Coach Speak: Dugans and Banda break down yesterday's scrimmage

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I really dislike the fact that Finley, Knowles, and Langham are getting talked about so much. They really were not good last year.

Do you not understand that college players tend to get better every year? These aren't pro players going into their 6th year, these are college kids. I actually really like the fact that guys like Finley have improved so much. Means our coaches seem to know what they are doing.
As for Knowles, we'll see. He was Telemaqueish in his futility last year for us.

Don't rag on Langham. I don't care if he ever catches another pass for us, I put him into the Hurricane Hall of Fame, for 2 reasons. FSU and Georgia Tech. He may be the David Tyree of Hurricane's history, but I don't care. He made two of the greatest, most clutch catches in team history, and that works for me.
 
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I really dislike the fact that Finley, Knowles, and Langham are getting talked about so much. They really were not good last year.

You need to be slapped in the face really flucking hard for the craziness you just wrote. I want someone to slap the **** of you real good. Finley began to show flashes the second half of last season

Langham won 2 games for us last year, including FSU. Just super clutch catches when needed them in monumental moments. The FSU catch might be the GOAT Hurricane catch, given the stakes and the circumstance, and that's saying something. Langham will never buy a drink or a meal in my presence for as long as he's alive.
 
The Finley comment was ridiculous. He's barely played and nobody knows what he's gonna do in 2018.
The fact he couldn't get on the field ahead of Knowles who was downright terrible and almost singlehandedly lost us the fsu game, spoke volumes to me. Now with him at LB I'm not as worried about him playing because ultimately Zach McCloud played below average last year too.

But ******* Knowles and Langham better not be taking many snaps from Carter, Hall and Cager, Hightower, Pope, Njoku, etc respectively.
 
Read somewhere that Amari Carter had high grades coming out of high school and has had a 4.0 or close to it at UM.
So he is certainly book smart and big congrats to him.
Found the coach’s comment to be ... interesting ... that football wise he’s working on and furthering his understanding of why the defense does what it does.
If a 4.0 gpa kid needs 3 years to fully understand what you want out of your Safeties then you might be asking your Safeties to do too much thinking.
 
You need to be slapped in the face really flucking hard for the craziness you just wrote. I want someone to slap the **** of you real good. Finley began to show flashes the second half of last season

Langham won 2 games for us last year, including FSU. Just super clutch catches when needed them in monumental moments. The FSU catch might be the GOAT Hurricane catch, given the stakes and the circumstance, and that's saying something. Langham will never buy a drink or a meal in my presence for as long as he's alive.
Yes Langham made 2 clutch catches, and Canes fans should love him forever for that.
That doesn't mean he's a better/more talented player than Ahmmon, Thomas, Cager, Hightower, Pope, or Njoku. He probably played better than Harley did last year though, I'll give you that, but they're not really competing with eachother for PT.
Im not saying I don't like him, I'm saying simply he's not a top 5 WR on this team, and he should NOT get heavy PT.

Knowles on the other hand I just think is plain bad. I'll believe he's good when he shows it. But now way I'd put him in over Carter or Hall.

Finley I think is a ST guy, but the fact he couldn't even beat out Knowles last year was pretty sad to me. Think the switch to LB will be good for him, but again I think Derrick Smith is an all around better player. We'll see what happens. I think out of the 3 he has the best chance to actually be deserving of playing a medium amount simply because who's ahead of the others.
 
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Best interviews I have read all year. You can tell those responses were dedicated to the people of CIS so someone on that staff is reading this board. Maybe a GA.

People want Gurvan Hall to just "learn on the job" but ill be damned to sacrifice big plays and breakdowns just to get him out there. Amen to Banda. If the kid doesn't know what hes doing, I don't want him out there. LSUs offense is horrible. We don't need to give them any "breakdown in the secondary" easy TDs.

The "waiting your turn" comment was great. Nobody knew Jaquan outside of south florida until probably the 4th game of the season last year. Now hes on everyone AA list. He had to wait his turn. Nobody is beating out Redwine and Jaquan for there jobs. Amari and Gurvan need to prove that we can trust them. And its high time we lay of Knowles..if Banda says hes ready, then hes ready.
Playing Safety at the college level shouldn’t be nuclear physics. If it takes you 2 or 3 years to get guys like GUrv and Amari playing better than Knowles, then you’re either not a great teacher, or you’re asking your Safeties to do too much thinking.
 
