Indiana University Athletics
Cam Cameron's Weekly Press Conference
9/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
September 5, 2000
Quotes From Cam Cameron's Weekly Press Conference
Bloomington, Ind. -- Obviously, we are still in preparation for North Carolina State. They had a heck of a win Saturday night in double overtime against Arkansas State. I think, statistically, as you can see this is a good football team that is coming in here. It didn't really surprise us as much as it may have some other people. Those of us who have known Norm Chow, their offensive coordinator, knew they would have the ability to move the football and score points. They had over 500 yards of total offense and, as of right now, they are leading the nation in total offense. They have some weapons coming back from a year ago. Two guys that you'll get the chance to see and I think that you'll be impressed with are, one is Koren Robinson and the other is Ray Robinson. Koren is a wide receiver. Ray is a running back. Those guys could play anywhere in this league, are extremely talented, and are guys that were rookies-of-the-year in the Atlantic Coast Conference the past two years. As you see, statistically they got off to a great start going into this season. We basically have spent our time looking at Florida State's defense. I have told you that once before, Chuck Amato comes from Florida State and we would assume that they would bring that package for the most part. I am sure they will have a wrinkle here and there. The BYU offense, with all the receivers that caught passes in that game it is very similar statistically, everything points toward them doing what Norm had done at BYU. That is what we would anticipate and, obviously, they will come up here extremely excited and ready to play after a double overtime win. I think our guys, having been watching now for two weeks, are ready to play. This is going to be a heck of a ball game I am convinced having looked at the North Carolina State from a year ago. This is a team that went 6-6 and was probably two or three plays away from winning seven, eight or nine games a year ago. They beat Texas. They have talent and I think that you'll see that on Saturday.
Questions?
Is Phillip Rivers a true freshman?
"He is a true freshman who graduated a semester early from high school. He left to go to Raleigh and went through spring practice. He was injured prior to the spring game and did not play in the spring game. I think at that point they knew they had a talent but they weren't sure who the starting quarterback was going to be. He has come in and, obviously, done a great job in the offseason and that's as fine a statistical performance I think I've ever seen out of a true freshman in his first game as it was in the rain. Todd (Starowitz) and I listened to it over the Internet in my office. There was a point in time during the game that they said they could not see the field. That's what the comments were from the press box at least. To think that one can play that well as a freshman under those kind of conditions is impressive.
He has been known as a pocket-type passer. Most kids today have athletic ability enough to move around. Again, as you watch BYU play, those guys just don't stay in the pocket. They can move around and throw the football. I am sure this guy can do the same.
Positives and Negatives after Friday's Scrimmage:
The positives: I thought our staff and I thought everyone involved--not only our coaching staff--did a great job of setting and creating an environment - a game environment. We wanted to do that because we have seen all the mistakes a lot of teams have made in these opening ballgames. We didn't have a lot of penalties. I thought our guys were sharp in terms of their alignments and assignments. It wasn't a full scrimmage the whole evening. Part of it was 'thud', then it was 'live.' I thought our guys came out and gave a great effort. We had a good tempo on both sides of the ball. I think that we were able to accomplish a lot of things in the first half hour with the kicking game. I like what I saw. It wasn't probably as physical as we would have liked. But, we are like most teams today. When you have depth concerns, you've got to be more careful than you would like to be in a scrimmage.
Background of James Bell. How does that help prepare for this game?
Well, obviously, Chuck is coaching North Carolina State and not Florida State. Florida State, no matter who is on the staff there, creates so many physical and personnel problems for you. They are both defensive guys so it was never like they were going against each other. Probably, the one thing, James is familiar with the North Carolina State's personnel. Having played them before he has gone against both the Robinson's. He hasn't gone against Rivers, obviously, but he knows that personnel. He is impressed with that personnel. So that's where we might have some type of benefit.
How is the team physically shaping up heading into this week's game?
"Physically, we are going to have two tough practices today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday). We got a lot done on Saturday and Sunday and Monday is our day off. But, we'll know more after these next two days. These next two days are physical, physical days. We are like most teams going into their opener. We want to get as healthy as we possibly can. We want to try to get our legs back underneath us coming out of training camp. I think we have done a great job of that. We have to have a heck of a practice today. It will be a physical, physical practice. We'll know more by the end of the week, but as of right now we are in pretty good shape."
How are the wide receivers progressing?
"Our receivers have progressed more than any other position on our team. You say that with some caution because now they need to go out and do it for 11 straight weeks when it counts. I think the one thing that you'll see is that if they can stay healthy, you are going to see a talented group of receivers. You are going to see Dorsey and Frazier have talent. You know Versie Gaddis has talent and he's playing the best he's played. (Derin) Graham is playing the best he's played. So those four guys have all improved. Now we've gotta take and carry it into the game and be able to make those plays we talked about--those critical plays in critical situations.
