Football: Shane Beamer News Conference 08/10/24

all right first of all apologize to you guys for one uh schedule change from um yesterday and today moving things up we just did that to try and um uh not necessarily beat the heat it's still hot whether you're out there at 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock uh chance I heard yesterday of some afternoon storms and things like that so wanted to uh beat that and then give our guys a little bit more recovery time before we start meetings uh today so I apologize for the move things up an hour and then I apologize for the change in locations uh AP sorry if any of you guys had to plug equipment into the stadium and then had to walk back over here as well but you certainly you got your steps in today and whatnot also but don't like changing things on you so I apologize for that as well got a lot of good work in today uh we were out there for a little over a 100 plays uh finished up a little bit early because we did cut some things out of that believe it or not um as far as the number of plays we were going to get uh but we were very efficient and and got a lot of plays run obviously in a short period of um of time that doesn't mean that we're all of a sudden like this uptempo offense going fast I'm not saying that our guys are just very efficient getting getting out of the Huddle and getting reps and getting on and off the field as well 100 plays in uh got a lot of game work we were able to utilize the iPads like we'll be able to use in games this season I know from just talking to lenorris outside a minute ago at lunch it was very beneficial for him we utiliz the uh radio and the helmet communication with the quarterbacks and the guys on defense that was very uh beneficial uh with without a doubt so that was that was good work we started at midday uh intentionally at uh 11 a.m. knowing that we will um uh have some midday kickoffs as well sorry I think I saw you lugging equipment in at the stadium so I just apologize to this group that I know people lugged equipment into the stadium then had to drag it all the way over here my apologies for changing on you I'm sorry uh as well but um started at midday intentionally we play LSU at noon Oklahoma and Alabama are going to be early kickoffs as well noon Eastern 11 Central type games uh so I thought it would be really beneficial for us to be able to get some work uh at midday as well and it was it was really really hot obviously but our guys pushed through we talk all the time about you know staying in the fight and uh our guys did push through and and got some really good work in today uh we've had a good week grinded through this week really like the work our guys put in in practice leading up into uh today uh without a doubt we've got a big week coming up today's not over we've got lunch right now then they get a little bit of a break while the coaches watch the tape of the scrimmage and then the players will be back over here at 5:15 today toh watch the tape of the scrimmage from today and then we're right back at it the meetings tonight and right back at it tomorrow morning with a with another practice so we're we're back on the grind as we talked to talk to the players about after practice but overall really like this group the way they're working and the way they're coming together uh without a doubt injury-wise just normal bumps and bruises associated with preseason training camp these guys didn't scrimmage today Marquee Anderson uh van dvus Jacobs Elijah Davis chai Moore Reed Mesa Juju mcdal vanam Martin Scott and Rocket Sanders rocket bam Juju Reed jakai Elijah Dre and Mary nothing major uh all those guys practiced this week and uh had some just normal bumps and bruises and did not go today expect all of them to be back at practice tomorrow and uh ready to rock and roll so got through the scrimmage I think healthwise uh pretty good had a couple things that popped up but I don't think it'll be anything long term as we just came off the field just a little bit ago hopefully that's the case and with that any questions I'm sh you know one other guy potentially Michael Smith okay out there today did he look okay yeah or was it was he hurt bangged up or anything no is that the rumor Street just something I saw probably just saw wrong I don't think so um not that I know of he uh he's uh last time I saw him he was catching a touchdown in the end zone uh today in practice so hopefully nothing happened after that but that was towards the end of the scrimage and then there's been some report outs lately that the SEC might be going to an injury report this season have you and the other coaches talked about that do you think it's imminent and what do you think about it if so I do think it is um there's a lot of reasons behind that that the SEC is is doing that or thinking about doing that it's something David that we talked about in Destin at our head coach meet our league meetings back in May uh we did talk about that as head coaches um I have no problem with it we actually did it when I was at Virginia Tech working for my dad the ACC had that policy I forget what year I was there 11 12 13 14 15 but one of those years or at least or maybe more there was a a policy for injuries that you had to put out and um you know I have no issues with it we've been fairly forthcoming I guess when it comes to injuries and as long as everybody's you know playing by the same rules I'd have no issues how did L Norris look today and did did he get all the first team reps at quarterback or L Norris looked good he and Robbie got some work with the first group lenorris got some work with the second group Davis bevel got some work um with that second group so I thought did a good job of rotating all those guys in there and getting them work um thought Len Norris did a good job we uh we uh think he looked very poised and composed out there made some nice throws had some nice runs managed the offense the right way Robbie Ashford flashed Davis made some good throws so I thought overall I think Lenoris has had you know a a good end of the week not that the first of the week was bad but the last couple days I've really been impressed with him and and like the way that whole group is is coming together in that quarterback room right now obviously even outside of the quarterback room there's a lot of changes