Playing Safety at the college level shouldn’t be nuclear physics. If it takes you 2 or 3 years to get guys like GUrv and Amari playing better than Knowles, then you’re either not a great teacher, or you’re asking your Safeties to do too much thinking.
I agree. Safety does require more awareness and instinct than just about any other position on defense though.
 
Playing Safety at the college level shouldn’t be nuclear physics. If it takes you 2 or 3 years to get guys like GUrv and Amari playing better than Knowles, then you’re either not a great teacher, or you’re asking your Safeties to do too much thinking.
These same dudes will be calling for Gurvan once Knowles is on the field blowing assignments & missing coverages.

I don't hate Knowles at all, but the fact is he's a limited player, he's got slow feet & isn't good in coverage. Fans think because a guy has been on the team for a long time that he'll know exactly what to do on the field every time, but veteran players make just as much mistakes a Freshman do, especially when they're not as athletically gifted.

It doesn't take 5 years to develop a Defensive player, it's not like QB, LT or C, every major winning program in D1 ball is playing Freshman's on Defense, **** even at QB. It's a new era, these kids don't sit on the bench for 3 years anymore. In fact, it's actually apart of the recruiting pitch schools like Bama, UGA & Clemson use, their coaches tell kids come here you'll get paid & you'll play early.

In today's era of college ball, the Coaches based on how much they're being paid & with transfers becoming easier now have the new responsibility of getting young guys ready faster than they ordinarily would like to, the game has evolved it ain't like the way it was in the old days.
 
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My biggest take away from that was that our final scrimmage was not in pads. Might be typical, but I found it surprising.
 
If a 4.0 gpa kid needs 3 years to fully understand what you want out of your Safeties then you might be asking your Safeties to do too much thinking.

Possibly but I don’t see it as a too much on his plate issue. Considering that our one starting safety is a preseason all American and one nfl scout thinks the other starting safety could be a first round draft pick (and has supposedly improved this offseason), at least those two have been able to execute as safetys in this defense.
Others playing safety may have the same issues as Carter, but if so I haven’t read or heard about it.
There’s a disconnect somewhere and it may just simply be he will develop and make the leap with more time in the system.
 
I really dislike the fact that Finley, Knowles, and Langham are getting talked about so much. They really were not good last year.

LOL Langham didn't get the ball thrown his way much but when he did he balled the F out. Finley was good when he was in which wasn't much. Knowles I will give you but it is possible for someone to get better .
 
LOL Langham didn't get the ball thrown his way much but when he did he balled the F out. Finley was good when he was in which wasn't much. Knowles I will give you but it is possible for someone to get better .
Langham has 2 amazing plays. The rest was average or below.
Finley literally couldn't even beat out Knowles last year, who was terrible. I think the change to LB could actually make him pretty solid rotational player though.
Knowles almost singlehandedly lost us the FSU game. Yes he can get better. But Amari Carter was better than him last year, and has more talent, so Imo its not even a question he should be 3rd on the Safety list (after Jaquan and Redwine). And Gurvan Hall is easily more talented than him too.
 
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I love me some Dugans. Not only have the receivers played well but his message has been heard.

Even when they don’t get the ball that entire unit knows how to block and contribute.
 
These same dudes will be calling for Gurvan once Knowles is on the field blowing assignments & missing coverages.

I don't hate Knowles at all, but the fact is he's a limited player, he's got slow feet & isn't good in coverage. Fans think because a guy has been on the team for a long time that he'll know exactly what to do on the field every time, but veteran players make just as much mistakes a Freshman do, especially when they're not as athletically gifted.

It doesn't take 5 years to develop a Defensive player, it's not like QB, LT or C, every major winning program in D1 ball is playing Freshman's on Defense, **** even at QB. It's a new era, these kids don't sit on the bench for 3 years anymore. In fact, it's actually apart of the recruiting pitch schools like Bama, UGA & Clemson use, their coaches tell kids come here you'll get paid & you'll play early.

In today's era of college ball, the Coaches based on how much they're being paid & with transfers becoming easier now have the new responsibility of getting young guys ready faster than they ordinarily would like to, the game has evolved it ain't like the way it was in the old days.
👀
 
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