On a young secondary and young offensive line:
"We have a new system on defense, too. So even if those guys were back they would be learning a new system. So, I think that would be one way to look at it.. You don't stop this type of offense with four defensive backs. Obviously, they are a big part of it. Your linebackers become as important and maybe more important than the back end because of all the underneath throwing, the reverses and the trick plays, those type of things. And then the one thing is pass rush. Any team that throws the football, you've got to get to the quarterback and obviously, if you've got fewer guys, if you can get there with four guys that's ideal. This team is like most BYU teams or scheme-type teams, if you come after them they can hurt you. So we have to be able to put as much pressure as we can with four or five guys.
Our offensive line, we are going to have some patience. Everyone on our offensive line. That is why we are going to have to be simple in a lot of ways in this first game. We have got to bring that offensive line along and make sure we don't them ask them to do too much too soon. I think they'll get better every snap. Craig Osika gets better every snap he takes. Anthony Oakley gets better every snap he takes. Sione Ohuafi gets better every single snap and the two tackles, DeMar and Myler, both continue to get better and better. But, there are a lot of people in the situation that we are in. Offensive lineman...there are very few programs these days that just have quality depth in the offensive line. I think that North Carolina State is very similar to us in that regard. I don't think that either one of us can afford to have many injuries in the offensive line at this point. But, I am encouraged that our guys are going to get better and better. Myler has three years left, Oakley's got four, Osika's got two, Ohuafi's got four and Enoch's got three. You know you're talking about an offensive line that is going to get better and better. They are all big, athletic, guys who can play."
Specifics about the kicking game:
"Andy's punted and we haven't asked him to punt a lot. We pretty much know what he can do. In all likelihood, unless one of the younger guys really comes on, Andy will punt in this game. But, in all likelihood-you know, Ryan Hamre, if he had a great week of practice, he could very well be the punter.
Well, Michigan came in here last year and we had probably two or three teams last year whose kickers were doing some punting. Of course, Andy was our 'pooch' punter a year ago. He had a significant number of punts last year. So, it's not like we are asking him to...I think the key becomes the fact that Adam Braucher is going to do the kicking off. So that takes some of the pressure off of Andy. If you ask a guy to do all three phases, sometimes his leg can wear down. Ideally, I'd like to have Andy kicking, Adam kicking off, and Ryan or someone else punting. That would be an ideal situation.
About Penn State:
Someone asked me, Stan (Sutton), earlier - early in the season where depth is really not as big of an issue, anybody can beat anybody. You just look at what's happening, no matter what conference you are in, everybody has 22 to 25 pretty darn-good players. Everybody. As you see as the season goes along and injuries take place, those type of things, some of your more established programs are sitting there with more depth. There aren't many schools that could lose a Drew Henson (Michigan QB) and have a guy step right in and play at that level but Michigan has done that for twenty years, even at that position. They have done at a bunch of positions for a hundred years. The quarterback position, it has been a good ten to fifteen years, maybe twenty years where the backup quarterback every time he comes in at Michigan, he comes and plays at a high level. All those factors, all those things, play into upsets but you see less and less as the season goes on because of the depth factor. There are a lot of good football teams out there.
About the defense:
"One, I am extremely pleased with what I've seen so far. But, again, you say that with caution. We haven't been tested by live conditions in a game. But, up to this point, I like our approach. I like our staff. I think we have great leadership and experience on our defensive staff. Again, James comes in but also having Dick Flynn come in and obviously those are just additions to Ted Daisher and Ron Burton. I really like the way they are working with our team. Our defense is giving a great effort but it takes some time to learn a system. So, this is going to be a good system. It is going to be a system that everybody is going to enjoy watching the defense play. But it is not going to happen overnight. So,we are going to have to basically wait until Saturday and find out. This will be a difficult task for us. This is probably the test we need to find out where we really are."
Bigger and Stronger in the Big Ten than other Conferences?
"I would say in the past, that was probably true. But, I tell you, you turn on Florida State, Alabama, those people aren't just fast. The offensive line and defensive lines throughout the country are bigger and stronger. So I think it's probably more equal than it has ever been. I think that is, moreso, because the Big Ten has put more of an emphasis on speed. You see more speed in the Big Ten, probably in the last few years, than you've ever seen. I think that is a big part of why the Big Ten is having success. We've always been big and strong but now the teams in this league can run. But, are we any bigger, any stronger, any faster than the Big 12, the SEC? I don't think that's the case."
What is the greater advantage having played a game or having a week to prepare for it?
"The advantage goes to the team that has played if you come out of that game injury free. If you can play a game and come out of the game healthy, especially come out of the game with a win, it is a definite advantage going into the second game. But, North Carolina State lost their center. I know if I were sitting in Chuck's position, I don't think in any game you can afford to lose your center. So it probably balances out, one way or the other, depending again on injuries. And, I think in this game, I think both of us go into this game feeling that we are both ready to play. I don't think anyone feels that they have a huge advantage over anyone else. The team that wins this football game is the team that plays the best, not the one who played the first game or the one who didn't.
