CINCINNATI – Head coach Scott Satterfield, offensive lineman Gavin Gerhardt, cornerback Matthew McDoom, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, and tight end Joe Royer met with the media ahead of Saturday’s game vs. Northwestern State.
The Bearcats and Demons will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET at Nippert Stadium this Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Opening Statement
“First of all, just going back to Saturday, talking about the crowd first, it was a great crowd. It really looked good. All that white out there for our team and the people in the stands. It was such a great atmosphere. We hope we have a great one again this weekend against Northwestern State. I appreciate everybody that came out to that game and yelled and screamed, it was obviously helpful for us. Going back to the game, I thought we came out really good to begin of the game, and jumped up 21 points, which is great. We were explosive on offense. The defense was playing solid, then went to halftime, and I think we came out of second half, and things are going good up until the fumble. Obviously, turning the football over is unacceptable for us. We cannot do it. We turn the ball over and we felt like right there we’re up 24-3, we turned the ball over, and they haven’t slowed us down. We're going to score to be up 31-3, and the game is probably over at that point, but we didn't. Then three plays later, they score on a 31-yard touchdown pass down the sideline with miscommunication on the back end. Again, that's unacceptable. It was one of the bigger plays we've given up in the two games we played defensively, and now they're back in the game. At that point, it's kind of some back and forth, and you end up getting the win, which is great, but it left a bad taste in everybody's mouth, because we have a standard we want to play to, and we did not play at that standard in the second half. Obviously we get some things well, but there are things we got to get better at.Turnover margin, we lost that again. That's got to change certainly as we get closer to a Big 12 play. We know that. We had one penalty on offense this past week, but we had four on defense, and including the first play of the game where we got our hands on a face mask and just leave it on there. Had a couple PI calls against us. These are drive extenders, they're getting first downs. We didn't run many plays on offense, but If we're allowing them to continue to drive the ball, we don't get the ball back. I think we ran 53 plays in the game, and a couple of those are kneel downs. That's just not very many opportunities for offensive plays to be able to run your offense. I think we had 60 plays in the first game and roughly upper 40s in this game. That's just not a lot of plays offensively. I think offensively, our numbers are good. We’re averaging probably 6.7 or 6.8 yards per play. That's pretty good. We're just not getting enough opportunities for that offensively. Special teams had a solid day again. Max [Fletcher] hit a couple bombs, punts, which is what flipped the field, which is awesome. We knocked down our field goals, Stephen [Rusnak] did a great job again. Then we let one return get out. That was the negative in the teams, but they were very solid again. A lot of things to continue to work on and get better, that's our focus this week. Continue to get better, and to play at our standard. We're playing a Northwestern State team that's coming in here, FCS team that is trying to rebuild the program back up. They went two years and didn’t win a game, and then they start this season with a big win for them. So obviously, they're on the right track. I think we're playing a lot of young players right now. They ran into a tough situation last week. It snowballed early for them then it got out of hand, but again, you can see the fight in this team. The team is different this year compared to last year. The kids are playing a lot harder, and you can see that on film, but again, it's about us. It's about our standard and how we need to play. What kind of focus can we have this week, and how hard can we practice. I think that's what it comes down to.”
On how tough it is to coach a game where your team is highly favored
“For me, it's about our standard of how we get out and practice this week. How are guys going to prepare? I thought they did a great job last week in the preparation. They got after it, and we have to do that again this week. Then we have to go out and play as hard and as clean as we possibly can in this game. To me, that's what the focus is, it's not really about Northwestern State. It's about us and how we go out and perform and how much focus do we have. You need to attack these games every time you get out there, and that's the way we should practice today, the same way, with that same attacking mentality. I think if you do that, then the results will take care of itself. If you don't, then the results will see that as well. So, we're all about getting out and getting after today in practicing and that’ll carry into Saturday.”
On the importance of Northwestern State’s takeaways
“It's important that every week we try to get some turnovers. Sometimes the ball bounces your way. Sometimes it doesn't. We fumble the ball and it kind of goes around and they end up picking up. They had a very similar fumble, and it's like a basketball hit the ground and came right back to him. Same thing in the Nebraska game. We have to continue to hit the ball and knock the ball out, and then somehow we need to get some interceptions. We’ve been dry when it comes to interceptions. I thought we had potentially two opportunities Saturday to get some interceptions. Trevon [Gola-Callard] had one on our sideline and kind of tipped it up to himself, and almost had that one. Then Christian [Harrison] had one down the goal line but unfortunately they called PI on him on that particular play. It was a close call, but he's right there with a hand on the ball. We need to create those opportunities. I thought we did a pretty good job with the pressure. I mean having four or five sacks that our defense had Saturday. Jake [Golday] was in the backfield a lot, and they were throwing it quick, just a little bit more coverage right there. We're going to get several more sacks. I think when you're doing that, that's when you're going to create those turnovers. When you press your quarterback to throw it earlier when wants to. We got to continue to work on that. That's a big emphasis for us, is trying to get some turnovers.”
