Why On the Field is Better than the Booth: OC Pat Shurmur Pre-Season Presser KUWT

we're a couple days out uh we're getting obviously the end of training camp and we're deep into the preparation for North Dakota State um tough team uh with a rich winning tradition and so we've got a great deal of respect for them just like any game it's going to be very important that we go out and play our best so a couple days out and that's where we're at so question out of did you get what you wanted to get implemented in terms of a game plan going into the the season over oh I think so I think you know we've been able to work on all the things really throughout the year that we would do in really the first month of the season and uh you know we're playing a different style of Defense than the one that we play against in training camp so that's been good too because we can work on some of the things that we'll see as the season progresses but uh we feel good about our plan moving into this first game Brian hey coach a couple of questions for you but understand you're going to be on the field on theine what went into that decision what do you like about that I think I think especially at this level communication with the players um and you know this is a way different operation in field than pro football um and so it's no huddle and you can make quick changes on the field things change constantly when you're in no huddle and so um that's why I felt like being down there instead of telling somebody to tell somebody I'll be right there so that I can can make those switches uh in real time and then the second question is I'm sorry so the other part of it is you know typically in the NFL it's a much slower game right because you're playing from the Huddle quite frankly um and so a lot of the communication can get through the communicator to the quarterback to be in the Huddle here it's all happening in real time everybody's spread out so that that's part of what went into it plus also it gives me an opportunity between series to visit wish door face to face and we can talk about things that we want to do moving forward way different game I'm curious also um do the tablets you guys can use those this year does that play a role too you now can look at those on the sidelines or yeah I think they're good uh I think the the biggest change for college football like I'm used to the tablets from the NFL used to be tablets with pictures this is actually tablets with video so guys in a Press Box can grade their players in real time you know I think uh you know but they're very advant when you can see what's happened um you know if you run a similar play later on a lot of times the plays just keep changing but you can tell how teams are playing in real time it's good it's good stuff coach saying the other day that you really understand you've come to understand him you guys have a great how do you develop that recort outside of the practic do you talk to him you guys have meetings do you how does how do you build that just being a human being right I mean it's just normal communication and we I think we all understand that you know just positive normal communication you know I'm certainly somebody that you know I give respect and Trust freely and then so we talk that way and communicate and so there's often times when things come up where you know I'm willing to talk to them about it and it's easy for me to do that with him because he's always so prepared you know a lot of times when uh you know or at times if you're you're working with a player that you you can't get to that level um I guess mentally and emotionally it's tougher but what should do it makes it easy it's just a it's just being human beings right which I think we'd all agree is right thing to do go we saw a glimpse of Cardell Thomas coming in like the in practice what kind of depth do you think he brings to this old yeah he's done he's done a really good job and you know he's uh he's a really fine player uh he did get a real late start so you know at some point we'll see if he's in the mix you know he'll be available to play if we need him uh he won't be one of the front liners this first week but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the new future but we're really glad we like I I you know again I'm going to keep going all year back to uh you know being good human beings and I think uh he's he's a wonderful person it's going to be a a joy to work with go ahead coach wondering uh as a play caller going into games are you a guy that has a script or a semblance of a script or are you kind of more of a a feeling situation guy yeah no there's a script you know we to practice it uh and so you know I'll have my you know first 15 you know first 15 openers depends on what system you were in with Andy Reid and all the training in the west coast it was the first 15 some guys call them openers but we have some initial things that we want to do uh because we feel like they're good plays to move the ball but then there's also things that within that first 15 you can see how a defense is going to respond to a maybe a corresonding play that you want to call later um me your quarterback rooms behind your door it seems like we've seen a lot of good things from Dominic Ponder serious what your thoughts are yeah I think uh as you know I mean our solid number two is is Ryan sty I mean he's I mean the progress he has made in in the last year is is absolutely I mean it's terrific really proud of his efforts and you know Dom came here new and Dom's also made really great progress through the year and feel like um as time goes on he has a bright future uh and I think all the quarterbacks have made progress Matt go coach on paper you are loaded at the skill positions does it feel like that when you get on onto the field do you feel like you have an embarrassment of riches I don't know about that I mean that's that's a wonderful phrase I guess I mean I I feel you know we we love to death of players that we have and we're going to try to utilize them to the best of their ability that was very very flowery language as a followup to that how do you feel I know it was really you know you had just gotten here at the start of last season how do you feel where you are now as a as a as a program compared to where you started last season I don't know I I think we're night and day from where we were a year ago at this time you know I keep reminding everyone you know and again um this is a real narrative right I mean last year I came in and I watched the spring game for a year ago and I said wow that's you know wow wow and they like Pat these guys aren't even here so we started the year last year if you can imagine with new players coming in the first of June you know like most of them were new right and so then now you're putting it all together through the summer in the training camp which is very very difficult the only time I ever saw something like that was in the NFL the lockout year right where we got the players like one week in the training camp and you know Mama Mia that's that's hard to do that we've been able this year from from the jump right from the turn of the year to put a team together and work with them and so um just watching it last it's a long way to say watching it last year to this year uh we're much more cohesive as a team go ahead going back to that opening script how much of that is responding to what you think they're going to come out in and how much of it is setting the tone of what you guys want to do throughout the I you want to call at work right and again like I said this is a way different game I mean people that you know it's football right and balls shaped the same way and the fields fields of the same right dimensions except the hash marks are all different it's a different game and you know I think I've said it before um because of the way rosters are designed in pro ball it's a much tighter game you know you got more tight ends more big people here we can have a lot of receivers and it's all wide open and so uh so that part's fun um and then you know I'm just constantly aware of who's getting the ball as well so you know it's uh that part will be fun but you know we've been executing it in practice and um I'm really proud of the way our guys have embraced what we're trying to do and at the pace we want to do it and then we'll just get it rolling this Thursday coach how confident are you in the offensive line to consistently run the ball and Protection work uh very confident very confident I think those guys have worked extremely hard together fortunately uh we haven't had a lot of injuries so they you know they got a lot of time on task the Five Guys that we're going to start uh working together and uh so yeah I got a lot of confidence in I got a lot of confidence in all these young men you I feel I feel like they're going to go out put them in a good spot let them do the things they do two more go ahead up coach What specifically stands out to you about NDSU when you watch them on film defensively maybe what what challenges you think they present to you guys particularly a front yeah I mean I I said it at the outset but you know they're a team that's built on toughness they got a rich winning tradition um they're very fundamental in their approach uh but I'm going to say fundamental in their approach because they have enough wrinkles to keep you on your toes whether it be pressures simulated pressures they will play some man um you know and I think it's just a cultural thing with them and I I would think you know I think they got a lot of really talented players you know all Americans you know to to say the you know but they also uh you know the sum of the parts I think they really play really really good team defense go ahead Nikki last one how do you feel like coach Livingston's defense has made your offense more effective yeah so Rob and I come from the same you know come from the same world so to speak and so when we're out there majority of what we do is call it periods right and so we're tweaking with each other you know all of a sudden I'll see a pressure okay then the next day I'll respond to that then I'll give him a play and it's like oh okay and he'll try to stop so it's been really good you know Rob is an outstanding coach and a wonderful human being and what we've seen in practice what we've seen in practice has been really good because we've seen a lot of tight coverage um you know I don't know if you've written about this or you've seen it or you've been able to see it but we're much better up front on defense which has been a challenge for our guys and that's what you want in training camp you know training camp is obviously put the pads on and get calloused up everybody work on their individual skills and then as a team come together and I feel in all three phases because of how we've worked together you know yet had you know the other coaches as well uh we've been able to do really all three things thanks that