Watch: Jeff Brohm, Garrick McGee and Louisville Players Preview Virginia

The head coach of the Cardinals, as well as wide receivers coach Garrick McGee, offensive lineman Michael Gonzalez and defensive lineman Ramon Puryear met with the media to discuss their upcoming matchup vs. the Cavaliers.

Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm ran out onto the field before the game against SMU / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After suffering their first loss of the season up at Notre Dame, the Louisville football program's struggles in South Bend carried into their home matchup against ACC newcomer SMU, falling 34-27 this past Saturday.

Next up, Louisville heads back on the road for a showdown at Virginia. Kickoff against the Cavaliers is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Prior to their upcoming matchup, head coach Jeff Brohm, wide receivers coach Garrick McGee, offensive lineman Michael Gonzalez and defensive lineman Ramon Puryear took time to meet with the media. They discussed the previous game vs. SMU, previewed the upcoming game at Virginia, and more.

Below is the partial transcript from Brohm's press conference, as well as the videos from McGee, Gonzalez and Puryear's press conference:

Head Coach Jeff Brohm

(Opening statement) 

“We have to get back to work. We’re facing a good team in Virginia whose 4-1 and 2-0 in the conference. They have good quarterback play and they’re solid on defense and balanced on offense. Last year at home we had to score two late touchdowns to pull out a victory. They controlled the game for the most part. We must get better as a team and improve on a lot of things that haven’t gone our way. We need to go out there and get it done especially on the road, which will be a good test for us. 

(On his biggest priority right now)

“On defense we need to shore some things up and allow our players to play and execute and play fast. There are some things that we’ve discussed, and we’re making corrections and make a better plan to make sure those things happen. We have to make sure everyone is getting the call so we can play fast. On offense, we have to continue to find ways to make big plays. When we’re in some passing situations we have to find ways to protect better and be firmer so we can give the quarterback some time. We have to be consistent playmakers and find ways to convert in critical situations, third and short, fourth and short, and be smart in how we create a plan and find ways to get it done.”

(UVA’s ability to finish in the fourth quarter)

“it’s all relative. We were able to finish on them last year, despite them playing a really good game. This year they’re an experienced team whose quarterback is playing well, they settled on him and he’s done a really good job. He can run and pass which gives them options and uses his ability to escape the pocket, giving them opportunities to score. Their defense is solid and at times they’ve played tremendously well. I think they’re a solid football team that’s gone through a couple seasons where they’ve had some tough losses but have learned from them. They have improved because of it and that’s how it works. They’re very competitive, they play hard and are well coached. The quarterback play as well as their defense is their strength.”

(On what he wants improved on defensive communications) 

“The simplest way to define it is that when the balls snapped, we need to be lined up and on the same page about the call. If we get beat, let’s get beat because the other team outplayed us. That has not taken place. There needs to be less checks, or in my opinion, zero checks, so when a call is made, we can run it. Everyone needs to understand the play so certain things can’t detour us from making the play. I do think that the calls need to get in quicker. We need a plan to make sure that happens. Worst case scenario, if a team goes extremely fast and the calls not getting in, we have a set play where we’re lined up to play until we get the call. There are some small things with we’re going to make sure gets fixed and we’ll work hard this week to fix them, so our guys can execute and play fast.”

(On getting behind early) 

“It’s a combination of a lot of things but as a defense, we do need to communicate. Just like when you’re playing defense in basketball, you have to talk. It’s going to be loud, so we have to be better at communicating. I do think it’s a hodgepodge of things that happen here and there, that need to be cleaned up to make sure we don’t put ourselves in those situations. We all need to play better. We all need to coach better. It starts with me and goes all the way down. The plan needs to be defined, and we need to know exactly what we’re going to do. We need to be able to teach that plan and carry it out as efficiently as we can. To win at a high level, everyone has to do their part or you’re not going to win. That means our assistant coaches, players, reserves, have to step up and perform at an optimal level in order to win and we got to be better at that.”

(In helmet communication on the road)

“Well, we did have a couple of situations late in the game when it got loud. We still need to use the signal system; we need to make sure that we are able to do both. We need to be aware of when it does gets loud, do we change from one to the other, a little bit quicker then maybe we did in the past game. That is all on the table and being discussed and trying to map out, ahead of the game so when that does happen, we don’t miss a play here or two there because of communication. So, the communication in all three segments have to be spot on, so that our players can go play and execute, so as coaches we have to be really good at it.”

(On Ashton Gillotte’s numbers being limited)

“Well, there is a combination of a lot of things with that, I think Ashton has played hard, just because he hasn’t got sacks, he’s gotten pushed, he’s gotten close to the quarter back, he’s gotten in hurries, and he’s gotten in pressures, and he just hasn’t landed as much. So, it’s a combination of a lot of things, we got to make sure we put him in the best position, we have to make sure the people around him are in the spots they are supposed to be, we have to make sure that we’re using his strengthens much as possible. We got to make sure we’re not only speed rushing but bull rushing and using his strengthen to knock people back. We have to be aggressive in our calls to make sure we overload their protection at times and not let them double team him. So, it’s a combination of all that, I do think he has played hard and has been efficient, he been productive for us, we just have to get him more assistant to help him dominate the way he knows he can.”

(On Isaac Brown’s usage)

“We are very conscious of that as well, I think Issac is a true freshman, so we have tried not to throw to much at him at first, he has shown the capabilities, he plays hard, he doesn’t miss practice, he has no fear. He makes catches, he make hard catches, he makes plays that normal freshmen wouldn’t at time. So yes, he has been very productive for us, we need to make sure he gets plenty  of touches, we still need all the other running backs to perform well and do their job. The more playmakers you have the better your team will be, but yes we are conscious that he is a guy that need to get his touches.”

(On missed tackles and handling running QBs)

“We’re going to work hard on tackling this week. There’s a lot that goes into that. Getting lined up, getting set, identifying what’s going on and having a couple seconds to digest and then go execute. It’s also about taking the proper angles and using all of our body to see what we’re tackling and wrap-up. As far as containing the quarterback, we’ve had a couple calls in blitz zero and the quarterback has gotten out and ran for a big gain. With that said, everyone playing the call is most important. Secondly, be conscious on those situations to not be too aggressive and allow what could be a five-yard run, turn into 50 yards. We’ve had a couple times where in our blitz zero, a couple of guys have only picked up parts of the blitz instead of doing their job. That means if we can’t execute the play well, we need to pull back. The quarterback running for big gains is unacceptable and we need to be better at that.”

Wide Receivers Coach Garrick McGee

Offensive Lineman Michael Gonzalez and Defensive Lineman Ramon Puryear

(Photo of Jeff Brohm: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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