University Southern California Trojans
Hackett, Tiller Preview Pigskin Classic
June 21, 1999 | Football
Aug. 25, 1998
LOS ANGELES -- Following is the transcript of media teleconference calls hosted by USC Coach Paul Hackett and Purdue Coach Joe Tiller on Tuesday as their football teams prepare for the Pigskin Classic at the Coliseum.
USC COACH PAUL HACKETT:
I must begin with the statistic that the last new USC head coach that won his first game was Jess Hill. The six coaches prior to me have not won their first game. So on that note, let's start.
Things have been a lot better at training camp. We are in our third week and in our game week preparation and we are really looking forward to finally having a chance to play in the opener against Purdue. There is one word to describe this team and that is inexperience. A second word is uncertainty. As you begin as a new coach, you do a lot of talking. But it all boils down to Sunday when you play your first football game. Any chance you have to play as hot of a team as Purdue was at the end of last year, it's a very good gauge.
Our football team is experienced on defense and inexperienced on offense. Defensively, we have many players back and we're most experienced in the areas of linebacker and the secondary. The huge question in the defensive line. We have virtually no experience there and don't feel like we have a lot of depth there. Our secondary and linebacking unit, we feel, is very, very good.
On offense, we have inexperience on the line. The lines at USC will both be huge question marks. Our running backs our inexperienced and our quarterback has only played in two games. When you look at us, you'll say the defense is the strength. On defense, we think we're solid. Offensively, it could be a real adventure.
I feel our special teams are strong. Adam Abrams returns as our kicker. He had an excellent year last year and has had a good camp. There is some uncertainty at punter. Mike MacGillivray will be our punter but he hasn't played in a game yet.
As camp ends, I feel very good. Our football team has to concentrate and focus on the job at hand. I don't feel like we've been distracted during camp. I feel like we kept the distractions to a minimum. The exciting thing now is that we get a chance to look closely at Purdue. The performance they put on last year was outstanding. Defensively, they're a very good football team. When you've got a guy like Rosevelt Colvin, he's a force on that team that you have to deal with. And when you look at their statistics and their turnover ratio, it's impressive. We feel it will be a huge challenge. Finally, our guys can quit knocking heads with each other and find out where we are. And the following week, we'll have a chance to sit back, analyze the game and regroup as we prepare for the remaining 11 games.
(On Daylon McCutcheon playing on offense and defense) Ever since I got here, people have been telling me to get him on the offensive side of the ball. He's an outstanding cornerback and we've shied away from using him on offense so he can concentrate on defense. If we did use him, it would be at receiver. Last year, he didn't have a super season but had a solid season. He sees himself as the best cornerback in the country and we want to give him every opportunity to be the best. We also have an experienced wide receiver corps, so as we begin the season, he will play strictly on defense.
(On the difference between being the head coach at Pittsburgh and at USC) The first thing that comes to mind is that when I became the coach at USC, it felt like I was coming home. I feel like I belong here. It may have something to do with coaching here in the late 70s with John Robinson. My feeling was that this was the right place to be. At Pitt, I was on the staff and then a sudden change was made. I was the convenient choice and named the coach prior to a bowl game. At Pitt, it being my first opportunity, I had to learn a lot on the job. I probably tried to do too much from an x's and o's standpoint and neglected some of my other duties, like spending time with the team. I'm very comfortable with the transition here. It's a much more positive atmosphere. At Pitt, it was always negative.
(On preparing for a pass-oriented team like Purdue) We've had some history preparing for passing teams. Our conference is a passing conference. We have had some excellent quarterbacks in this league and some great passing teams like UCLA, Washington, Washington State. It's not like we haven't played passing teams. What you have to worry about with Coach (Joe) Tiller is all the multiple and spread out formations. We didn't fare very well last year against Washington State, but we have a new staff and a new philosophy on defense. One of the problems is we don't know if the '98 version (of the Purdue offense) is the same as the '97. Yes, we've been exposed to their type of offense, but that doesn't reduce the difficulty in preparing for a team like Purdue.