on that offense just obviously I'm sure there's still a lot of work to do but did you see today out of that group what you wanted to see at this point yeah I felt like um we had some self-inflicted things today that in the from an offensive standpoint that will'll lose football games whether it be um drops or uh some penalties you got a drive going and then you have a penalty that backs you up so stuff today that we can correct um but I thought you know our guys did a good job overall of of moving the football I thought our defense did a great job when the offense got down in the red zone or maybe had an explosive play the defense responded the right way offensively we there's no question we have to do a better job of finishing drives and making sure that we're not doing things that that beat ourselves because we certainly had a lot of that last year but overall thought I was I was pleased especially not having you know Marquee Anderson who were counting on and jakai Moore who we counting on and you know Juju is going to have a critical role in this offense and you hope that van dvus Jacobs continues to come along and whatnot so uh with those guys that were out there saw saw enough that you know typically scrimmage ones are are um um favor the defense anywhere that I've ever been and it'll be very good very I'll be very eager to see how the offense responds this week before we go into next Saturday's opportunity back out there in the stadium I think a couple of the edge guys linebackers have talked about almost hockey shifts when it comes to to that group what did it look like in uh a scrimmage situation of the rotations between the edge guys and the defensive line probably like a hockey shift um there really there's not a first group second group third group I mean I saw you talk about the top six guys I saw all six of them in with all three groups and that's what I told sterl yesterday do what you need to do to get those guys some work and we only have six you know you'd love to have a little bit more so we actually had to use some other bodies um just to spell those guys so we were out there for 100 plus plays today we needed to be smart with not just playing those six all 100 so we got some other bodies in there to to spell those guys but that's absolutely what it was all those guys uh bring a skill set to that group and um like the way they're working and coming along right now hey Shane got two for you first off uh mokaba spoke to us earlier this week said he felt 100% how do you feel like he looked out there you know with everything think he's coming off of I thought Mo did a good job um I thought he's had a good week he um he uh I think you guys have been at some practices in the past where we do some of those one-on ones and call the whole team up and and have somebody do a one-on-one rep against another player and we did that earlier this week with Mo and one of the running backs and mo won the rep and it was great to see that and just the response of his teammates around him as well and he's uh he's good he's very very um workmanlike in what he's doing and without having watched the tape already I thought he had a solid day and then you know with the receivers and stuff I know you said the offense you know maybe had some drops or whatever from your standpoint you guys have you know a lot of big guys out there a lot of smaller quicker type of guys is it kind of how you pictured the receiver room looking um with this first scrimmage today yeah um you know when you talk about um that group there's no question it is what it is we have more smaller guys if you will than than bigger guys you know we don't have a uh you know our top guys are are not that body type but then you also have you know Dale V Campbell and Nick Harbor who are big bodies on the outside so I think between uh camp and and Nick you got two guys that give you that big Presence at the receiver position and then you've got some other guys that certainly can make plays and have a skill set and then I wouldn't you know rule out I really like our tight end group you know when you talk about um um uh Brady hunt you talk about Josh Simon nobody ever talks about Maurice Brown that guy's going to play a lot for us on offense this year uh Mike Smith David mentioned him is going to play a lot for us on offense this year you know so we're excited about what those two guys have brought to the equation in that tight end room and like I told our team the other day Jack like my job as coach as the head coach is every single week to do what gives us the best chance to be successful and put the best 11 guys out there to play and whether that means you know four receivers or whether that means no receivers will do what gives us the best chance to to win football games same thing running backs tight ends you know let's find out what these guys do and give them opportunities to go make plays at the running back tight end and receiver position kind of sick with the running back you were down two today who else was working with the first team at running back you feel like you were able to make the progress you wanted in the running game even we don't have a we don't have a depth chart so there is no first team so just like the tight ends just like the edge guys just like the quarterbacks we had a bunch of running backs that were working with the first group in there so Oscar Adam way got the got to carry the ball a lot thought he ran the ball physical and and got north south um uh DJ brazwell uh had some nice runs today and flashed and had some explosive plays very similar to what he had in the in the spring game if I remember correctly um uh jaor how got some work in there with those top guys uh Matthew Fuller is a young freshman that we're excited about I thought he ran the ball very hard today and didn't look like a true freshman running back he ran physically so you know we we I told the coaches last night Allan like there is I don't care who you put in there we have this this group this will be the that a group b Group C group first group second group third Group whatever you want to call it and rotate your guys in there and we told the players in the team meeting this morning that you know today's scrimmage is let's figure out you know let's have a better idea when we come out of here who can who um let's have a clearer