Ever get a song in your head, and you just can't get it out? Or, did you ever sit with a group of friends and someone coins a saying and everyone just keeps saying it?
If the answer is yes, you know how Coach Brandon feels. Coach has locked onto the one word "salty" like grim death, and it keeps leaking out over and over again. It debuted last week to describe the BC Nose Tackle, and its back again this week. I will track the salty references along with other uninformed and wise ass remarks in orange, as I do each week.
HEAD COACH Gregg Brandon
How is the team's morale after Saturday's game (at Boston College)? Do you watch the film and harp on it or do you just move on and pretend it didn't happen?
Who asked this question? Jesus, were they nervous or something. God, what an idiot question. Maybe there might be an approach somewhere between those two. He should have pretended the question didn't happen.
"Well, we don't pretend it didn't happen because it obviously happened. (Duh!) The thing about Boston College was, that was a really good football team and we had to be clicking on all eight cylinders (I thought we were a V-6) to have a chance to win that game -- four interceptions later it was a blowout. We didn't take care of the ball, and we didn't respond like we needed to when those turnovers occurred. Again, in the grand scheme of things this game (Miami) and the next game are huge. These are MAC East games and these are the ones that we've been playing for. We put that one on the shelf last night and now we're getting ready for Miami."
How fired up is this team to get back into conference play?
"Pretty fired up. I think coming off that loss they'll be even more fired up to prove that wasn't us out there last week -- that was a group of imposters. That happens though; it's college football and when you're on the wrong end of that, it's tough. As I said, BC is a great team and [QB] Matt Ryan is a first-round draft pick in my opinion."
Now that you're entering the MAC, do you show anything else now or is what we've seen, as far as offense, what we're going to get the rest of the year?
"[The offense is] pretty much what it is, but we have a few wrinkles here and there. We are who we are right now. Hopefully we can rush the ball better. (Amen, brother!) A lot of the games, Michigan State, Minnesota, Boston College, we weren't working on running the football. We thought our best chances to win the game were to throw the ball 50 to 60 times. The [offensive] lines and [defensive] front sevens on those teams were very much built for the Big Ten and the ACC."
Miami isn't scoring a whole lot of points; does that mean their defense is pretty sharp?
Well, I would think if Miami wasn't scoring a lot of point, that would mean the offense WASN'T very sharp, but apparently, that isn't obvious to everyone. Their defense has been giving up mad points on occasion, against teams not as good as BC.
"I think their defense is pretty scrappy (scrappy....almost salty). The last two weeks they've really stepped up defensively. Against Syracuse they ran to the ball really well and in the Kent State game they were flying around. If you can play great defense and keep people out of the end zone you have a chance. (Kids, make a note of this). I mean obviously they aren't scoring like typical Miami teams of the past but they are finding ways to win games the last couple weeks."
You mentioned there was atonement for the Boston College game. Is there atonement for last year's Miami game?
"Well that was a tough loss, the `Mud Bowl'. The thing about going to Miami is that is a rivalry game in my mind, just like playing Toledo. The old guys that played here in the 60s and 70s will tell you that Miami is a natural rivalry for Bowling Green. (Actually, in the 60s and 70s Miami was our preeminent rival. UT was an afterthought, like playing Findlay). We went down there a couple of years ago and we beat them in the weather delayed game [2005]. It was the first time we won down there in 12 years. Going to Oxford is tough, we have to impress upon the kids that they have to be focused to go in and win this game."
Six weeks into the season, what are your thoughts on the team compared to what you expected?
"A little bit better than I thought. (Hey, me too!) I think offensively we can throw the ball against anybody effectively. Boston College was an aberration; that was a great team and I'm not going to get caught up in that game. We have demonstrated that we throw the ball, move the football and score points. We have demonstrated that we can make stops defensively at key times.
"I think we play a salty (ding! ding! ding!) schedule, and in the non-conference we are 2-2. The kicking game has improved dramatically although we didn't cover kicks very well on Saturday. (Oh, yeah, its much better) With Roger Williams back there we got some stupid penalties on our kick off return for blocks in the back. We have to fix that and do a better job at that, but I think we have a guy back there that has the ability to pop it, I think he is close (plus he founded Rhode Island); that's exciting. [Punter Nick] Iovinelli is doing a nice job. I think we are sitting pretty good for conference play."
How hard is it to prepare for Miami with all of the changes in their lineup? Do you just prepare for their schemes and not concern yourself with whoever they put in there?
"We are a lot like Miami and we were a lot like them last year. You have a lot of question marks, especially with injuries. They have talent and you can see it. Miami is going to have guys; their offensive line is salty (ding! ding! ding!). It is going to be a tough MAC game; the East is wide open. (Yes, it is!)"
What are you thoughts on Buffalo's win over Ohio on Saturday?
"Buffalo is getting better. [QB] Drew Willy is a fifth year guy. Kids grow up and mature and they get better, if they have some talent.
"Tyler Sheehan is going to grow up, mature, and get better. This game [BC] is one of those games that is bound to happen, you hate to see the interceptions but he's got to learn the school of hard knocks. You play against better people, you have to take care of the football every week. When you are playing against an opportunistic defense like that, with a lot of veterans and experienced players, you can't throw it away. He'll learn. He'll get better."
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