(On USC's quarterbacks) It's been one of the highlights of camp. We came in with Mike Van Raaphorst as our starter. He earned the job in the spring and has kept it. We also had in the spring Quincy Woods and John Fox and were welcoming two true freshmen to compete as well. We made the decision after about 10 days of camp that our No. 2 quarterback would be Carson Palmer and there was a lot of discussion about who would be Nos. 3 and 4. Now, John Fox is at tight end Quincy Woods is at wide receiver. Jason Thomas, who has competed but has been bothered by an injured ankle, is No. 3 and is improving.
(On USC's tailbacks) It's been a long time since USC has had a premier tailback who has been in a position to dominate a game. It's been one of our primary areas of focus. In 1997, Chad Morton moved from defensive back to tailback and really took hold of the opportunity. He's full time on offense now. Malaefou MacKenzie has been very, very impressive. He's more of a power runner, between the tackles. Those are the first two guys. We are also looking at other people closely, too. Petros Papadakis, Frank Strong, Jabari Jackson and Sultan McCullough. We have a number of guys who all have shown flashes.
(On Chris Claiborne and Daylon McCutcheon) Chris has excellent range and to be able to make tackles from sideline to sideline is not common for a guy who is 6-3, 250 pounds. He's been playing in the middle for a number of years and is really a leader on defense. He's good in pass coverage and against the run. He'll be in the game on virtually every play because he is so good with pass coverage and as a run defender. Ever since I've been here, Daylon and I have had continuous conversations. He is a young man who is very focused on his senior year. It's his time to really be a leader on defense and I'm excited about the way his camp went.
(On Purdue's defense) It is so sound. You have to look first at the fact there are no holes in it. Their linebackers are fast and athletic, play well in pass coverage, are excellent blitzers and play well against the run. My concerns are how stable and well-coached they are. Defensively, they've been together for a long time. They play very well in a zone but can play man-to-man also.
PURDUE COACH JOE TILLER:
First off, it's noteworthy that we started school yesterday, because we got to 1-a-days, which the team is particularly pleased with. We went through the dog days of August, we've gone through 2-a-days. Guys have worked extremely hard, and unlike a year ago where we picked up a couple of injuries, really this team is in pretty good shape overall. We're in very good shape physically in terms of conditioning, in good shape mentally.
We need to be a rested football team as we head into the weekend because we're a little tired, but that's natural coming out of 26-27 practices in a row. Overall, we're excited about the opportunity to go and play a team like USC and their great athletes. I'm sure that we're not the favorite, but I don't pay much attention to that. Certainly with their athletes, and their good program in the past, Paul Hackett has got them playing good football.
One thing that's a disadvantage is to play a coach that's new. We didn't do a film exchange, but I assume they have our game tapes. It's difficult for us to figure out what they're doing with a new coaching staff. It's mostly guesswork on our part. The problem is spending so much time getting ready overall. I'm glad to have 2-a-days behind us. I'm looking forward to the football game.
(On quarterback) Drew Brees is the starter right now, and I don't expect that to change. He's done a good job throughout camp. He was the heir apparent out of spring, did a nice job in the spring. However, he's being challenged by a new guy on the scene, David Edgerton. Each day that goes by, Dave gets a little bit better and closes the gap between he and Drew. Right now Brees is the guy and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Who knows what happens down the road.
(On defense) Certainly I hope our defense is improved with eight of 11 starters back. I think of the guys we've replaced, we've done so with better athletes. We'll give away experience but have better athletes than the guys that graduated. I feel better about that aspect. However, we were not great defensively last year. We were opportunistic defensively but did not put up impressive numbers. I don't know how quickly it will change in one year. I think we'll be better because we're more experienced.