On the time of possession difference
“I certainly would like to get off the field. Our style of defense is a little bend, but don't break, so you are going to give up some yards at times. I did think the four penalties extended their drives and gave them first downs. We did not create any turnovers in the first two weeks. So those factors are why I think we didn't have any time of possession the last two weeks, and therefore not running as many offensive plays. I really think we got to do a better job again, creating turnovers, getting off the field on third down, which will help that time position and really balance out the number of plays.”
On defensive line depth
“I mean, Kamari Burns, Isaiah Rogers, [Jalen] Hunt is another guy that plays edge and also can play at the nose. You mentioned that we rotate a lot of guys up front. We want to keep those guys fresh, and we'll continue to do that. Whoever rises up in practice may get more opportunity. I see it as an opportunity for some other guys to get some more reps, and hopefully they go out and make some more plays for us.”
On Ethan Green and rotating players on the offensive line
“He’s [Ethan Green] practiced well throughout the spring and summer. It's a great opportunity for him to get in there. And I thought he played well. We had a false start penalty, and then we simply put Green in. He played well and played rest of the game. It's always great to have depth. I think we have to continue to play several guys at the offensive line. We’d love to play at least eight guys there. As you get to the meat of the season, we know there's going to be some injuries. You have to be able to rotate some guys in there. So we'll continue to do that.”
On Ormanie Arnold and opportunities in the secondary
“I thought we got some good reps out of him. Getting him back was good, because Logan [Wilson] was out. Daniel James and Kyle Stokes had a couple reps as well, and then I thought [Matthew] McDoom played really well, he had some good tackles out there. I thought he played a very good game as well. Again, we’re just trying to create some depth right there and they were able to get their opportunity to make the most of it.”
On playing FCS opponents and looking at final scores of other FBS vs. FCS games
“No, I don't worry about that. I just want guys to play at a high level, and if we're doing that then it'll take care of itself. There are a lot of different examples of teams struggle against an FCS team or a Group of Five program. I think it's just a matter of how focused, how hard you go out and play, how well you execute. If you do that then it should take care of itself. And I think Minnesota was a great example of that last week. Minnesota got after it in all phases. I looked at it at one time and Northwestern State had run 16 plays and minus nine yards during their first 16 plays. I mean, that's the defense is getting after it. You have to be able to play like that. If that's the level that you're playing at, then good things are going to happen.”
On the running backs and playing multiple players at the position on Saturday
“When it comes to running back position, we were disappointed in the whole room on Saturday, quite honestly. We didn't break many tackles. I think we counted seven opportunities for us where it was one-on-one with you and a guy that could potentially be really big plays, and then they get us down every time. We have to be able to run through those tackles and get some big plays in the running game. I don't care who it is. I do think all these guys in our running back room have talent and they have good ability, but they have to show it, prove it on the field. You have to go out and make plays. You have to break tackles, and these guys know that. I mean, [Evan] Pryor knows that. He has to make the catch against Nebraska out in the flat that probably been a touchdown. He knows that he has to hold on to the football. Tawee [Walker] knows he has to be able to break some tackles when he’s one-on one with a safety. Those are the things we have to get better at in the running back room. And when you do get an opportunity, you have to make the most of it. Chance [Williams] comes in, and he had a couple opportunities on some runs and didn't hit where he needed to hit it, one of those could have been a big play. So when you get your opportunity, make the most of it, then you will get more opportunities and more carries.”
On tackling and penalties vs. Bowling Green compared to Nebraska
“We're sitting there watching on Saturday and witnessed some of that. I think we had 13 or 14 missed tackles on defense, and you obviously need to do much better. I think some of it was just not bringing your feet. We're leaving our feet too early. And when you start lunging, these guys are going to break tackles. I mean, you have to bring your feet all the way through and run through the ball carrier. We certainly need to get better, you're right. We did a much better job against Nebraska compared to this one, and also with penalties. Those missed tackles and penalties led to those first downs, which led to them keeping the ball, for most of the game. If we knock some of those tackles down, then we're going to get off the field. And so certainly have to go back and continue to run our feet, bring our feet and fundamentals are really what it comes down to.”
