Maryland Football | Head Coach Michael Locksley Postgame Press Conference | UConn

yeah um great uh great team win great start to the 2024 season and uh great liftoff to it you know we talked to our team going into this game about the the start and the importance of getting off to a fast start uh kind of coming and putting it all together and I thought we were able to do it today with uh you know all three phases contributing uh to the win in ter you know we had a turnover on special team teams defensively created some turnovers um we've got to play a lot of players and to me that's uh something that's much needed for our team and especially in games like this if you look at the the the lack of experience on offense to be able to get 85 plays I think we played somewhere to 72 different players uh played in this game so to me that will come back to to pay great dividends for us uh as we move through the season you know offensively uh to see us be able to run the football against a front that was uh non-traditional to say the least you know we did a lot of movement stuff and we had a few of those what I call 5050 runs where the ball uh sometimes the guys come free because they're they're twisting and moving and we've going to have to be able to handle that uh a little bit better I thought Billy did a really good job of controlling the offensive system uh over 300 yards and to me did a great job Distributing the ball getting it to The Playmakers and and I think today we're able to show that again we've found and been able ble to develop some some guys that that have the ability to make big plays for us on offense uh defensively giving up just the one score and to me uh just from looking at it and thank goodness for technology because I can't come in here and say oh let me look at the tape and I'll let you know cuz we get to see it uh pretty in real time but you know we we were able to force three turnovers and when we gave up the touchdown it was a communication err that that we've got to kind of get fixed um Jack Jack house opened it up well for us hitting three field goals and then you know how about the punter mcfur and uh being able to change and flip field position he was able to pin him in 25 out of six uh but now what we've got to do and typically which is uh uh very normal the biggest jump that we'll make as a team typically is between week one and week two because now we see kind of the identity of what we're capable of against real people and not just against ourselves and I'm excited you know to get back in here on Monday we'll celebrate it tonight they'll be off tomorrow uh get back in here Monday evening and and start our preparation as we enter into our our big 10 opener next week uh which comes upon us pretty quickly uh next week in the Shell uh shout out to the student section and you know our fans who showed up uh for this game you know against Yukon the energy that was brought uh was needed and and it was a great environment to go play so with that I'll open it up to whatever questions you guys have hey coach how are you Brandon what's up nothing much so you briefly talked about about that offensive line obviously it was a relatively kind of new group rela for for the first for the first for the five that started I mean how would you really feel they worked communication wise and really jelled out there today you know we were able to get the the the meaningful snaps for that group I think our ones played close to about 70 plays SE 64 65 plays and you know those five will only get better as the season goes on uh you know again this was one hell of a opener to open up for a young new and experienced old line with all the different things that they did front wise they were doing a bunch of stemming from three down to four down they had the odd spinner look where they were taking linebackers and overloading them and you know I thought for the most part the five did a good job of the communication piece uh we knew going in that it'll be a 5050 Run game meaning they may bang Us in the back field once or twice and but we may hit a 80 yard like we're able to do with Nolan Ray or big play like we're able to do when when they play that style of Defense um I think getting on the tape and and them just the experience of playing the game together will benefit from that Mike what was it that went into the decision to to start bilding what separated him from the rest during camp and and you mentioned his play overall today C what was especially impressive to you about his performance today you know I think coming out of Camp is the metrics the things that we've talked about you know the drive chart uh winning on third down uh protecting the football uh doing great job of elevating the level of play with the players that he's on the field with you know the one thing that that really jumped out to me about Billy throughout camp and I think um Ray Charles could see today that you know his uh his ability you never knew which group he played with his ability to run with the ones the twos and the threes uh and and when we watch the tape not know which group he's playing with because you know one of the things we strive for is to have the mind of a coach and the skill of a player and if you just look at the Comfort level that he showed operating the system with all the stuff going on around him and the way he was able to distribute the ball you know though that's the reason and he protected the ball the way we needed