#FAU Football Fall Camp 2024 Day 10: Coach Tom Herman

opening up and then shift it over to the offense yeah I I would have been surprised and and disappointed uh had the defense not played like that I I think all of us as a staff have communicated it to the players um we played good enough defense uh in seven out of our eight um conference games you know that a capable offense uh should have been able to win those games and so uh for us to come into this season and feeling like we've improved on that side of the ball which I think everybody feels like we have I think is is really good when you improve from good that's that's a good thing um and and offensively we had nowhere to go but up I mean I think we're like 120 something in the country in a multitude of categories so uh we're growing there I you know two of the interceptions I thought were just unbelievable defensive plays um so I I I did not get concerned uh by the quarterbacks I I think too sometimes I'd be remiss if I if I you know it's it's a lot like sat interceptions for quarterbacks are a lot like sacks for o lineman like we just immediately assume well he's the guy throwing it so it must be his fault he's the guys they're the GU supposed to protect the quarterback so it must be their fault you know so um we don't other than the people um on the team you know you see the result you don't necessarily see the why and um so I was uh happy with not happy I was okay I was okay with with where the offense is I think um we're doing some good things I I know that coach FR wanted to play them to play Fast uh so pretty vanilla a little bit you know not not a whole lot of exotic stuff so that players have less thinking and uh so for the defense you know we made it a little bit easier maybe but um it was good to see the back and forth and I I think we got out of the scrimmage everything that we wanted to can you talk a little bit about FanFest and and having parents weekend here this weekend opportunity for that yeah we we try to at some point every training camp surprise the players with the parent showing up uh seems like every year that uh that Secret Gets Out sooner and sooner so uh and then the FanFest we we just love having people around especially the families uh hopefully at least one or two of the kids were surprised by seeing their families in the stands uh today but uh we make a big deal about that you know training Camp's hard these guys are in this building I I think I we showed up on July 30th and you know that's the first time we'll have a full day off uh till January and so there's very few professions or lines of uh I guess extracurricular activities since they're student athletes um that require that much commitment you know and so anytime we have an opportunity to get these guys back around their families after you know being away from them for so long I think is important and then I I I just I can't express to the fans how important they are to to our success and any chance we have to pay our respect to them and show our appreciation to them uh we're going to do that and we're going to go up sign autographs mingle with with the fans because uh I've been doing this long enough and and I know that it takes everybody to win I think when you're invested and realized that um wins and losses are everybody responsibility fans administrations coaches players it uh from the janitor to the $25 a year donor like at that point you have invested in this program now you've also taken some responsibility uh in terms of of helping us win and and our fans especially those that have made the point to come out today do an excellent job helping us and uh you know we can't thank them enough and uh hopefully next year they they bring two or three friends with them questions uh both Cam and Ty were able to bounce back interceptions in today's scrimmage how did you like their kind of performance in today's game bouncing off back off those picks and has there been any developments in the QB battle so far uh I I I did think they bounce back um at that position you you've got to have a very short memory good and bad and uh as I said it when you throw the ball to the right place and bad thing happens you you kind of it's a lot easier to move on than when you you do something boneheaded or or whatever um so there there's a bit of a difference there psychologically too so uh those guys did a really good job coming back um you know from my vantage point I I saw one kind of misread that cost cam uh down in the Red Zone but other than that you know two of the picks I I I know I would have thrown the same ball you know and so um I I thought they both did well and yes I think you know if we played Michigan State tomorrow cam would start uh but I I don't know if that will change in three weeks but I know that Tyreek played well enough and I anticipate him continuing to play well enough that that possibility is is certainly still out there shift to the defensive side of the ball a little bit we've seen CJ herd back there a lot um like a lot of trust in a TR fresh back there at sa what do you like from his game so far over the summer a lot um he's a grown man you know uh very rarely do you get 18y olds especially those that come in in the summer and and haven't been here uh for a winter and and spring practice uh he just he belongs there there's a he doesn't look like he's 18 out there he looks like a guy that's been playing college football for a while he's strong he's fast he's he's made really really instinctive plays on the ball when the ball is in the air so um we got a nice little three-way battle there with Philip him and and Jay will that if those guys stay healthy that that's going to be a a pretty good threesome uh in the back end of the secondary something that was talked about um especially with a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball is the rotation of guys in the trenches how have