TicketsCoach Dantonio?s Comments on the 2004 Bearcats
Contact: Tom Hathaway
8/11/2004
Overview of the 2004 Bearcats
?We have a senior-dominated team coming back on both sides of the ball. Changes will always affect everyone. How we respond to this and blend together as a team will be critical as we face the challenges ahead.?
Challenges
?We will have to handle the adversity we meet and play with confidence as a team. We will ask our players to play with great effort and toughness, know what to do and play fast. Our goal will be for this to become our trademark.?
How the Players Have Adjusted
?The players have responded well. We have been very pleased with the attitude of our players through both winter workouts and spring drills. Summer workouts and reporting to camp in shape will tell us a lot about what kind of football team we have.
?We have asked our players to take ownership of the team. Whether you are a fan, student, player or coach, with ownership comes responsibility. This will be a key to our development. We need to continue to develop relationships with each other. Relationships are built on trust. We all need to trust in each other. ?
Changes as a First-Time Head Coach
?The biggest change has been the overall administration of the program as opposed to working extensively with one side of the ball. You tend to deal with more far-reaching issues, good and bad, across the board. Hopefully, you make decisions that positively affect the team.?
Immediate Goals
?Our goal will always be to win the conference championship. Again, how we handle adverse situations will determine our success. We will need to focus on one play at a time and retain our composure throughout the year. This can be accomplished with great senior leadership and confidence.?
Defense
?Championship teams are built around defenses. We need to continue to build on the experience and success that they had last year. We need to become a great Red Zone defense, force turnovers and be able to make the game one-dimensional.?
Offense
?We need to take full advantage of our opportunities and play mistake free. Our goal will be to run and throw effectively while creating mismatches that can create the big play. We need to develop into an offense that scores touchdowns in the Red Zone.?
Conference USA
?Conference USA is an excellent football conference. Memphis, Louisville, TCU and Southern Miss all won nine or more games last year. Football has become a game of inches. Anyone can rise to the top, depending on how they play away from home and what kind of foundation they build throughout their summer camp and early season games.?