(On difference between this season and last) You work with same players from last year, but every year there are new players. The heart and soul of the team is back, they're used to you, you're used to them, and know what to expect. It was a lot different in training camp, when they hit the field, everyone knew what to expect. It was certainly different training camp from last year. The big question this year is to try to figure out what USC is going to do. Last year it was just the opposite. We had a lot of Toledo tape, looked a lot at them, and certainly the preparation was different last year. This year's preparations are more general than last year.
(On John Reeves and Chike Okeafor) Chike has advanced right up into the defensive line. He will start at defensive end this week, and has almost all but eliminated himself from the linebackers contingent. Chike has done a good job, very athletic, held his weight, mid-250s throughout 2-a-days. His strength is good and he's done a good job grabbing ahold of the position. He'll play defensive end because from the team perspective, we needed more help at defensive line than linebacker. John Reeves did an admirable job making the adjustment from safety to linebacker. It's a real horse race at strong side linebacker. Last year it was Mike Rose, who made big plays. If we had to play this afternoon, Mike Reeves would start and Rose would be the backup.
(On USC's defense) We don't like it. I say that because they're extemely talented. If I try to make a comparison with a team we played in past, I felt last year the best team in league was Michigan State, the week we played them. They were very athletic, guys undersized at defensive end but quick, a real good secondary with a lot of experience, who light you up with big hitters. We think USC is even better than Michigan State last year. In my short time at Purdue, I think this will be best defense we've seen to date.
(On season carrying over, turning the program over) What turned it around for us was the coach's good looks and superior intelligence. Seriously, we were fortunate last year with a new system. I'm not naive, we showed people some things they hadn't seen and we'll be defensed differently this year. Last year we had the element of surprise. The fact that Purdue was down for a dozen years, players might have said they had lined up against that guy for two years, whipped him and things were going to be the same. The schedule helped, we did not play Ohio State or Michigan. We were injury-free, the least injured team I've ever been around. We only lost one starter, and didn't lose him until the sixth game of year. There are a lot of reasons why we ended up with that kind of year.
(On if season can carry over) I certainly hope that having had some success, the guys can grab ahold of it and remember what it took to get there. Your players have raised the bar, in terms of what to expect to get done. If we can win 8-9 games this year, that remains to be seen. We have done a better job in the offseason to be in a position to be successful. We certainly like what success we've had, what it's done for the program and players and hope it can carry over.
(On discipline, players leaving) They eliminated themselves. There's always suspect of that, and from the outside it's hard to criticize because people don't know what's going on in-house. We came on board not thinking we would gave to "clean house" but that's just the way it went. You set a standard and expect anyone within the organization to measure up, and if they don't there are consequences. Many times in competitive athletics, people have a way of eliminating themselves. It's a combination of events that brought us to there last fall.
(On backfield) It's going to be a lot different, we lost a lot of seniors. Eric Haddad is the only guy we have in the backfield that's had carries in the Big Ten, maybe Chris Clopton once or twice. That's been about it. Haddad has experience back there. We're giving away a lot of experience. Right now I don't know how it will unfold but today in late August, what I foresee, is we'll play the season by committee. I think a lot of different guys are going to play who have strengths and weaknesses. A young guy like Dondre Johnson seems like a natural. He's a slasher, not a power runner, but very fluid. Haddad is an outstanding catcher, Crabtree has good strength but won't make people miss. Clopton can make people miss, but he won't run over anybody. We have to play to their strengths and be as productive as we were last year.
(On surprises in camp) There are no significant changes other than Okeafor from linebacker to defensive line. Otherwise we're lined up like last year. The surprise in camp has been the play of a young tight end, Chris Randolph. His development came from right off the map. He was destined to be a program guy, take 2-3 years on the field before being a starter. He really picked up his game from a physical standpoint. It's been a while since I saw a player improve that much in that time.
