Following the homecoming win vs. USC and ahead of the week nine road game vs. Minnesota, head coach Mike Locksley talks about the Gophers, Cam Edge's decision to transfer and the gusty calls on Saturday
Opening statement
“Really excited about last week’s outcome in terms of this team has continued to practice the right way and every week we go out, I say this. This team is a little different than any other team I’ve coached and I want to make sure I emphasize how proud I am about the way – the mindset of this team. I think they understand how important it is to continue to stay focused on the process as well as the progress and when you make small changes, they typically add up to big shifts and I saw that, as I said Saturday. I saw our team grew up right before our eyes, and I saw the younger players, and I saw some of these guys that have had a tough goal the last few weeks grow up. And that's what you want to see – incremental improvement every game. That's a little bit part of the investment that I talked about a week ago, investing in the longer-term changes that will make us better, that with each player, each coach, every decision we make being focused in an effort to find ways to create success. And our players continue to do that each and every week – the way they practice, the way they come out. They don't do it perfectly, which is why you know this our jobs as coaches and staff to continue to do it.”
“Some of the things that I like to highlight, you look at Billy's play. I talked a couple weeks ago about Billy, and he's a big driver of all the things that you continue to see. He has an incredible mindset, great production when you look at him. And then the thing I think that really jumps out to me is the character, I mean, his leadership. This team believes in Billy as our quarterback. He's tenth in the country in passing yards. I think he's tied for first for the most completions. It was good to see Kaden Prather have a big game for us on Saturday and really show up. We've challenged Kaden the last couple of weeks. He's put the work in on the practice fields but challenged him to be dominant. And I thought he did a really good job of making some plays for us. And then when you talk about Octavian Smith and some of the plays he made, we've all seen what Tai [Felton] has been capable of doing, but Saturday, I think you really saw KP and [Octavian] prove once again that they're also play makers for this offensive system.”
On Minnesota
“Excited about this opportunity against Minnesota on the road as we know, it's always tough, as it's been highlighted. Every week you see teams really struggle when they go on the road in the Big Ten because it's a tough league. But I expect us to continue to put the work in this week, show up Saturday, continue to do the things we need to do to improve against a good team. And I know it's their homecoming, so it'll be a great crowd, a great crowd, a great environment that I know our players will be excited about.”
On the UA/One Maryland Collective release
“I know there have been a lot of people to ask about these hoodies and the throwbacks and the last few months and well, it's now time. It's time for us to release these in Maryland athletics and Under Armour, in conjunction with the one Maryland collective, are going to release these throwback hoodies. Finally. It's great. The timing of it couldn't be at a better time. The gear is exclusive to the One Maryland Collective. People that join it will have an opportunity. I know it's limited, you have limited number of these things to be released. So I strongly encourage for everybody that's been sliding in my DMs asking about the throwback hoodies, now is the time as One Maryland Collective will now launch these as you become members. And I know they have a lot of different ways of whether it's the T-shirt with the throwback on it, whether it's the sweat hoodie, but they're all be available for the fans that want to get in on this. So it's a great way for Maryland fans to own something that's unique, as well as help our program at the same time. And I know our players are excited about what the One Maryland Collective has been able to do, as we've been able, through the One Maryland Collective, from the football standpoint, to go out and really do some good things in the community on gun violence education, mental health awareness, literacy, and then drug and alcohol prevention, which our football team, those are the four pillars that they have gone out around this community. And now as a member of the One Maryland Collective, if you're fortunate enough to get on while supplies last, as they say. Jump on it early.”
Game captains vs. Minnesota
“our captains for this week – Josh Kaltenberger, Taizse Johnson and Roman Hemby will serve as our game captains as we go up to Minneapolis this week.”
On Minnesota’s defense
“Their secondary, the two corners, and I know one, number two is a transfer in there. Really, really got good length and kind of reminds me of a Deonte Banks type of skill set, man. They’re both really twitchy guys. You know their scheme. They know who they want to be. They're going to be a under team, field under. They play man, they play middle field close coverages, as well as some split safety coverages. Both those guys are really talented, man to man cover guys, and when you watch them, they play man against all the teams – [USC], North Carolina. So they’re a team that wants to have a safety in the middle of the field, they're a team that will challenge you at the line of scrimmage because they're trying to take away the RPO stuff. Really sound on defense. I think they're top ten defense, man, and they have been year in and year out. Really consistent with their scheme. They're big up front. They got great length, athletic, and like I said, their corners have the ability to kind of play man, which allows them to load that box up to stop the run.”
