Western Kentucky Postgame: Coach DeBoer

good to get a w to start the year uh just I told the guys downstairs uh every win every win uh is something that they've worked hard for and make sure we enjoy it go back to work got a lot of things that we now have on film that we can we know we can correct and and understand the things that we're really good at and the things we need to continue to work on so uh proud uh of the way they came out started fast both sides of the ball you know feeding off each other thought the energy was great just sustained it all all game long and uh got a lot of guys a chance to play questions start the left side with Matt second row uh two catches two touchdowns for Ryan Williams just what you think of his performance yeah he's had he's got that big play capability as uh as you saw and he's done a lot of that in practice and was excited to see him get out there and big third down uh down the sideline great read by uh Jaylen with the coverage he was getting and we uh we anticipated a possible route down the sideline in a situation like that and it was really cool to see those guys execute and Ryan uh just you know hauling the ball and finish and you know coming across the middle on the second touchdown just you know really focused and it just doesn't seem like the game's too fast for him so uh you know it's impressive that a guy you know his age uh can go out there and do the things he's doing you know obviously we've talked a lot about him he's got a bright future and really fun to see him go out there and make those plays that he did tonight so the guys believe in him and he's just done I think one of the cool things about Ryan is he's gone about it you know a lot of attention gets thrown his way but he's just gone about it and really humble and just you know matter of fact stay the course type of of uh you know just go to work every type of day attitude and our guys really appreciate that and I think they're just as excited as he is for him you know with the plays that he made today say the left side in the back yeah it looked like Kaden Proctor might have sustained an injury during warm-ups what happened there what's his status yeah unfortunately he did um just caught me by surprise obviously and you know couldn't uh couldn't go tonight and we'll continue to evaluate tomorrow just to see the severity of it and uh you know kind of know more here as the week goes on jump on the right side second row outside of Ryan you know xaven Brown he got the start Daniel Hill also got his first career touchdown I'm just curious what do you see you know from that group of freshmen out there tonight yeah it's really exciting you know it gives you a lot of Promise uh for for what's to come and you know the thing about those guys is they're just get a game more more confidence with everything that they do and those reps tonight you know they all matter and I tell the guys every rep we're going to keep getting better as a team but there are certain guys like the ones you mentioned Daniel and um you know Ryan um many others zavan that just went out there and just didn't seem like the lights were too bright for them and that's really cool and they got again one day at a time they're just going to keep getting better and they're going to be they're going to be great players for us uh in the Long Haul left side front row Telly just how explosive can this offense be and did you like that did you like seeing that or would you have almost rathered have a few more sustained drives both I mean you know but how can you argue right uh you know there's there's things that weren't perfect but we made up for it so now what you want to look at as those plays that didn't go as well and really dial in on you know some of the mistakes a penalty here penalty there uh you know we had a we had a a communication um I think we we didn't snap the ball I think maybe Parker was trying to to Signal something and and uh get the line locked in and that's just a quarterback Center kind of being on the same page and then all of a sudden you know it was time to snap the ball when Jaylen clapped so just things like that that we can continue to get better at but when we had the opportunity to make the plays you know I'm never going to be disappointed that we're finding ways to have explosives that's a big part of what our offense is about and we preach it we practice it and uh that's that was that was fun to see uh I didn't you know really realize it until I looked at the time possession maybe uh into the first half there a little bit and uh our defense you know you saw that one drive especially they were on the field for quite a while that just kind of added to it uh they you know I'm never going to argue though when we uh have those big plays those those touchdowns that we had the chase on the front row the right side yeah coach want to ask you about two guys how did you think pritchet played on the left side given that I assume he's gotten most of his practice reps on the right side and also your thoughts on on Keon sabs night in the first half a couple picks yeah it was you know pritet really as you said I mean he has and I know you're not there but he has taken pretty much all his reps at the right tackle spot you know I think we really went back to what he did this spring playing left tackle and it was something I know gave me confidence I'm sure it gave him and you know he and Booker took all those uh reps you know all spring long for 15 practices and so I think they just really honed back in on that uh and you know I watched the film but it obviously there was a lot of good things that happened out there and you don't do that without great offensive line play so uh excited about the way he responded all of a sudden the moment getting thrown into that position and really just being steady uh Keon Sab just you know the guy needed it was at the right spot at the right time and made the plays you know that's that's what it's all about a lot of guys will be where they need to be and and all that but a little special play here and there um maybe it goes through their hands you know Keon uh you can just see he was ready for that moment he pounced when when the opportunity came and made some really big big plays and got our offense in some great field position there early in the game let's go to Ryan standing up on the back left coach a big win but everything outside of the actual game WKA Champions fourth quarter Dix Eland Delight what was your impressions of your first game at Bryant Denny Stadium yeah it was a lot of fun the W Champions I think was special for a lot of our players it's always going to be that way and uh it's you know can't than our our fans enough you can just feel the energy even before you know you're not even here around the stadium or or knowing what's going on but you can just feel the buzz and that was a lot of fun uh you you know the new guys I think especially enjoying it uh the older guys um just knowing what it's all about and being in that Stadium tonight you know we did a great job of giving them something to cheer for and our fans were