Wednesday Presser 10-25-17: Chris Partridge Comment Count

Adam Schnepp

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[Barron]

[Ed. A- I was too sick to make the trip in yesterday, but thanks to 247’s Isaiah Hole I had video from which to transcribe.]

“I thought after the first big run that he has we did a decent job of containing there. They hit some big plays. Quarterback’s phenomenal. Hit some big plays on us in the pass game and kind of flustered us a little bit and then we couldn’t get re-settled down in terms of that. I don’t think we paid too much attention, though.”

What happened to Quinn on the missed extra point? Crowd was booing him pretty heavily but did that affect him?

“No, I mean, that’s unacceptable. That can’t happen. He knows that. He just let his emotions get carried away and kind of kicked the ground a little bit and pushed it and that’s got to be fixed immediately from a mental standpoint. Can’t have that ever happen again.”

Ambry [Thomas] seems to really be progressing in kick return. Talk about what you’ve seen from him.

“He’s explosive, fearless. He’s what you want back there. It’s a really good combination we have now. We got Ben Mason, Brad Hawkins, Ambry, three true freshmen working together, getting to know each other, feeling each other out, because all three of those guys could get the ball and two of them have to be a blocker on every kick. Really, really happy with that unit’s progression and how those guys are really coming together and feeling each other out and stuff like that. Really happy with that group.”

[After THE JUMP: Rashan don’t read this, he wants you to keep the chip on your shoulder]

How has Brad taken to going from wide receiver to safety to Viper in such a short stretch there?

“Brad’s a great kid. Shoot, I’ve known him for a long time now but in my mind always saw him as a really, really good, capable safety even back when he was a sophomore in high school and that so kind of kept it in his mind even though through the recruiting it was kind of a dual deal where, Hey, they want you at receiver but don’t forget about defense, you’re a heck of a player. And then his path took him just playing offense in his last two years of school but he always kind of had that defensive mentality; big, physical receiver.

“So when Coach approached him about it he was all for it, then he came in as a safety and we saw a bigger, physical kid that’s not afraid of contact and to mix it up and asked him if he wanted to start learning the Viper as well as safety, his eyes lit up and he was excited about it. He’s taken to it and I can honestly say he’s getting better every single day. More comfortable and better at really in-the-box type stuff. He’s a pretty darn good cover guy, but in-the-box stuff is where he has to kind of get his feel and he’s getting better every day there.”

You’ve had several players switch around spots on the defense. How does that help them just in terms of a.) versatility and b.) learning the defense overall?

“Yeah, I mean, that’s important. You get a good breadth of understanding the defense. If you can have a safety mentality and then move down and be that Viper spot, you can always move back and you understand the coverage as a whole and the way it all fits together, so I think it’s great to have them move around as long as they can handle it. There’s obviously a real big thought process as coaches to that. We’re not going to move a kid if we feel he like he can’t handle it and make him take steps backwards. That’s calculated, that’s thought out when we’re moving a guy. That says a lot about them able to understand different schemes and move positions, but I think it’s good when you can do it.”

We know Brad Robbins has the big leg. Is consistency just going to come with experience?

“Uh, hope so. We’re not looking to use that as an excuse, the inexperience. He’s got a great leg. He’s a different system and a different scheme than he’s ever been in. We’re asking him to do a lot. We put a lot on our specialists, especially the punter with the directional punting that we do. We want to make it as much pro-style as possible. That’s what we feel like gives us an advantage, so he’s got a lot on his plate. We’re hoping that he just continues to improve, which he has and he is, but he’s another one [where] we’ve got to see more out of him. He’s got to step up, and he’s being pushed every single day.”

What was Khaleke’s [Hudson] reaction to seeing that play on film where he makes the great move to get in the end zone in the passing lane and then can’t quite hand onto that ball?