On the identity of the 2024 team compared to preseason expectations
“It’s what I thought. Our identity is we're a developmental team that will get better incrementally as the year goes on. When you're inexperienced upfront, I say young, but it's more inexperienced than young at the offensive line, I see us getting better. I see some of like I said, the decisions that were made. I saw some incremental improvement with us being on the right people a week ago and running off the ball a little bit, which happens. It doesn't necessarily happen because of the change. It happens because we get to go out and do it every day, and you'll get better by doing it. I think we're still the same team that I thought we were. We have great skill players. Were a little inexperienced upfront and inexperienced at the corner position, but as I said Saturday, I also saw those guys start growing up. And couldn't have happened at a better time for us, much needed, a much-needed win for our program to give it that shock of confidence that to help us kind of get our confidence back.”
On how much better 4-3 is than 3-4
“It’s what we wanted to be and so we accomplished our goal. We didn't get voted off the island this week, which is, you know, transactional college athletics, college football is a transactional deal, where it's what have you done for us lately? I like the way our team has continued to fight. [It] hasn't always been the results that we wanted, but as I've told them, we're going to try to stay process and progress oriented right now, and that's where we are. So if there's a change in anything is that, let's stick to the process and the progress right now, and as we get into the meat of our seasons.”
On the small changes made
“Personnel, staff, you know, play calling – everything. I mean, we are always evaluating what we're doing and how to make it better. The thing I told our team a week ago, is that when you feel like things around you are all over the place, that's where you just kind of go and look into yourself and figure out, what can I do to be better? And that's to me, when I talk about the small changes, we’re constantly, and when I talk about being a growth program, a growth mindset. We're constantly trying to figure out how can we get better faster? Because we don't have a lot of time. We know that. We've got to get better fast. So the small changes, I thought we saw some incremental improvements and some of the things we've made decisions on and it's very atypical of how it happens.”
On Cam Edge transferring out of program
“I mean, it's tough, but we've had a backup quarterback, Billy Edwards been here for year three. Just a matter of, and this is the great thing about what the new landscape looks like, because I have no problem with the decision that has been made. As you guys know, I don't talk about it a lot. When they leave, I let them leave how they feel they need to. And it should be that way. Because, I mean, these guys are 18 to 22, year olds that are trying to figure life out, and it's a lot like going out and breaking plates in practice where things don't happen the way you want them to happen. Sometimes you should fight through it, and you keep persevering, and sometimes you reset and figure out like that, maybe this ain't the place. And that happens whether it's coaches, players, I mean, staff. When you're a program like ours where we're constantly in the growth mindset deal. I mean, everybody's looking for how can I create value, not just for the team, but for myself? And so some of the decisions are made, but it's the landscape. So got no problem with that.”
On what the backup QBs role is
“Kind of looks like what a student reporter looks like with a professional reporter. You're learning. You're learning. And you got guys behind you that have been doing it a while, and it's very similar. You wait your turn, you get better at it. You write your stories. You prepare yourself as if you're working for the job you want, which you do a great job of. And you know, that's what a backup quarterback does. He prepares for the opportunity that isn't guaranteed, that you aren't guaranteed to get. And that's not always how this generation – that's why I said the landscape of college athletics is different. Because they do have this ability. And I'm all for it. Because, again, I'm of the opinion that if a guy doesn't feel like this place is the best place for them, go find that place that fits what you're looking for. And you know what, sometimes you make mistakes. Sometimes guys decide after a while, like, hey, and so it's a good thing, and it's one that I have no problem with.”
On the importance of maintaining momentum into November
“I ain't worried about all that. I'm worried about this next game. So as far as the stretch, the all that we gotta this next one is the most important, and it's kind of been how we've approached it. The progress that we need to make is let's build on some of the things we did well. I think I talked to you guys about wisdom a week ago. That's the negative and positive experience you have that allow you to make good choices now. And so the wisdom that we've gained from the first half of the season, it's up to me to make sure that we take those things that we've learned, apply them to help us find a way to go up to Minneapolis and get a win. All the rest of that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to us right now and is what happens when we go to Minnesota.”
