Narduzzi on the open week, the offense and more

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Pat Narduzzi talked to the media on Monday about the open week and more, and here's everything he said.

Narduzzi: After a week of absence, we had a nice open week last week. A good time just for the players to get fresh, get in the weight room, get their body back together. Opportunity for our coaches to evaluate really what we're doing well, what we need work on, where do we make improvements. I won't really get into that. You guys probably know before me. Just things we need to improve on in the open week.

You have a little extra time to prepare for a really good Duke football team that's coming in here Saturday 3:30. Had a tough loss at home against Virginia, another good football team in the Coastal Division, which every year is a battle.

With that I'll open it up for the questions.

Genesis of the punt play you used. Is that something you had seen other teams do in the past before?
Narduzzi: Changing of numbers. Just getting similar numbers. If we ran Kenny Pickett, maybe they would know it was a fake. Similar number that most people don't check that. We thought we had a good play. We didn't execute like we needed to. Obviously we did a poor job as coaches making sure we got it done the right way. Goes on us.

Where did that come from? Had you come across it before in your career, filed it away?
Narduzzi: It's very similar to what we did against Syracuse to win the game up in Syracuse a couple years ago, 2015. A similar play that was executed properly. You saw it Saturday where you take chances. Would have been nice to get a first down there and keep the sticks moving.

The part that really disappoints you, it was a run-pass option. He should have just punted the ball down the field. Whatever. That's our fault as coaches. We didn't coach that good enough. If he's not doing it, it's because we didn't make him do it, so...

Should have been a punt anyway. Nothing was open, punt it.

You have faced a lot of good quarterbacks this year. What is it about Jones that maybe has garnered him that next-level buzz?
Narduzzi: I think what makes him maybe a top 10 pick, all those things, is he is 6'5". He has Dave (Cutcliffe) as his quarterback coach. Got a gun arm. He can also move in the pocket. He's elusive. Not as elusive as some guys we faced this year. Has the ability to make you miss in the pocket.

He's a big pro-style quarterback. Not a lot of them out there. A lot of 6'2" guys that can run and throw. He's a pro-type quarterback. With the quarterbacks that Coach Cutcliffe has mentored through the years, I think people trust his word, the coaching he's getting there.

He's a dang good quarterback.

With the tight end position, did you consider Carson Van Lynn playing tackle or are you moving him to tight end?
Narduzzi: We'll find out. Only time will tell. We'll just see how he does. He's a big, athletic guy that is really a backup left tackle. We're just trying to get our best 11 players on the field. Carson becomes one of those best 11 at times based on personnel groupings, what we want to do based on down and distance and field position.

Has he run routes for you guys?
Narduzzi: Yes. He can catch. A good athlete.

Reverse Brian O'Neill?
Naruzzi: Reverse Brian O'Neill. Grant Carrigan had a nice game as well. If they had a bag over their heads, you don't know who is who. Both same size, run well, athletic, can play tight end, both can play offensive tackle.

Who would be your backup quarterback right now?
Narduzzi: Right now it would be Jeff George I believe, yeah. Right now Jeff would be the guy. We know we have confidence in Ricky, as well. Jeff has come in and really picked stuff up well, so...

You look at the Coastal Division standings, is that something you can point to your team? We're right there, 2-1, a lot of teams in that same mix?
Narduzzi: I think it is. That's kind of what you want to do, take one game at a time in the ACC. We have five to go. A lot to look forward to. We can't look too far ahead.

Really the standings mean nothing. The only thing that matters is what we do this weekend against Duke. After a week, if you don't get your job done, standings don't mean as much.

All the focus is on Duke, what can we do to beat them on Saturday. Yeah, it is a positive. You can look at it and say, doesn't matter what happened at Notre Dame, UCF. Still have your goals in front of you. I don't think anybody is blind to that.

The open week, any specific area of shortcomings that became a point of emphasis?
Narduzzi: Obviously you're going to find stuff offensively, defensively, even special teams, fake punt execution, coaching. But there's going to be something on offense and defense. Not going to get into the details of that. There's always stuff you have time to look at and self-evaluate what we're doing as a football team, coaching staff, how can we make things better.

