Matt Luke season preview Q&A, pt. 2

offensive line there were some just mistakes like big blown plays in terms of like pass protection or just not quite being in the right spot is that generally do you think the experience issue is it not knowing the offense is it would yeah I think that's I think there's different reasons that things happen you know on every different play you know you got five coaching Five Guys one of them you know there's no telling what would happen on that particular play so it's hard to speak to why things happen all we can do moving forward is trying to just make sure that we're dialed in that we know exactly what we're supposed to be doing and do it really really hard and really really well so that that's that's what that will be the emphasis do you think though having guys have absolutely I I think experience helps you um uh with just knowing what to do helps you do the little things better you can finish better your Technique can be better if you're not there sitting there thinking about okay what do I have to do and I think experience definitely helps with that when you went back and evaluated Tristan the last season what what you what' you see I see a uh I I love his length and he's very U he's very driven he wants to be good he's a competitor um I just want I wanted to see him get a little bit stronger in his lower body where he could finish and uh and play cuz he had to play a bunch of snaps last year and I think just just working on his body getting his body right and he looks great right now uh but I've been very impressed with his um with his demeanor in the meetings and how he carries himself even an individual like he wants to be really really good he wants to be coached and uh when when you talk in a meeting he's got his notebook out and he's taking notes he looks just he's just like that I mean yeah he's he's right he's writing notes he's engaged and uh I've been very very impressed with him on the field but also off the field how about Marcus Marcus Tate was I mean it was awesome to have him back so we didn't have him in the bowl game and he came back in the spring and uh you know so just with his size in there at guard and and the fact that he's played tackle gives you some flexibility as well but his in there at guard's been really really good for us especially in the spring you could really notice a difference with him in there is what does he still have to learn in terms of Center position how yeah Ju Just just getting the Reps uh you know he's very intelligent he's capable he's capable of doing it just but but the the ability to put your hand on that ball to snap it and block a really good player to get to be the quarterback of the o line and get everybody on the same page like there's a lot to it I mean that that Center position is uh is very very important uh he he can do it but I just think getting the Reps and stacking those reps will help uh yeah I mean I you know it's close I mean I mean I think uh you know we'll know probably second scrimmage going into fall Camp you know second scrimmage I mean we're going to give everybody opportunities but I I believe that competition will end up making both of those guys better and they'll push each other to be better but like I said Ryan left the spring as the star and uh and and Harris will push for competition and and Trent Howard will be be getting some snaps as well you can never have enough centers and how injuries occur you may have to move some guys around inside so I think having that flexibility with all those guys that played before helped Ryan really had played much hasn't played much at all what did you see of him during the Spring of um well I mean obviously he's hungry and has kind of waited his turn and and and he he now knows this is his opportunity so uh I think knowing guys are pushing for playing time it helps you keep that edge it's not something that's just handed to you it's something that you have to earn and uh and again I always go back to who you practice against matters and uh you know it's not like you're out you're out there doing it against an average defense you're doing it against really really good player so I think that uh that gives that gives you confidence as well for you what's been the biggest challenge getting up speed it's a new system for you yeah I mean I I think the biggest thing for me it's always about uh being able to capture the hearts and minds of your players and knowing your players because my job is to motivate them and get those guys ready to play and um it's I have two kids at home they're both totally different and you can't treat them the same like you have to know the the personalities of your players to be able to push them to get them to go where you want to go so that's that's been the the biggest challenge for me is hey is learning each player and not not not just knowing their names not but knowing what Mak some tick learning their why learning their families where they come from like what's what's in here and when you learn that to me you become a better Coach guess having been a head coach are there ways are there things that you learned in terms of how you can better help an assistant or a coordinator being in this position they learn yeah I just think just the overall experience helps you were talking about experience with players it's the same thing with coaches you when you go through certain things you learn what to do what not to do um you you learn you learn learn things about uh how to manage a room how to manage people how to help keep things off the head coach's desk how to help the coordinator um you know so there there's um obviously the experience does help in a lot of those areas but there's only three active head coaches who a national championship the two of them are the last two guys you've worked for do you see a lot of differences or more some Sim similarities maybe probably don't get yeah I I I would I would say the U they they both do good job at being who they are and I think that's a hard thing to do in this climate where there's so much uh pressure to do things a certain way I think both of them um stick to who they are and I think that's a I think that's a credit to both of those guys was there I don't know any sort of culture shock going from having been in Kirby's locker room to to this one no I think all that kind of gets um kind of over you know talked about I think uh you know when when you when you you come in everybody's trying to get the same thing accomplished you're just doing it in your own personality and I think anytime you're a coach you always try to take the best of who you're around and bring it with you and sometimes you learn the best things to do and sometimes you learn the best things not to do uh but but that that goes all the way back to you know coach cutcliffe or coach freeze or coach former or or coach you know who who whoever you're whoever you're working with you always try to to try to take the best things of who you're around so I well uh Flash Forward to week one um again having been there and seeing those guys and how that program runs how much of a challenge is that and do you use that as sort of a motivational tactic yeah I mean I think it's a it's obviously a huge Challenge and they're really really uh you know they're a great football team and I think for us to play them on week one will tell us a lot about where we are uh at that point I don't think it makes or breaks your season either way but I think it tells you a lot about where you are and then I think it also um I think it also help you stay motivated throughout the summer and helps