to and not that those other two I think you saw today that both Cam and MJ uh again as I said we can win with all three and we have uh you know we'll have the ability to develop him we went in with a plan uh where MJ was going to play two three series this game to develop him like we know we're going to need to and it was great to be able to get cams on work um so all three of those guys uh like I said have the ability to run our system and we'll keep growing with Billy hey Mike Taylor Billy um Billy's waited you know two really three years for an opportunity like this and patients like that is pretty rare in college football these days I mean how important has it been for you in the program to have someone like that who's willing to wait their turn go through a camp battle and you know and come through when the opportunity finally I wouldn't say waited his turn CU we got him out of the portal so that's I would say that I'm glad we were able to get him um out of the portal but no I mean you know guys like Billy and and it's so hard in today's society because of the pressures that some of these kids have on them where everybody wants it now and and as I told those three you know having been through a quarterback battle like like we've just gone through uh it kind of reminded me of the the jayen Tua ma Jones deal where we've got three really good quarterbacks and they all have to continue to do the necessary things to develop the parts of their game that that maybe uh they not a strength of theirs and and they all are they all know the system they all have worked hard and uh you're only going to see those guys get better with the Reps that that we're able to get and again with Billy it's his job uh he's our quarterback and we'll we we'll ride with him but we'll continue when we have opportunities to develop the rest of our roster we'll always do that hey coach how you doing what's up big man um you guys had 249 yards after the catch today which was was higher than any number you had last season was that something where you guys are making concerted effort to try to get it in Tai's hands more Cadence's hands more after the player or was it just a couple big plays that sprang loose like how would you describe it no we we're pretty intentional about touches we we track touches all game long and you know like the reason Kate and Prather went in late in the third quarter with Cam is that we wanted to try to get them another touch you know one of the ways that you you you control your team is you you utilize them and I think when you create roles for every player you'll get to play players we played on defense I saw number six out there I saw 11 and two those freshman are I mean anytime you can play freshman and they can get on the field and fail and and make plays it it only makes you stronger so um there's no doubt that you know being able to play a bunch of players today will benefit the turps hey coach what's up man it's good to see you good win I know you've youve talked about this offseason you know just trying to find ways to run the ball recently I me obviously today you know Nolan Ray his first touchdown jide mclen dwan Williams but them finding the end zone but just kind of running back room as a whole obviously Co McDonald's as well um how would you kind of assess how they did today I'm not going to say I told you so I think I've just you know I said a few years ago that some of these young players but the running back room you know we we lose guys but one of the things running backs receivers skilled players I mean if this system is built for Playmakers and and the way we were able to get the ball the different people today and get it to in in the places that they're able to make plays and you know I was so happy for Josiah man he's had a rough week man he lost his dad to in a car accident a week ago a Saturday and you know he stayed here all week and and we Lov doing them our team got behind him and for him that's why our team was really excited that he was able to get a touchdown because he's got to go home here this tomorrow to bury his dad and and get back here and it was great to see him be able to make a play and and you know as a as part of our family man it was a great day to see that happen for him uh coach everyone always talks about you know quarterback sliding and and you sort of getting out of trouble and all that kind of stuff um what were your thoughts today obviously you know seeing your quarterbacks you know slide and and try and stay out of trouble but then having to to take some of those hits was it kind of an outlier kind of thing or I hope it's an outlier I mean there's a couple times where I didn't want us to slide you know we slid on a short yardage play where you know once you give yourself up that way we work drills where we dive forward and cuz you're better protecting yourself going forward than you are sideways and you know we've got to find ways to to to continue to to teach our quarterbacks not to take those extra shots but some of the shots they took today uh there's no way around them and they were penalties you know we got to protect our guys a little bit better but I also think there's some times where we shouldn't slide and maybe going down you know face first and and Diving more than sliding when when you're able to do that it will be probably the better thing hey Mike how's it going what's up George good to see you um going to MJ in the second quarter something that you