On rotating more players in on the offensive line
“You’d love to be able to play some more guys. I think seven, eight guys that you'd like to be able to go to rotate in and keep the guys fresh. It's a long season, those guys that are putting their hand in the dirt, man, they get dinged up. They get bruised. They get knees, ankles, shoulders. And the more you can keep them fresh, obviously, the more longevity they'll have throughout the season. So if we can rotate some more guys in, that'd be great. Obviously, we'll see how the game goes and let that dictate that. But we certainly have confidence in the guys that are backups. They can do anything and really get it done.”
On linebacker Jake Golday
“I've had some good backers over the time. Yasir Abdullah we had Louisville, he was an outside linebacker that was playing in NFL and was a straight speed guy, but didn't have the size that [Jake] Golday has. Golday has speed, but the impressive thing is he does it with a big frame, close to 240 pounds. I felt like he was all over the field on Saturday. You see him dropping off in coverage, you see him coming off the edge and sacking the quarterback. What an impressive play when they ran a play down our sideline and he gets out, he's on the other side, and walks him down the sideline. Nobody else is going to get him. That's big time impressive because he plays with motor, plays extremely hard, but he also has the speed, He’s a unique talent, we've been saying for the last year that he is, and he's shown in the last two weeks.”
On Jake Golday’s background and how he ended up at Cincinnati
“He could play anywhere in the country, there’s no question about that. He kind of got under recruited coming out of high school, developed, to his credit, continued to work hard, and he continued to develop. And since he's been here, he's continued to develop. And really, he was kind of a tight end coming out, and then his last year at Central Arkansas, they moved him to linebacker. Then when he came here he was still kind of learning the position for us last year, and I thought he got better and better as the season went on, and now he feels really comfortable playing in multiple positions. What's cool about it is, he doesn’t mind walking up and playing at the edge of defense, like he used to play in high school, and pass rushing. But now he is able to drop back into coverage too. It’s fun to watch him play.”
On wide receiver Jeff Caldwell
“He is who he is. His personality is good, he's fun to talk to. He's fun to be around. He has a lot of talent and a really high ceiling. I think he's a guy that will continue to get better and better throughout the season. He's a guy that has all the tools in the world: size, length, can jump, can run, can catch. I feel like he's still learning a lot about how to play wide receiver, how to run routes, how to set yourself up. I think he'll continue to get better and better. He's certainly a very, very talented player. He's another guy, kind of like [Jake] Golday, that was under the radar playing at Lindenwood. And now he's coming here and playing at the Power Four level.”
On how many players he expects to see on Saturday vs. Northwestern State
“I mean, I would like to play as many guys as we can possibly play in all positions. It’s going to come down to how our guys come out and play. How hard do they play? How focused are they? How clean of a game can we come out and play right from the start? So that will determine that.”
Offensive Lineman Gavin Gerhardt
On being a part of the Big 12 Offensive Line of the week
"It's cool. I think we protected the first two weeks really well. Our run game slowed down a little bit, we had a couple of missed assignments that we need to clean up this week. But I think if we get both aspects of our offense together, we can be really effective."
On studying film from the previous game
"I watch everybody else. I usually watch it about four times before we break it down with the coaches. The first time, I usually watch the TV version, to hear the commentary and all that. And then I usually watch it on film that night too, watching everybody. Then I usually watch it trying to hone in on myself, and the details of what I could do better on each individual play. But I definitely watch everybody."
On how this year’s offensive line compares to others from his career
"I think as the season progresses, it could be the best. I truly believe that. I think we have a great group of guys in that room, top to bottom, freshmen included. Guys that are really talented, that love the game, love playing for one another. I think it could be the best one. Obviously, I won't put that mark by us right now. We have to go out and prove it every day and every week, but that's our goal for sure."
On getting the running game back on track
"I think we just have to hone in on the details of understanding the down, distance and how the backers are going to play. I think that's a big emphasis for us this week. I think that there were a couple of mistakes. Understanding the backers are going to flow a little bit different. They had two really good linebackers that made a lot of plays and shot the gaps quickly. We have to realize that quicker. I think once we did realize it, we had two really good runs to come out the second half, and then we do end up fumbling it. Just realizing those details sooner."