“His reaction was the same thing he had in the game. It was [covers forehead with both hands] ‘Oh god.’ I think that’s about the best way you can explain it. It was close. He almost made that play and that’s something that we’d like him to make obviously but it’s a really difficult play. Did a heck of a job just reacting to it and knocking it down and it’s just, it’s a game of inches. It’s right there and it rolls off his hand and instead of getting a touchdown, they got a punt.”

We see returners but guys like Jordan Glasgow, Jon Runyan, kickoff and punt protection team—who are some of the guys that are standing out that we might not see?

“Yeah, that’s a great question, and there’s a lot of them, guys we’re really excited about. J’Marick Woods is one that has been phenomenal and just coming on and playing on a lot of different teams. Ben St-Juste is another one who’s on a lot of them and coming on. Obviously Ambry. Brad [Hawkins] is now starting on three special teams and making his way on the fourth. We have Jaylen Kelly-Powell, who’s kind of a utility man there where he’s kind of behind a lot of different spots but you see him in games at times. Nate Schoenle’s a guy that before he was injured he was on all four special teams. Glasgow’s a staple; he has been for two years, he’s going to continue to be. Jared Wangler’s doing a good job on our kick return and our punt units. Henry Poggi is the PP [personal protector] on our punt and that’s not an easy deal when you’re dealing with a freshman snapper and a freshman punter, you know, keeping those guys together and nerves down and stuff so he’s doing a heck of a job there.

“But there’s a lot, and there’s a lot of young talent. We think we’ve got six or seven true freshmen on kickoff and kick return, so young guys that are just coming on and getting better and better. Special teams, I’m not gonna sugar-coat it: we need to make more plays. We need to play better. We haven’t been bad by any means; I don’t want to put those guys in the tank like they’re playing bad.

“They’ve been good, they’ve been executing. Our kickoff team has been really, really good but we need to now step it up a level and make those plays that are right out there for the taking and that’s something we’re pushing for to do is start being more explosive on those units rather than just hey, we did our job, we came off field, nothing bad happened. Well, let’s be explosive now, and we’re pushing those guys to do that on all units.”

How good is it recruiting in New Jersey?

“I mean, you’re asking a guy who’s going to say it’s phenomenal, obviously. It’s where I grew up, but I think it’s really good. I think there’s really good players there. They care about the game. They’re coached really well. They come in and they have this chip on their shoulder where they love to compete, they love to practice, so I think it’s really good.

“If you look at Rutgers’ team, that’s a talented ball club there. I saw a lot of these guys not really so much in college besides the game week but in high school play. There’s some talented young men there on that team where you look at them and say that’s a dangerous ball club. I remember them when they were sophomores and juniors in high school just from coaching at Paramus Catholic and knowing that talent that’s there, so it shows up. it’s a very talent-rich state.”

What’s the difference between them this year and some of the results they’re getting as opposed to last year?

“I can’t really speak to last year just because it’s only one week of the year you really see them but I’ll tell you this year they’ve got big, physical receivers on the outside, they’ve got some speed guys inside there, they’ve got big, tough running backs and then they’ve got a speed running back that comes in. The left side of the O-line is really good and then the center’s a pit bull, the right guard’s a pit bull. Their tight end is probably one of the best players on offense, so when we look at them, it’s a team that has talent, they have ability, they’re playing well—they’ve won two in a row. I don’t remember last year so much but I know that this year, this team is no pushover here. They can play football. There’s some guys that can make plays out there.”

You were still at Paramus Catholic when Michigan started making a push into New Jersey. Why do you think all of a sudden the light bulb went on and they found their way to New Jersey for players?

“That’s a good question. It’s heavily recruited, New Jersey. A lot of schools have recruited it for a long time. I’m not sure why Michigan decided to come in before I was here. Probably just because they were looking at it and saying wow, there’s some good players here, but also players that have succeeded elsewhere.

“They’ve gone outside the state and been successful and done a great job in college, and just by doing that, your homework there, you can see that kids leave and kids play well and they perform when they move on so why not recruit the area, and then when you can get the inroads in there and start being one of the programs that guys go to it’s somewhere that just kind of gains momentum.”

