a lot of snaps as freshmen and as sophomores. And I really believe the heart and soul of any team is the offensive line. I believe their toughness, their physicality and their work ethic really sets the tone for everyone else on the team. I was really pleased to see them take a more active role with leadership, and taking a more aggressive role on the field.
With the injuries to Jake Staser last season, you didn't get as much from that position as you hoped. Who are the candidates for next year, and what are you hoping to get from them?
My hope is we can split them out. Joe Magro, I thought, had a fabulous spring. He has always been a good athlete, but I think he has been so confident with what he is doing, and he is getting to be so much more physical as a blocker. He is physical enough to be a blocker in what we do, and he doesn't have to weigh 260 to do it. That allows him to split out and be a viable, athletic threat on the perimeter. Harry Flaherty had a good spring, he is a freshman moving up in there. Zack Kranz improved tremendously. Where we have gone to three fullbacks in certain situations in the past, we might be able to go to three or four tight ends now. Billy Mitchell was also a lot more physical this spring than he has been. Billy has always been a good athlete as a pass catcher, and I thought he improved his physicality in the spring. With those guys, coupled with Mike Mikita, another improving freshman, I think we are going to be able to go more two-tight end sets and have both be adequate blockers and viable pass-catching threats.
(check back next week for part two of the spring chat, when Coach Hughes discusses the defense, special teams and his coaching staff)