amazing you know cheering and being loud so uh can't wait to do it again uh a week from now let's go Emily Grace in the middle of the room right here coach how do you feel like your staff executed the game plan as a whole on your first game inside Bryant Den can you clarify the inh helmet communication the the beginning of the game what that was about yeah actually so that it wasn't in in helmet communication it was actually that their headsets went down and the rules state that when the opponent's headsets go down you have to take yours down too and so I sure you guys figured it out but Nick Nick Sheridan play caller up in the booth actually had to come down and so little time you know uh to to get him down there and then you know that's not something that they're going to plan for and let you do but we we were able to hustle him down and then of course trying to get him back up there and then theirs went down a second time and so it was kind of a back and forth I thought I thought our staff did a great job because that's something you don't practice you know just in all my years I've never had it happen to where we had to put our headphones down because of someone else's so maybe it happens more often than I understand um and should practice it but that's that was a new one for me uh I think also the other one that was new for me was I think maybe by the third play in the game or one of the early plays we had but two helmets come off of two of our linemen at the same the same play and so all of a sudden we had a different Center left guard and left tackle from what we've practiced all along so kids did a great job of just adjusting to the adversity not not uh getting too shaken and just continue to to play and the next guys were ready to go so I thought our staff they think there's some little things um we had a substitution error uh we got 12 guys on the field one time defensively those are certain things we'll talk about tomorrow uh besides breaking down the film and and coaching our guys up fundamentally and then schematically all right jump on the right side Charlie yeah coach it kind of looked like you guys rotated a lot of guys on defense especially in the back end just how beneficial is it to get those guys The Experience they got tonight yeah it's huge it's huge and and I'm really glad that we got that opportunity and of course that's part of what we want to do anyway and keeping G Fresh uh being able to sustain a high l level for four quarters and not just uh dying off uh but you know getting getting a lot of young guys you know you say inak and red are out there a lot uh and so just they're right in the rotation and felt good about them being out there never really you know a lot sometimes when there's guys you don't trust or anything your eyes kind of get drawn to them just to make sure that you feel they feel good and they look confident and um that's not even the case I don't even feel like I gotta worry about whether they're ready to go or not so uh the secondary just thought for the most part they really didn't have big mistakes where all of a sudden someone's running free through the secondary and we just uh dropped a zone or Dro a man that we're supposed to be covering always things that we can get better at situational ball uh some crossers and things like that that I saw in second half there maybe that we can we can get better at covering but uh for the most part I thought they did a great job we got three more questions left we're going to start with Sten right in the middle coach what what what makes it special having Jihad Campbell and Deontay Lawson play off each other yeah just having some guys with a lot of confidence in themselves and guys that we have confidence in and just you know they're they're they're just Staples you know they're just guys you trust and uh they're they're hard-nosed uh they both can can move uh you know can run really well uh they're physical and so uh very smart a lot of the communication especially with uh coach wck to Deontay you know he can he can deont can handle what he's supposed to do and you know if there's someone we need to have just slightly move he can make that happen and still con have a have an understanding of what's going on in front of him from the offense so uh just all those areas are are so critical when it's the middle of your defense and they uh you know again looking looking forward to watching the film but just everything I saw it seemed like they had a great game let's go right side middle Katie sticking with the defense just as a whole how did you see them kind of embody Kane's swarm defense and sustain int to hold on for the shut out yeah I like the Never Never say die kind of like just you know dig in uh when they had their backs to the wall some drives that were coming down the field U one was after uh a turnover on the offense just you know looking at that as opportunity to to make a statement you know to just let everyone know that you know they got they got that mindset uh that they're going to play together and uh you know it was really cool to see them get the shot out I was happy for them happy for happy for Kane and uh you know they all just they're all flying around you know there was sometimes we maybe missed a tackle but there was guys right there to uh follow up and and go make that play and as we said the two interceptions early in the game really set the tone with Keon uh both with field position just momentum and energy let's finish up with John it seems like an awful long time since you got hired before you get to coach your first game so when when when you finally get there and things are clicking so well and all offense is making big plays defense is making big plays in the first half I mean was that fun was that kind of a relief on your shoulders what was that like yeah I think there was a little bit of fun at the very end you know and uh just seeing a lot of the young guys too get out there on the football field and and and have some fun of their own and experience it for the first time but um you know I told the guys in the locker room none of these points carry over to next week and there's a there's film out there and and of course their strengths we have but people are going to look at those areas they can attack and we got to continue to just you know uh understand that there's a lot of potential with this football team um but we still got a lot of work to do and it's it's uh going to be that way all season long you know and then and uh I think that what I saw in the locker room downstairs uh whether it was the beginning of the game of the middle of the game when when we had a you know score very much in our favor uh these guys have a determination you know and a relentlessness about them where uh they want to be great you know they just don't want to go out there and do their thing for a half and kind of just let the let the score kind of die off and kind of let let someone hang around or you know they wanted to shut out they wanted to put more points in the board and uh I just love their mindset all right thank you awesome thank you roll tide