(On Drew Brees) He lacks experience, has 70-some snaps in his college career. He came out of Austin Westlake High in Austin, Texas. He's pretty accurate. I wish he was a little taller, he's only 6-0, 6-1, but he puts the ball on the body, and he's a very competitive guy. He's very bright in the school of management, very good on and off field, handles things well mentally. We're as anxious to see him play as our opponents are. We like his potential but know you don't win on potential. You win on performance, so we hope his performance matches his potential.
(On special teams/kicking) We hope we have improved in the kicking game. Danny Rogers comes back as our punter. Danny was not our frontline kicker in the sense that we used him as the pooch punter. Danny was the starting punter two years ago. Last year we had a senior who was kicking really well, then tapered off. Rogers will do all punting this year. He had a very good camp and is a junior who's experienced. Kicking will be handled by freshman Travis Dorsch, who is new to the program. We hope he lives up to his clippings, a high school All-American who kicked a 63-yarder. He has gotten better but struggled early in camp. It's typical what we see in college, but last week he's really come on.
(On reaction to bringing a wide-open attack to the Big Ten) Skeptical. There were a lot of folks that were skeptical of whether this offense could be successful in this environment. A lot of players on the squad felt the same way. That's not true anymore, particularly from the players. It's natural to have Doubting Thomases who would like to see it stand the test of time. The players are strong believers in the system.
(On recruiting after success last year) Pretty good. We feel like we got in on some better players than the year before, but not to where we'd like to be. We'd like to have some guys lining up to come our way.
(On preparing his defense for USC's offense) If you have any answers, we welcome them, because basically we'll try to guess. Coach Hackett's from the Chiefs, so I guess they'll use some of the Chiefs' offense. But it's tough to get tape on the Chiefs. Guessing really is what you're doing, we're don't know if we'll see a traditional USC game. It's hard to believe with their stable of running backs they won't run the football. Pull the guards, toss to the tailback, run a sweep. But Paul's not that type of offense, he's going to that infamous West Coast attack, so we'll get the team ready to play that. The biggest danger against a new coaching staff is all that guessing. We'll try to get the team ready to defend everything, but then you might not be ready to defend anything.
(On distractions in LA) I hope not but I agree. The years I coached at Wyoming always the most difficult trip was to Hawaii because of the bathing attire on the beaches. Some guys have never been West of the Mississippi, who knows, they might stay up all night. We're a little concerned, but yet, part of maturing as a football player is handling the travel. So this is a first step.
(On USC's Mike Van Raaphorst) I don't know a lot about him. He's secured a starting position, but I hear a lot about the new young guy, so I suspect we'll see him. I don't know much about Van Raaphorst, or feel like there's anything specific that we can do differently in terms of our game plan, no matter who the quarterback is. We're pretty much locked into a guessing game. What he did last year might be totally irrelevant with a new offense.
(On USC's Daylon McCutcheon) He's an outstanding player. I certainly wish he were here. He's a great athlete, a fierce competitor, can really jump. He has all the tools to excel at the next level. He's just an exceptional player, a guy that I can see running down there catching a pass or returning a kick or doing what Charles Woodson did last year. I'm not saying he's another Woodson, I haven't seen him that much. But I hear he might be as good as any corner to line up out there in that league, and there's been some good ones.
(On raised expectations) Absolutely. Once you achieve a certain level of success, even though very brief, it's human nature to raise the bar. People that follow us enjoyed last year and look forward to it this year. I just cringe when they ask if they should order Rose Bowl tickets. The point is that expectations continue to grow, the players have done a good job of handling it, I don't know if everyone else has.
(On coaching previously against USC) I coached against them when it was the Pac-8, so I'm very familiar with USC. From 1971-73 I was at Washington State, and USC was very talented at that time and I don't see much difference. I don't remember which year, but we were playing in the Coliseum and we were playing really well. We either had the lead or were tied at halftime, and USC had an average kick returner by name of (Anthony Davis). We kicked to him and he just kept running. I thought he was going to beat the horse up the ramp. Then they kept scoring in the second half.