picture of what August 31st is going to look like when we open up with old dominion and who's going to be out there so so that meant that a lot of guys got work today with that first group and second group and third group over 100 plays I'm sorry if you've already been asked this but when you go you ask it again because I made you carry equipment in the stadium to your car then back up here um when you go back and watch the film are you watching the film differently than you would for a normal game are there things that maybe you're going to focus on a little bit more for the scrimmage or maybe not harp on as much because it is a scrimmage yeah great question um not really um I'd say the only difference is with um for me personally when I'm watching it if it's on a if it's on a Sunday after a game I'll come in and if the offense has 60 plays against Old Dominion I'll watch all 60 plays the offense had in a row and then I'll flip over to the defense and then I'll watch the defense's 60 plays whereas in a scrimmage like this offens as defense is on the same play if that makes sense cuz you're on the same team so I'll watch it and there's a on my computer in the office there's a sideline View and then I go the next then it goes straight to the endzone view of the offense so I can see the offense from behind and then on the same play it goes to the defensive view where I see the defense from behind and I can really just watch each individual player all 22 that're on the field at the same time probably I don't want to say more in depth but in season you kind of know who your guys are you're watching scheme and half teams are attacking you whereas today when I go back in there as soon as I walk out of here I'll sit in my office and it'll be watching more the 22 players on the field each and every snap uh but then especially talking about you know the things just making sure that the guys that are on there each and every play are playing the way that we want on the play with effort and flying to the ball and all that as well we really you know coach that hard and and um want to make sure our guys see what what we want that to look like Shane you mentioned Smith scored a touchdown who else scored or maybe got a turnover today uh not many Dave um like I said we had some drives that um that um we didn't finish whether we you know we got in scoring territory and we missed a field goal we got in scoring territory and we we lost some had some negative yardage plays on offense it took us out of field goal range um we had um Mike caught a a pass and um we had a little goal line play so the ball the offense started on the two yard line and it was so they didn't like Drive the ball down the field and and uh Matthew Fuller I believe scored on that one with that group uh Isaiah McClary had an interception I think that's back-to-back times in the stadium now because he had one in the spring game two so that's a positive at the offense we didn't for the most part they didn't turn the ball over we had one interception and uh that was just on a little hitch route out in the flat on and Isaiah made a good play at the corner position so often defensively pleased because we didn't turn the ball over we just we can't beat ourselves and shoot ourselves in the foot and not finish drives so we need from a defense from a head coach standpoint defensively we need more takeaways from a head coach standpoint offensively proud of the offense the way they protected the football we didn't have a lot of pre- snap penalties on either side of the ball which was very good and I 100 I think it was 103 total plays 103 total plays to have very few pre- snap penalties that's a good thing especially out there in that heat now we got to be better about just making sure we don't have the holding penalty and the hands to the face and some of that stuff that we had today that we that uh are critical penalties while the play is going on well aside from maybe some of those penalties you mentioned how how do you feel the offensive line performed today and I guess throughout the first seven days of practice how I feel pretty good um you know they've um they've battled for one you know outside of uh Marquee and jakai not playing today they've been healthy and Marquee just had something kind of tweaked a little bit what today Saturday yesterday I guess or Thursday and then jakai same thing don't like I said expect both of them back at practice so first part is they've they've been out there they've stayed in the fight you know we've got a full group out there where we're not like banged up right now so proud of them from that standpoint the the way they prepared their bodies over the summer to withstand the rigors of training camp uh and then overall I've been I've been pleased um I like the way that group is working Lonnie is is um you know mixing guys in and out and getting them work at different spots and I feel like those guys have done a good job I like the way that we've run the ball in practice this week for sure and um and it was good to see some of those backs carry the ball today we really wanted to come out of this scrimmage having a a good idea about the running backs and who we can count on right now and who may be in that rotation going forward and the offensive line out there gave us an opportunity to do that in my opinion I know a lot of the focus is obviously on how lenorris is playing on the field and last year is about Spencer but I'm just curious in what ways You' seen lenorris grow either as a leader as a person kind of making that jump from Rookie the sophomore year yeah um he's consistent I mean that's just who he is he's he's the same guy now that he was last year maybe he's a true freshman at this time and that's a great thing he's steady he's consistent but he's just uh nothing you know phases him he's he was just out there before I walked in eating lunch and kind of going back and forth with one of the linebackers about something that happened in practice and today in practice he had a ball that he had a a ball that got you know batted down on a throw and TJ Sanders and some of the defensive linemen were on the sideline kind of giving him crap about it and Lenoris was getting the play call from Dal in his ear but he was able to listen to the play call and then turn around and tell TJ to be quiet um as well