Generally when you look at why the passing game hasn't really gotten on track, is there any concern that you maybe have been too conservative?
Narduzzi: Sometimes. I mean, there's no doubt about it. Like I said, it's player, it's coaches. We've talked about that, as well, about putting up -- last week or two weeks ago, Maurice Ffrench got chased, goes down the field, attracts a PI. We don't even get those because we don’t take those, you know, very conservative.

But it's also what you do, what Kenny feels comfortable doing, too. It's a little bit of everything, period. It's 11 guys out there. It's protection, feeling comfortable, who is in the game at receiver, are they making plays, are they open, on time. It's a lot.

Kenny has talked about that he welcomes the pressure. When the passing isn't as efficient as you want it to be, how do you walk the line about not having him feel like the whole world is coming down on his shoulders?
Narduzzi: I mean, what is he going to tell you, he doesn't welcome pressure? We all welcome pressure. You want to get your job done.

But first thing is we're going to stand on the run. That's what we do well right now. We're going to run the football and set the pass up with the run. That's Pittsburgh to begin with. That's tough football. We certainly have to throw the ball better than we are, period.

Seems like Aaron Matthews has played pretty well the last two games. What do you feel like has been the difference maker, separating himself from the other guys?
Narduzzi: First of all, it's opportunity. Probably at the point five or six weeks ago where he was all disappointed. I just said, Keep fighting, keep fighting. Taysir Mack was in at that time. I'm not sure when he'll be back. Really an opportunity to go out there.

He's practiced better. I look at guys that want to play. You better practice better. He's practiced better. It's translated onto the football field. I'm happy for Aaron. He's had some opportunities, made some catches, too. But he can still get better.

Where does Tre Tipton stand?
Narduzzi: Again, if you practice better, you play better, you get opportunities. Tre is a guy that's going to get opportunities. He's done some good things. He's got to make more plays for us. He's a guy that's got the ability to make plays. We need to get him out there, period.

Knee not an issue any longer?
Narduzzi: I don't know. Is it? I don't know. C'mon. (Smiles)

You faced a lot of mobile quarterbacks this year. Jones is more of a 6'5", stand in the pocket passer. What challenges does he bring to the defense?
Narduzzi: He can also scramble and throw it as well. He'll scramble for a first. Out only two weeks with a broken collarbone. Tough guy. A drop-back guy that can run for the ball.

We have to be good at disguising coverages, getting re-routes on people. He’s going to throw RPOs as well. He does everything well as far as getting guys the ball. He can deliver it a bunch of different ways.

You want to try to get the tight end position more involved. Grant, Carson, different types of players than Will Gragg. In the off week have you looked at that position?
Narduzzi: I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we did. Maybe we didn't. I wish I could tell you, but I'm not. (Smiles)

I had a chance to talk to Dennis Briggs at length. Coaching a married player, do coaches like having guys with that maturity going on there?
Narduzzi: Does anybody get married any more? I mean, Dennis is a special kid. He's a loyal guy. Nothing is different about coaching a married player. As a matter of fact, it's pretty nice. You don't have to worry about them going out at night, worry about what he's doing on Thursday or Friday night.

He's a different kid. He's special. He's become a better leader through really the last two years. He’s a captain. I think, you know, having a steady wife, steady girlfriend, can benefit some guys. Maybe it can hurt some guys. I think it's to each his own.

He mentioned that he didn't have the year last year he wanted to have on the field. What is it about his personality?
Narduzzi: Just the way he presents himself. I think guys respect him for who he is, how he acts off the field. Dennis Briggs, when you look at the player he was a year ago and now, it's night and day really. He is a much, much better football player. Even though he was a leader a year ago, he's a much better football player right now than he was a year ago. He's making a lot of plays. Playing with confidence. I'm happy for what he's doing.

In what ways is he better?
Narduzzi: He's a better tackler, cover guy, where he needs to be faster. Just everything really. He's playing at a high level right now, I think. Better than he ever has.

How did the linebackers respond to the loss of Quintin Wirginis, especially Elias Reynolds?
Narduzzi: I think Elias did okay. You lose one guy in the middle, he's the heart of the defense really. He gets everything controlled. Elias did some nice things in there as far as getting everybody lined up. He's pretty cool. He wasn't in a panic, being the first start of his career.

Again, Seun is another guy. You have Zeise as well. Two older guys out there with him that can help make sure things are right. I think Reynolds did a good job.