you you know all those things I think uh I think are really really important but it it just I think it's good for college football I think it's you know it's great for both fan bases close together and uh just I think it'll be a great football game week one and kind of Kick the thing off the the right way so you're right you said something just a minute ago about how he does make or break the season in the past you know 14 playoff versus 12 playoff obviously you it would have been a lot more emphasis so does the approach change at all uh with the 12 team playoff uh coming this year in the expansion you know I think um no I think whether it's four teams or 12 teams like you still got to go do your job and be a championship caliber football team and I and I think it you know the it runs through your league if you win your league you're in so I think that's that's where it starts you got to go you got you win your league you're in and I think that's I think that's been the kind of the Mantra is you need to win your league wherever you are SEC ACC doesn't matter you win your league you're in and I think that's a that's a big thing I'm sure you've answered a lot of questions about them but when you're talking to the few centers that are battling it out what are what are the big things that you're talking to them like here's what you need to do if you want to be the starting center uh I mean they they they already know that I think when when guys are sitting in the room and they're all watching tape they know who's getting their job done and who's not like that's what I mean it's all on tape it's not my decision it's it's your decision on how you practice and how you play because it's right there on tape and uh and that that that's my job as the old line coach is to be honest with those guys and to point it out hey look this is it like the best guy is going to play it's not some big secret or hey I like this guy better it mean whoever performs the best would play you mentioned him a couple of times already what does David cck meant to you in your career and as a person uh it I mean he's the he's the guy that uh got me into coaching that taught me into to being a coach um and uh yeah exactly it's his fault uh but just he's a tremendous person he's a tremendous mentor and uh somebody I uh I've always looked up to and um he's uh when you stand in front of your own team uh and you hear certain things coming out of your mouth you know like you're like okay uh that that's how I was molded that's how I was shaped but he's uh just a tremendous man tremendous coach and I learned a lot from him talk about again going back to the Chaine things talk about your energy on the field like where did that like your I you know that's just who that's just who I am and that's what uh that that's what I enjoy doing and uh you know it's easy to have passion when you love love what you're doing and uh that that that part being out on the field at practice with the guys that's that's where you really get better and that's um that practice field and and all like you practice this game way more than you play and uh to try to take advantage of each and every day out there with those guys and push those guys to be better you want you want the games to be easier than practice and so to to be out there and to try to provide that energy and that spark I think is really important what have you seen man you know Colin um I recruited him a little bit out of high school and uh but his athleticism I said this earlier like he's probably the best athlete of all the guys up there and uh just his ability to play on the edge but also have the uh the toughness and the size to also play inside I think it just gives you a lot of flexibility because like you know you know offensive line football is a game that injuries are going to occur so to have a guy that can play multiple positions really helps you I think the guys were also talking about after the bowl game like you were actually crying you know with your wife like you were very emotional after the game why was that such an emotional yeah I mean shoot anytime you're out and you you know and you come back I mean that that was a big decision and uh it was a family decision um so but I I'm an emotional person you probably figure that out by now like that's my that's my biggest strength but maybe my biggest weakness sometimes I'm very I'm an emotional person and uh I wear my feelings on my sleeve and that's that's who I am so but I also think that uh the players respond to that and they and I think people like it when you're genuine and you are who you are you don't try to hide things or be fake you just you just are who you are and that's uh that's what I've always tried to be what have your takeaways been on Elijah Thurman so far a athleticism really done a good job of uh changing his body he's probably gone from three that 295 300 to maybe 310 35ish like kind of fluctuating between there so he's done a good job changing his body so I like where he's headed just going back to the bow game like what was that like that being your first game back how back and forth that game work yeah I uh yeah I mean I I like that we won that was just a different experience but I think the U what you uh what you gained from being in a situation like that in the trenches with your guys I think it really was a benefit going into the spring uh you know it wasn't always pretty it didn't look the way you want to look all the time but I think the benefit of being out there with the guys really paid dividends going into the spring so it was worth it yeah all the changes we've seen on the recr yeah how easy was it slide back in there after being yeah you know I you know you know there's a lot of things going on in recruiting but you you it still goes back to Rel relationships most of the time and you just so just trying to create those relationships and build those relationships with the families and the kids that's the part I enjoy about recruiting just meeting people and and talking to people and building those relationships read correctly your your time away it's not exactly time poorly spent you were enjoying life for the most part and you you hear a lot from coaches these days about it's not a pleasant time necessarily to be coaches with all that's going on what made you want to come back like I mean again when you got coaches kind of looking for ways to get out right well I mean I just you know I you know that time with my family was was awesome uh and but that that's all they've ever known is uh their coaches kids you know my my wife and I have kind of been through this um roller coaster of college football together and we just we we just all you know we came together and we felt like this was a great opportunity and and where where you're doing it at matters and uh you know coming have a place be able to get back into it in a place like Clemson for me was really special and uh everybody here has been awesome uh just not only with me but with with Ashley and Harrison and Cooper they they've uh it's it's been really good last question so what was the selling point to bring you back for you to get up off the couch uh well truth be no I mean this is something that uh you know we were we were we were looking at and just uh you know praying hard about the right opportunity and and the right opportunity came somewhere where I felt like um you know we're going to be able to you know have a chance to win a National Championship and be around great people and uh I I've been fortunate in my career to be at some really good places and uh just excited to be a part of it here all right