so that's something probably that he wouldn't have done last year and it kind of took me by surprise like the Norse uh but just stuff like that he's just he's having fun out there he's got the respect of his teammates and and Lenor to me is the same guy I think around him the way his teammates view him they have or he has their respect and and um they think a lot of him as a teammate and a player speaking of having fun out there I imagine for some of the guys on the team that was their first chance to play on that field is it cool for you to get to watch them get that first experience or are you mostly like let's rain him in and get him focused no it's cool and and um we talk about it that that we the excitement that I want our guys to have every time they get the opportunity to go in that Stadium like to me when you walk across the street when you walk across Bluff Road and you get to walk in that gate through that tunnel uh into Williams Bryce Stadium it's special it should be different and it should mean something and we talked about it today I mean our team meeting this morning before we walked across the street we showed a video of how great this stadium is and how special it is and don't ever take for granted getting to go compete on that field uh as well so I I want them to embrace it it was for a lot of those guys there first time I walked across the street next to a couple of our freshmen that just got here and you excited and and they both said just how nervous they were and things like that and and uh uh but excited about being out there in the stadium and I want that but then once you get out there and you start playing there's so much coming at you I don't think those guys have a whole lot of time to kind of sit around and and think about it cuz it it uh it hits them in the face face pretty quickly once we start two things uh the first you've mentioned how hot it is a couple times we've seen at the practice field you've got like the shipping containers into like freezers what is that a new thing this year and and how do you use that uh for your team yeah um those are not new we've had them um I guess since my first year I think we've had them out there I believe we use those Jordan as just what you would think an opportunity we have a break in the middle of practice uh that's basically we kind of tell our players it's like halftime and it's five minutes we've we've just had a period it's about the halfway point of practice probably a little bit over the halfway point of practice horn blows they have to go over there and sit down and get something to drink uh Yim and our nutrition staff they have snacks over there for them during that time uh some of them go in the tank most of them do you go in there and there's you know 50 defensive players and 50 offens players in those little things and it's just they're really really cold as you can imagine so it brings their body temperature down and just kind of juices them up a little bit and then we come right back out like we tell our players it's just like coming out of the locker room in halftime and then we usually come out of those things right into a special teams period with j d just like a game would be after halftime you kick off or go to kickoff turn so that's what it's for and while we utilize it we usually have them out there probably till about the I don't know first or second week of the season and then we get rid of them and stop doing the break uh the the other thing you mentioned there was a a Mis kick today what have been your thoughts through a couple practices on the the kicking competition uh I think it's been very inconsistent um I think all those guys have had opportunities in practice that they've taken advantage of and then they've also uh missed some really good opportunities to take a step forward so it's um um I don't think we're any closer to having a starter at that position I'm not worried but um it just overall has not been consistent as much as um as as much as I would like having said that Kai Kroger and Mason love are punting the crap out of the ball right now so I'm really excited about those two guys and the way they're hitting it and our kickers will be fine they just uh we've got to keep putting them in pressure situations and one thing that we've done this year preseason different is just putting them in pressure situations where something's on the line for the whole team good or bad depending on their kid and trying to create those uh if not daily pretty much daily gotcha you good yeah now you obviously have three weeks before you have to settle that other cornerback spot opposite OD but has there been any separation to this point or do you could you see it literally playing out for three more weeks I could see it playing out and I also think that we'll probably end up playing all three of those guys I would imagine in the game I mean I think I think vicari's do having a good preseason I think judge is having a really good SE not think I know they're having a good judge is having a good preseason Vicar's flashed and then emry Floyd has uh has done some things as well um you know judge has taken the majority of those reps right there opposite o Donald but that does not mean that judge is necessarily the first one out against Old Dominion and uh we try and have a rotation and keep guys fresh and play different people we did that you know last year and and uh I would imagine we'll see how it goes forward imagine we'll um you know probably continue to rotate those guys in and and work them all as we go forward CH the first scrimmage that's a pretty big Benchmark for the season and I know you get excited the guys get excited but how is it different for you now as opposed to that first scrimmage you had when you first got here what are you doing differently maybe that you've learned along the way how to operate the scrimmage that you guys have changed great question um this is what I do yeah I know making me think um probably just having uh a better understanding of you know physically what you need to do with the football team to have them ready to go game one if that makes sense not that we weren't my first year I think we beat Eastern Illinois 46 to nothing or whatever it was so I mean we were ready to play and we played well that night um obviously but just understanding okay today is three