saw the opportunity being up a little bit and like hey let's get him some reps here in in real time that design design we planned on he knew he was going to go in a third or fourth series uh this just part of our process of developing Billy knew it um there was no surprises of what was going on um we they Comm we communicate you know every player in our program knows why they play why they don't play that's the only thing we owe them and and and they were going into this game it was it's Billy's job he has our quarterback there's no short leash he's not looking over his shoulders but when we have opportunities to play guys like MJ and some of these other players we're going to play them because we understand that the Big 10 is a tough league and and we're going to eventually need these guys and the only way they get better is by playing not standing on the sideline and and finally having the sideline Tech uh for the first time in a regular season game change the way you approach anything absolutely helpful detriment having taet it's a it's a it's a game changer for us because it you know when you are teaching you know this generation grew up on iPads they didn't grew up with a chalkboard and you know the little crazy noise used to make on kind of yeah the squeaky noise so they're iPad kids and you know I as I told our staff one of the things and we do it in practice now we were you know our the resources that Colleen gives us back there you know bought us these big TVs for us to have on the field thanks so much Colleen but uh you know I call it putting their face in it you know when you train a dog and he does something in the house and you take him over there and put it in and show him like hey that's not good well that's kind of how we've used the technology and we've come up with a system throughout the course of the game where when a guy makes a mistake we take it to them we sit them down we show them immediately and and and the learning takes place now instead of having to wait until Monday because they they'll be gone for about you know today the rest of the day and tomorrow and they'll show up Monday but it allows us to clean things up a lot quicker and show them immediately and we're teaching all the time three more come on God Mike you got defensively you guys kept him out of the red zone for the first two and a half quarters so what were the seats to success defensively you it just the knockback the Gap uh sound Gap control you know the area where we got in trouble is those big plays with Miss tackles you know Perry had to miss tackle and then we gave up a couple of chop routes uh in the slot where we were in good coverage and and a couple times theyve just made great throws and great catches and and that's going to happen at times but you know I thought our defense had a really good plan going into how we wanted to defend it uh uh Yukon and really not knowing what they were going to be you know new quarterback new system new coordinator um made it tough but you know at once we kind of figured out how they wanted to attack because I thought bdub and the defensive staff did a good job for the most part we still got some things to get cleaned up from a communication standpoint and and also doing a better job of tackling hey coach what's up big man all right um can you talk about how um how much I want to say pressure and maybe takes off the offense where you're defense is playing so well um dominating the football not letting them get into the Red Zone yeah as I said before man a young or inexperienced quarterback which you know Billy's kind of in the middle there he's got some experience but just still the game experience uh that's his best friend and some good defense and a running game and the day we had both those things and you know I think you were able to see Billy kind of calm himself down I think Josh did a good job early of getting the ball in space to some of our guys uh giving Billy a couple of layup throws to kind of you know ease into the transition of of taking this thing over and but I really like the way Billy played I like the controll and command he had of our system and couple balls that that we we we'll talk about we'll get a chance to get corrected and some fundamental things that we'll get better but really pleased with his first outing as our starter way oh Wayne hello Wayne I'll try and not be so formal today but that's all good Wayne Uh Glendon Miller had his first start made the first two tackles Trader had some tackles Scruggs had a pretty good game what do you make of those guys in the defensive back field today again you know the experience over the years uh Dante's got three years worth of experience uh Glendon Miller can play nickel can play safety can play Corner his experience four years experience there um you saw a bunch of the young guys number six you know Jacob's going to be a hell of a player for us he got some great meaningful snaps you know the way that the safeties and the the they're like the quarterback on defense and and Dante has done a really good job of settling things down you know we got young corners or inexperienced Corners so to have that uh that veteran experience on the back end and then when we put Glendon down as a nickel and it allows us to bring scrubs in and you know Scruggs had a pretty good game from what I've seen and you know the last two weeks has really come on strong which allowed us to move Glendon down to the nickel position oh W thanks