Today is the media’s day to meet with defensive players and coaches. No big news so far, but there are a few interesting things to pass along.
One of the big concerns this week is the mental state of the team after four straight losses. Here’s what senior defensive end Greyson Gunheim said about that topic.
“Everyone is pissed off and wants a quick change and everyone is trying to find that. For the most part we’re all on the same page wanting to turn it around, but when this happens there’s always a few people making excuses and pointing fingers and stuff like that, but the leaders on the team go around those guys and tell them what’s going on and calm them down. People are just mad about it, I think that’s why those things happen.”
Fellow senior Jordan Reffett, one of Gunheim’s good friends on the defensive line, said confidence is still high and that he hasn’t seen the finger pointing Gunheim mentioned.
“If it’s happening, I don’t see it, and if does happen and I see it, it’s going to stop, because that’s not what this football team is about. We don’t do finger pointing amongst each other or the coaches. We’re a team here, we’re a group. We’re just trying to get better and I think that’s what we’re doing. Everybody thinks that our confidence is down and that we don’t believe in ourselves, but we do. We just need to start making plays when we need to make plays.”
Asked about the defense’s struggle and missed tackles, defensive line coach Randy Hart seemed optimistic things can get better.
“I think the thing you have to look at most is the effort. Is the effort there? And we don’t have many loafs, and that’s the encouraging part. I know we’re getting better, now we’ve got to just keep playing and come together and understand what the defense is doing and where the fits are and we’ll be fine. Somebody’s got to be in the A, B and C gap on both sides, and somebody’s got to be a force player off the edge. If you’ve got that, you’ll be in good shape.”
We’re meeting with Tyrone Willingham soon, so I’ll add any updates from that in a little while.
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