On making sure offseason strength schedule matches 2024 season
“I mean, it's, again, the philosophy of our program. I mean, speed is important. Size is important. And then we have criterias that we look for each position. When we bring guys in, I've said this before, this generation is not a mass production. It's like these new sweatshirts that the One Maryland Collective is going to be putting out. They don't want 1,000. They want to be able to only releasing 300 or 500 so everybody wants one of one and I think the same thing can be said for when you bring players in, especially in this landscape. That marriage between the strength and conditioning room and the value it creates for them on the field. That marriage is natural because if they're getting bigger, stronger, faster in the weight room, that usually translates to them making plays on the field, which usually creates value, whether it's them being able to be a starter, earn NIL dollars, or whether it's them being able to get drafted like we've had a bunch of guys do here the last few years. That marriage is one that has to happen. It's important because we complement each other in terms of we bring in the skill, he develops them. A lot of times, the players we bring in are developmental guys that aren't the finished product just yet. But I think if you look at the way we've recruited now that we've started to have a little success in our program, we've gotten some guys that maybe didn't look at Maryland the way they look at us now, and it's helped us, and it will help us as we continue to develop and grow our program.”
On WR Octavian Smith Jr
“Octavian is a guy that you know, he played quarterback in high school up at Paint Branch for Coach [Michael] Nesmith. And Coach Nesmith is one of those high school coaches that I can just remember, like when I was a coordinator, he was always around, always studying the game. And so when you look at the way the Paint Branch program has grown there in Montgomery County and Octavian played a big, big role in that as a quarterback in that system. He has great speed. He's been making plays like he made Saturday. Think back to the NC State bowl game -- that touchdown catch Saturday was eerily similar to that, and it's what he's capable of. And I've said this before, [Octavian] [has] been banged up a little bit. When you have a speed guy like him, and he's been dealing with a lower body extremity that he's finally healthy and we're finally starting to get him back to where he's close to 100%. It couldn't have happened at a better time for us, because KP and Tai get a lot of attention, and when you have that guy that's in the slot, somebody's going to get a one on one. And to have that third guy, as well as those young tight ends as they continue to develop, being able to have [Octavian] production, especially the way he was productive for us a week ago. We're going to need that out of him this week and he's had a good week of practice. He's been one of those guys that, as I talk about the transition from, like how Tai made that transition this year, I'm starting to see that out of Octavian in terms of how he's practicing, in terms of his development. You see him crafting and learning and really getting into crafting as a receiver and it's starting to show up on Saturday from him.”
On what Octavian has done to ascend in the program since summer
“He’s changed his habits. He's created the winning habits that you need to have to make plays like he did Saturday. And it's just part of growing up, man, I always, I keep talking about and I think you guys don't understand that you have to grow up. Like they come in as 18 year olds. I mean, you're 18 before, right? I mean, you're not the same guy you were at 21 as you were at 18 when you showed up here. And sometimes we don't always give players that grace, because there is an expectation now. I get it, but it's my job as a parent and as their coach to protect them and allow them to grow at the pace they need to while still trying to figure out ways to speed it up. And I think Octavian is a byproduct of it. Tai is a byproduct of it. Glen Miller's a byproduct of it. It’s just the way this program is set up that you'll see players continue to develop and grow and improve which is what it's all about for me.”
On the gusty calls vs. USC
“No, I phoned a friend, I got online and called a friend, and I got online, they looked on the comments during the game and saw, like, Locks needs to go for two here. So that's why it took me a little while when they were reviewing it, and when I got the call back to say go for two. I'm just saying. I mean, I phoned a friend. No. I mean, we study it. I know that a lot of people think we're we don't know what we're doing as coaches a lot but we rehearse everything. Just like you rehearse your questions and you rehearse your stories, and you write them down and you make corrections in between before you get it to your editor. I mean, we do those things too. Unfortunately, every decision we make, you guys get the judge. And I like to get the judge some of y'all first writings that you write when you do your first story before your editor slices it up. You know what I mean? Let's put that on there. We use the analytics of it. You're down two points. It tells you coach's decision, or you're when you're down two scores late in the game, you're going to have to go for eight, or at some point, if you want to win the game, you're going to have to go for two, or you go to overtime. Well, I had made the decision that we were playing to win. I told our team, that's why we went for it on 4th-and-three…that's an example of messaging to your team. This is how we're going about it. We're going to play to win. We went for two. Had a great call, great successful scheme, got the two points, and it made it a little easier. So now you go, you score the next touchdown, you win the game. If you didn't get it, you still had an opportunity to tie the game for going for two after the second score. So it's not a lot. It wasn't that hard of a decision because we rehearse it. We use the analytics. But I will also tell you that, when the map and the terrain don't match we going with the what? The terrain. And so in the course of that game, we could have kicked it, tied it up, and went overtime possibly. But at that point for me to send a message to our team that may reverberate across the rest of the season, I think it showed that we were playing to win.”
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