Rashan said last night that a lot of the down south schools didn’t quite give New Jersey athletes that kind of respect. Did you sense that when you were coaching there? Texas and Florida, those schools.

“Not necessarily. I think there’s been some guys that have gone to Florida. Obviously the young man playing for Alabama right now. It’s more they come up for one or two players whereas the northeast and the Penn States and the Ohio States and stuff, they come up for maybe five or six players.

“I think the south schools will spot-recruit New Jersey but that’s understandable because they’re down south. I just think geographically that’s the reason. Maybe Rashan wants to think that to have a chip on his shoulder and I love it, so we’ll keep on letting him think that.”

Rutgers is running the ball 60% of the time. What kind of stress does that put on you or do you relish that? They’re pretty one-dimensional coming in.

“Yeah, I relish any time you can get linebackers and guys playing downhill and tackling and hitting the football. Yeah, it’s a challenge now. We need to make sure we stop the run because their running game is going to open up the pass, so that’s first and foremost.

“We’ve got to make sure we stop their running game and stop the quarterback. He’s got some legs, he can run a little bit. I know he’s a Michigan guy, so he’s going to be all fired up to come and play here. It’s a challenge to stop their running game for sure. Their running backs are pretty good, now. They’re downhill, they’re physical. We need to make sure we tackle and we match their violence and intensity there.”

Is it a gradual process for a school like Rutgers to try and keep more of that talent in-state?

“It’s hard for me to answer because I’m not in it, I’m not involved in it anymore. It’s been three years or so and when I was involved in it they were keeping a lot of it. When Greg was there, when Schiano was there, they did a good job keeping that talent, at least 65-70% of it.

“For whatever reason since it’s gotten away I think yeah, it has to be a gradual step. They have to prove to the in-state kids that they’re here, they’re gonna compete and be the best place for them. But again, it’s hard for me to answer because I’m not involved in it, I’m not involved in the high school coaching and don’t see what’s going on there.”

When they were getting 65-70%, what were you seeing as a high school coach that they were doing well?

“Forming relationships, speaking to the kids, knowing all the kids no matter what, even if it’s a guy that’s maybe not a Big Ten player or Big East in those days or whatever it might be, Division I guys, understanding who they are and what they can do and just having a really good grasp of the whole state. They did a good job there, and making the in-roads.

“I know that Greg Schiano did a good job with the high school coaches and with knowing even down to the Pop Warner coaches and stuff. You’ve got to cultivate the whole state there. I’m sure the staff’s doing that. Like I said, I wasn’t there at all with the new staff. They’re getting talented kids on the team, they have talented kids, so I’m sure they’re doing a good job with that now.”

Comments

Jasper

October 26th, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^

Relatively speaking, this is a breath of fresh air compared to most "pressers." He's not afraid to say anything other than 100%-positive things about the players and he does it gracefully.

Everyone Murders

October 26th, 2017 at 8:50 AM ^

If anyone found the latter answers too long and did not read them, allow me to paraphrase Chris Partridge's thoughts:

"Greg Schiano understood that NJ has football talent and groomed relationships to get access to that talent.  Chris Ash seems to not understand that.  I mean, I'm not there, and can't say for certain that he's not grasping an obvious issue - it's just what 100% of all available evidence suggests."

#RememberTheAcrostic

MinWhisky

October 26th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^

I agree with UofMDDS96; disappointed that there were no "hard" questions like why the LBs struggled in the PSU game.  Just look at the UFR.  Same with JH; all he gets are "soft" questions.  Too many people around here think that's OK and are afraid of "upsetting" JH with difficult questions.  They'll probably change their tune if UofM struggles with, or loses to Rutgers.  Sounds a little bit like Partridge is laying the groundwork for that possibility with his comments about how good the players are at Rutgers.   

UMProud

October 26th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^

Unacceptable and can never happen again is a bad take...we never want him to miss of course but putting a zero mistake threshold out there isn't fair imo. Partridge should emphasis the pluses and commit to coaching kids up when mistakes happen.