weeks out and making sure that I'm doing the right things in practice on Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday leading up to that Saturday scrimmage so our guys can do what they need to do on Saturday and understanding that you may not need to see rocket Sanders today as much as you needed to see Matthew Fuller and Joe Warren how and DJ Brad as well if that makes sense and then so that first year were you just trying to cram as much information in as possible and just try to yeah cracked the code that day yeah I think in that year was probably just so much okay we got a scrimmage we're gonna get out there for about 100 plays let's go and let's you know let's evaluate and all that stuff as well but probably I don't want to say big picture and to answer your question I don't think I've changed a whole lot in that from but maybe one thing that I know I have is just really um you know probably dialed in a little bit better about where we are physically throughout the week leading into Saturday and then knowing that okay this upcoming Saturday a week from today will be two weeks before the first game so let's get those guys that are going to be playing kind of like the NFL when they used to play Four preseason games the third preseason game was the one where the starters played the most probably into the second half and the second preseason game I've never coached in the NFL but from what I know the second preseason game is where you get some of your guys that are battling to make a spot on the team let's get them a lot of work and see what they do today was probably very much like that in a lot of ways and at some positions whereas next week we're going to get TJ Sanders and Tonka Hemingway and Boogie Huntley and Debo and Vera Lee probably a little bit more work than they got today so they'll be better equipped to play however many plays they got to play against old DE minion in two weeks if that makes sense yeah and and and then the last part can you compare the energy level for that first scrimmage to the season opener because I know you go for the two a days you go through three a days you got training all that I mean it sucks but when you finally get to hit people and it matters a little bit you got that energy how do you kind of rain that in absolutely I felt that this week in practice you know it's kind of odd the way the calendar fell with the NCAA we weren't were not allowed to be in prep full pads until the I think it's the sixth day of practice so today was number what eight so today was the eth practice so you can't be in full pads until the sixth day so actually our first day in full pads was on Thursday so the energy and practice on Thursday was Skyhigh because you're putting full pads on Justin King and his team put out that video of Thursday's practice and it was extremely extremely spirited being in full pad so that was awesome and then yesterday we took it back down a little bit we were just in helmets and then you kind of ramp it back up today obviously but there was great spirit and energy and physicality out there in the stadium and and our players there's no doubt in my mind they you know they love football they love to compete I said it on that video they love football they love to compete and we're physical now we just got to make sure we're playing smart and and doing the things that we need to do to win football games no one else here we go you a big fan of magicians magicians yeah um not necessarily but um I'm a big fan of Carl Michael uh that was here last night he came in last year and and uh excuse me Carl Michael came in last year and did a great job with our team and and I know they look forward to him coming back when our guys found out that he was coming back last night um they were excited and we had a team meeting at at s but he started doing some tricks before that and I was down the hall in my office and he was right out here and I could just hear like the with the play when he did some of his tricks like all the way down the hall of them flipping out so he did a great job with our guys that's two years in a row and grateful that he came here and spent some time with us a lot of fun and a lot of guys that um uh were trying to crack the code of what he was doing and a lot of guys that are still their minds are blown about some of the tricks that they saw uh last night for sure I knew your big thing is competition and you really preach that a lot with the running back room kind of going back to that um you know rocket missed today a lot of other guys get opportunities I know The Season's a few weeks away how do you kind of manage you know you know rocket obviously the big guy that you guys got in the portal but like can it help that these other guys that you know were getting reps instead of Rocket today can that kind of elevate them ahead of him potentially or how do you kind of manage that with a guy that you know is so prolific in the Run game yeah no absolutely it's competition but to me it's everything's based not just on Saturdays it's based on what you're doing during the week too and you know rocket has done everything in practice so before the story becomes oh my God rocket Sanders is not healthy rocket Sanders is 100% healthy and he's done everything in practice and if anything I've got to like tell him to like slow down a little bit because jod D has a special teams drill and he pops up and he wants to be the first one in line to go do a special teams drill and then we're doing one-onone Blitz pick up the running backs and the linebackers which is as physical a drill as those guys really get in a short area and he's he's blocked blitzing linebackers pretty regularly in the SEC and he's up there just taking rep after rep after rep after rep so he's getting his work in during practice we wanted to see some of those other guys today and just limit him a little bit uh without a doubt but it gave those other guys opportunities certainly to try and solidify a role on this team but there's no question in my mind the way that rocket is uh competing in practice he has he's gotten better this week out there on the practice field and expecting to continue to get better um this upcoming week starting tomorrow on the practice field also okay thank you'all sorry again for the change and location and time enjoy the rest of your weekend