you really liked the depth that we have at Edge um tackles and just the ability to sub in fresh guys practically every play a lot more than I than I have in a long time you know to I was you you're right and you know standing where I stand at practice and scrimmages behind the quarterback you know it was hot out there and 2 and 1 half hours into it you know that the D line was jumping off the ball I was like wow I mean these guys guys were getting in the back field and uh they seemed really fresh and then I thought you know oh yeah we we got a lot more of them now you know so um it it has been a luxury and I think we certainly felt it you know the old line whether they uh realized it at the time or not you know they they had some fresh dudes coming at them and um that made a difference uh towards the end of the game and I I liked what I saw and in terms of of being able to not have the level of play you know really drop off at all when you you throw the twos and some of the threes in there switching back to the offensive side of the ball you mentioned how you have you know three weeks until you go to Michigan State less than three weeks less than three weeks what do you want to see from the offense going forward and know it wasn't the best day from the unit but what do you want to see going forward from them in terms of progress before you guys reach that point well a lot you'd like to make it through 80 plays without four turnovers um I I think you this is the age-old head coach dilemma right in Spring practice and training camp um we're going to practice against a really good defense every day and we can't let um the Downs of a of a practice or scrimmage affect the UPS you know we're going to make our plays against those guys too um but if we dwell on the times that we don't then we're not even going to have the ones that we do so you ask what we what I want to see I I think just consistency um I think I'm talking out out of both sides of my mouth but consistency but we also need big plays you know I don't I don't know you know we had one big play to EJ called back um couple other 15 yard passes couple eight y runs but uh we need some big plays it's it's hard uh to go 12 team play drives up and down the field on a regular basis so I think you know protecting the football which I'm always concerned about but I there's explanations that don't have me terribly worried um consistency and then somebody on the perimeter's got to make some contested you know big plays coach if you could just uh without you know going too much detail compare and contrast last year at this point in Camp scrimmage one to today well it may not look it but we're better offensively um you know we had a A Difference Maker at at one position last year and a lot of guys that um we've improved at at that position so just from a a sheer ability level you know we're were the the pieces are you can play with the pieces a little bit more and and and have some fun with that but um and then defensively as you said you know we're going to miss Evan but um other than that feel really good about the the level of player uh that we have coming back uh or coming into to that side of the ball uh and then it's just a different different attitude you know these guys want to be coached hard they want to be driven they they want to be called out they I mean they they they're just they they're do right guys and for the most part now we got a few that we got to we got to keep uh the rains on but the biggest thing you know it's 46 half these guys we've never seen an FAU uniform um so we think they can play we we have good evidence now that a lot of them can when the lights come on in 20 days and each Lancing we'll know a lot more uh but I I certainly like the the feel the attitude never mind what I said at first about the the talent top to bottom being better just uh getting up coming to work every day is is more joyful summary cohesion oh yes yeah everybody's rowing in the same direction everybody is aligned yeah on the topic of you know the program and this upcoming season um this is going to be your first rivalry game coming up against FIU as head coach of FAU um could you speak on your knowledge of the Rivalry you know in the past and the future what you're looking forward to in the upcoming game what are your thoughts on the overall game overall and uh how do you think this rivalry is going to benefit both FAU and Fu just in the long term well I I hope that I I think we're planning on both universities both administrations planning on playing that game every year for a long time it it makes sense from a travel standpoint for both programs uh and it makes sense for uh the fans uh and the the locals in in our Tri County Area you know um we've got I'm sure I'm forgetting but the the ones that stick out in Dade Broward and uh Palm Beach county is FIU uh the you and us and you know anytime you have a chance uh to play a team that's right down the road from you a team that you you battle against in recruiting a team that you you know hopefully our entire University battles them for admissions for we we want to get the a better chemistry student than FIU I hope you know we want to get a better trombonist in the uh marching band than FIU you know hopefully um you know that rival goes a lot deeper than Athletics but like I said proximity uh breeds contempt I know um familiarity I think is the the right way to say that phrase but um them being so close it's it's natural uh for us to dislike each other because we we're fighting over the same things uh for the most part we're fighting uh for the fans of you know the general college football fan in the TR County area and we're fighting for recruits and we're fighting now for wins on Saturday and to have the trophy named after Don Chula and you know one of if not the greatest football coaches to walk the planet it's it's pretty special thank you thanks guys