Everything Duquesne Football Head Coach Jerry Schmitt Said After Loss to Boston College
The Duquesne Dukes football team lost its second-straight game to open the season on Saturday evening with a 56-0 defeat to Boston College.
After the game, head coach Jerry Schmitt spoke to the media about what he saw in the contest and what needs to be worked on.
Below is a transcript of everything Schmitt said.
OPENING STATEMENT: I told our kids I was really proud of them for the effort that they gave through 60 minutes and how they competed against an FBS program like this. Obviously, we were out-manned across the board but we came in and did some of the things we wanted to do. I said there’s a lot of positives that will come out of this and then we’ll correct the mistakes and some of those mistakes are just physical guys making plays and that happens all the time in football but you play an FBS program and that’s what you’re gonna get, some really talented football players we’re playing against.
Q: Coach, when you schedule this fall schedule and you have the back-to-back FBS games, when you schedule it, what do you hope to get out of it when you look at the whole course of the season?
SCHMITT: Well, this is a collective schedule of the administration and what I’m looking for is really what we always look for is we’re just trying to get better each and every game, backs down to each and every play and each and every day we work. We understand the challenge, I think our players, I know our players appreciate the opportunity to play in venues like this. I told them enjoy the pageantry of college football at its highest level. I told them at halftime go out and enjoy it and play hard and be a part of it. So, we’ll get better putting ourselves in these situations.
Q: And how does that usually manifest itself?
SCHMITT: We’re playing at a high level, we’re playing at a high rate of speed and if we can get to those levels or fight to play at those levels on a consistent basis, it will help us in conference play. We won a conference last year. I can’t tell you that statistic is every year that happens. Injuries play a huge part in everybody’s season.
Q: Coach, you guys struggled on third down [in] this one. Overall, what do you think needs to be done in order for you guys to be more effective on that down going forward?
SCHMITT: Yeah, I think we were a little bit behind the chains most of the time which is the percentages for a lot of teams is tough and then against this football team too, protection is a little bit of an issue with their size and speed and so we didn’t have a lot of time, we need to get the ball out of our hands. I think he was pressured a little bit. It wasn’t as sharp as he had been through camp even some of the throws he made in the first week. Q: You’re talking about Darrius, correct? Mhhmm.
Q: Coach, you touched on the injuries, just how do you guys battle back from some of those and Noah went down today.
SCHMITT: Yeah, we have to fight through those and there were a couple other too that had to leave the game. We’ll get our young guys in, they’ll get a lot of quality reps and hopefully we get those guys back at some point in time. If not, we get the young guys playing and make some moves and just try to stay as healthy as we can and be as good as we can.
Q: You talked about getting some young guys, played a lot of people today. You see anything you like from some of those young guys?
SCHMITT: Yeah, I think the young offensive line that went in were solid. They were pushing the pile a little bit, gave up a couple missed blocks there and some TFL’s but I mean they didn’t back down, they went in and they pushed a little but and got us a little bit of space, I think we might have got a couple first downs there. You know, some of those kids are not even scholarship kids for us and so I know they’re playing against scholarship players first, second, and third group.
Q: Can you speak a little about Jack Dunkley, had another strip sack today, sack in each of his first two games this year, sophomore.
SCHMITT: Very good. Fortunately, he’s picked up where he left off last year at Merrimack and he just works extremely hard. He’s long, we’re trying to get some weight on him, you look at him and he’s skin and bones out there, but he’s a tough, physically put together kid. He’s a strong kid for as skinny as he is and so he just works really hard. I’m glad he gets rewarded from it and we’re looking for big things from him moving forward and J Pat on the other side, is a pretty talented kid too.
Q: Obviously, Kevin Kruz has been a bright spot for you guys as well, defensively recovering a fumble today, some good tackles coming off the injury. What do you like about the work that he’s put in and how that’s shown up these first couple games?
SCHMITT: He’s a leader, he’s a captain, very happy for him. One of the hardest working guys on our team, really happy to see that pay off for him. So, happy for him, hope he stays healthy, we need him and looking for a big season out of him.
Q: And a follow up about Jack really quickly, obviously a guy that you mentioned the Merrimack game. What was it when he had that next man up mentality and how has he made that a contagious mindset, putting that work in that you mentioned?
SCHMITT: Yeah, there’s no doubt. He came into camp with that mindset and other guys feed off it too and they see it. I had to talk about it to the team all the time as an example of a guy that did make the travel squad halfway through the season, gets a strip sack in the fourth quarter of a championship game and that’s an example for the young guys that when they’re getting a little bit tired of practice and they’re not starters and grinding through the season or on scout teams, Jack was on the scout team to start the season last year, but keep working and working and you never know when your number’s called and you’re going o have to help the team and help the team potentially win in big games.
Q: Luke Miller had a team-high six tackles today. He’s a guy who stood out to me this week and last week, he’s only a sophomore but I see him always communicating, getting after it. Just how excited are you to see his progression this season?
SCHMITT: Really happy for him. He’s a great kid, he’s always positive, he’s well liked by the whole team. He came here last year and had an ACL so he was out the whole season but he was around every single practice and endeared himself to our football team. I love his attitude, love to see him being successful. He can run, he can tackle, he’s another skinny dude that we’re trying to get some weight strength on to play interior inside the box with those big boys but you know, some of those guys have a way to move their body to avoid those blocks and make some tackles. Those are the best linebackers, so really happy for him and happy to have him on our team. Our guys love him.
Q: Just one last question, Shawn Soloman got a good amount of carries today. He finished with only 18 yards but he did have an impressive 11-yard run. Just what did you make of his performance and being resilient and future plans on implementing him in the offense?
SCHMITT: He’s a young kid, who came to us last year, just kept working, kept working. He’s a quiet kid, he just kept working last year, we could see it, then he did the offseason program and showed up in pads in the spring and I said boy he’s put on some strength and he has a chance and so he was behind Jamario and Taj and Taj didn’t play today, he was the number two guy and we were happy to see him get some reps. He’s really smart, he knows his stuff, he knows everything he has to do protection-wise, and he’s got a unique way of moving his hips and making guys miss a little bit. I think all these game reps are really gonna help him.
KIM RANKIN