On making sure to not overlook this week’s opponent
"It's very important. I've been a part of a lot of games versus an FCS opponent or a smaller school. And people say it's their Super Bowl. They just played Minnesota and they're hungry for a win. I know they got their first one the first week of season, You can't overlook a team like that. I'll make sure that the whole team knows that. We have a great opportunity this week to hopefully go out there and execute at a high level. Get some young guys in the game, if that's the case. But, just whatever we can do to help the team win."
On Big 12 play
"If we can keep Brendan [Sorsby] clean, he'll make us look good. We'll make him look good. We'll protect as long as we can for him. I think he has a very quick release that makes us look good in a lot of ways, and honestly, it helped us. I know we gave up a couple pressures. I think I gave up one in the first two games that he luckily he got rid of the ball in time, could have ended up being a sack. So I'm very thankful for him, but we need to continue to hone in on small details, and make sure we get our hands in the right spot and give us a great advantage."
Cornerback Matthew McDoom
On missed tackles
"We just got to execute, on Nebraska the first week, we just came out ready, excited, versus a Big Ten team, in Kansas City. There's no excuses."
On playing his first game at Nippert Stadium
"It was amazing, especially in all white, it was crazy. I was excited since I got here. The first practice, I was like, man, I can't wait for this first game. Then the Saturday came, it was our time to play. It was just amazing."
On not overlooking this week’s opponent
"It's really important. It's just a new week ready to go. Just ready to dominate. Just get what we can do best for our team."
On wide receiver Jeff Caldwell and his talent
"He was already making crazy catches in practice that nobody was seeing. So I was just happy for him to make a great play in game so people can see how talented he really is."
On causing interceptions
"We need a turnover, and having one in Nippert would be an even better experience."
Wide receiver Jeff Caldwell
On his one-handed catch vs. Bowling Green
“I'd rate it about a seven or eight. It was alright, I didn’t score the touchdown. It was pretty, pretty mid, as the cool kids say these days. I was kind of moving in slow motion, I thought to myself that I could catch this.”
On his touchdown catch vs. Bowling Green and Isaiah Johnson’s blocking on the play
“Honestly, it all started with the block from Isaiah Johnson. If that block doesn't happen there, I don't think we're getting to the end zone there.”
On the passing attack getting back on track this past Saturday
“I think against Nebraska we left a lot out there on the table. We knew we were an electric group of guys in the receiver room. We were just a hungry group going into that the week of Bowling Green, I felt like we had three good days of preparation as a receiver group and the team as a whole. And this week we need to be even better.”
On his trust level with quarterback Brendan Sorsby
“Honestly, I just think it's what we built through spring ball. I'm just honored that he has trust and I'm happy being able to make plays here. But I just feel like it comes with our preparation and just having that connection.”
Tight End Joe Royer
On asking for the ball while in the huddle
“No, I try not to do that. But if I see something, I'll let Brendan [Sorsby] know we can run that play again.”
On his 73-yard catch and if he would have done anything different on the play
“I should have just kept trying to run and not look back. But then I tried to slow down a little bit so I could stiff arm the defender, because I felt them gaining on me. I have to find a way to get in the end zone on that.”
On quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s reaction to the Nebraska game
“He was in the locker room getting us together, taking accountability for some things. And it wasn't just his fault at all. Then it started with the weekend practice. He came in eager, with a different kind of fire in his eyes, and just prepared at a different level, leading up into last weekend's game.”
On his performance vs. Bowling Green and the passing game as a whole
“It was late to mid-second quarter since being able to get a touch finally, it felt good. Then, with that specific look, the middle of the field was wide open, and I had a cop route corner post option, so I took the post. Being able to push the ball down the field a little bit more this past weekend, it felt great.”
On if teams are defending him differently compared to last season
“I would say Nebraska definitely played me how it was in the second half of last season. So it was hard to get open, hard to get on the ball from Brendan [Sorsby]. But, with the performance our receivers just had, they'll continue to get better each and every week. That's just going to completely open the field up. You'll see as the season goes on, there'll be a lot more downfield options, whether it's me or the receivers that we have.”
On the energy in the locker room after the win vs. Bowling Green
“We're happy that we won, but that game really shouldn't have been close. As a team, we're striving to get to Dallas, compete for championships, and we all agreed and felt like that performance we did Saturday wasn't up to the standard. Just having a team in the locker room that's trying to improve even after we win, it's special. As the season goes on, we'll just continue to get better each and every week.”
On preparing for Northwestern State
“You never want to disrespect your opponent, because that's when the chance of getting upset happens. So, we're going to prepare like it's Big 12 play, like it's a championship game. That's how we should attack each and every week.”