How has Kessman responded to going from hero against Syracuse to missing two field goals at Notre Dame?
Narduzzi: That's how the game of football is. That's the game of life. It's the game of life for everybody in this room really. One week you're the hero, you can't do anything wrong. The next week things just don't go your way. Every week someone wins and somebody loses.

My mom always reminds me of that. Hey, half the teams win and half lose every week. Wow, you're right. Someone is going to miss a field goal, someone is going to make one.

I think he'll respond, but we'll find out Saturday. That's when you're really going to find out. If he puts the first one up through, just one of those days.

Maybe again he didn't handle success very well. I don't know. Everybody patting him on the back from the week before hurt him. Those are only things he knows inside what happened. I think he's a tough kid. I trust he will respond the right way, the way we want him to respond.

Generally speaking, not specifics, what did you find out about your team this week that you didn't like?
Narduzzi: I didn't find anything I don't like. I like this football team. I like how they work. We went out and had two great practices last week, went a lot of good-on-good. Did some two-minute against each other, team periods, inside against each other, just becoming a better football team fundamentally. We just figured it was a good time. It was physical, too.

The thing I like is they're resilient, they're going to come play, period. They love the game of football. They love what they're doing every day, coming to the office, playing ball. That's the thing you love about them, they're going to come out every day and give you everything they've got. They do. I don't dislike anything.

Have you ever not liked something about your team?
Narduzzi: Sometimes. Not here, though.

Last Tuesday was the first day the new transfer rules kicked in. As coaches, have you looked at that thing one way or another?
Narduzzi: Not really. It's not the time to be looking for transfers. I think it is what it is. It's something that after the season, if you have a need, you're going to look at it. I mean, it's almost too much from what I hear from the recruiting office. It's already probably three pages by now. I think people are using it in the wrong way. That's what they got to do.

What do you mean 'the wrong way'?
Narduzzi: There's some guys that have redshirted the year before. When you look at things that are happening, they've already redshirted. They play four games. Think you can do it again. You're not going to get the year back.

If you already redshirted, just continue to play the rest of the season. What are you doing? That's the way I look at it. Play the season. You never know what happens game five, six, seven, eight, 10, 12, bowl game.

You face the team right behind you in the standings this week, and then you have upcoming the three teams in front of you. Do you emphasize that at all, you control your own destiny?
Narduzzi: I don't think I have to emphasize that. They all have cell phones, look at the standings, I'm sure, besides other things on Twitter, the Internet. They understand where they are. I don't have to emphasize it.

I think they understand it is one at a time. Next three are here. Doesn't matter. Only one that matters is Duke. The games get bigger if you win them. If you don't win them, they get smaller. Got to make them bigger.

Why has the Coastal race annually been so wide open?
Narduzzi: When you look at the other division, you have Clemson there. They've been the 'Big Daddy' of the Atlantic Division. Coastal has a lot of great football teams. Anybody can win every week. That's the difference there.

There's not one team in the Coastal that's going to defend another one and say that's an easy win. There's a dominant team over on the other side of the division. In our division, it's a lot of great football teams that you are going to win by three or lose by three. Come down to the wire.

I think every game the rest of the way is going to come down to the wire, it’s going to be a four-quarter focus football game. Got to be disciplined to get it done.

How would you feel if the roles were reversed and you had a game this week after a team that had a bye?
Narduzzi: That happens all the time. Other teams have byes. I know it happened earlier in the year where somebody had an open week prior to us. I don't know who it was.

Carolina.
Narduzzi: UNC had the hurricane, open week. You get healthy. I don't know if it matters.

Is it an advantage for you?
Narduzzi: If we win, I'll say yes. If we lose, it was a disadvantage. I mean, you don't know. It's hard to say.

Coaches don’t think about that kind of stuff?
Narduzzi: You like to guess on these things. I wish I could tell you there's a stat. I don't think there's a stat. Sometimes people feel you have an open week, you lose your rhythm. You're back to the first game of the season.

I think it's just another game. I try not to look at it as anything different than a chance to get fresh, evaluate what you're doing, start to look into your fundamentals a little bit more because you have more time to do that, this week lock in the game plan.

Back in the day there weren’t any open weeks, were there?
Narduzzi: I think there was, yeah. I don't remember. That's a long time ago.