Corey Dauphine talked today. He is a unique talent and a unique individual. I'm not sure I've ever covered a running back with his personality. He's very nice but very high strung, and it feels like the staff has performed a balancing act trying to figure out what makes him tick.
Obviously, he was underused badly at times this year. His numbers in the three wins are 36 carries for 346 yards and five touchdowns. HIs numbers in the five losses are 28 carries for 175 yards and zero touchdowns. But he bears a little responsibility because his attention to detail is not always great. Regardless, I don't think the coaches will keep him on the sideline again like they did against SMU. His incredible breakaway threat trumps his weaknesses, and he can use power when he needs to as well.
This was an interesting interview.
You had 18 carries. How much fun was that?
"It was really fun. The whole week the coaching staff was like just be ready. They were making sure I was ready every day and making sure I was up to it. I knew they were going to give me the ball more because they told me they were going to give me the ball more. The SMU game they felt like they should have gave me the ball more, and so this game they kept prepping me. I was just ready for it."
Coach Fritz told us your three carries against SMU simply weren't enough. What did they tell you?
"Just after the game coach Fritz came up to me personally. He was like, I should have gave you the ball more, but we want to make sure next week you get the ball. Just be ready for it and just be locked in. It was immediately. We were still on the field. We were done with the little school song thing, and then he just came up next me and he was like, hey, I'm going to give you the ball more next week. You should have gotten the ball more in this game."
What was your feeling during the SMU game?
"I didn't really actually have a feeling. I was more mad that we lost the game. I was more focused on that. I really wasn't tripping on not getting the ball. I don't even know how to answer that."
So what was your feeling when he told you you should have gotten the ball more?
"That made me feel like he knew that we needed a change and we needed to give me the ball more. I felt like they see something in me, and I was ready for it."
What do you bring to the backfield in relation to the other running backs?
"I just feel like I do everything fast. I guess they like it. That's just me. I do everything fast."
The three games Tulane has won have been your biggest games. How much do you feel like you help this team?
"I feel like I can help the team a lot. I want to win games. That's the big thing for me, and whatever I can do to help my team out, I'll do it."
What's been the hardest thing for you this year?
"Not really. It's more believing what I can do and just putting me in and knowing that I can do that job."
You have seven runs of 35 yards or more this year. What makes you so explosive?
"Just my speed. Track. If I see a crease, I want to hit it full speed and give it my all and get a touchdown and help the team out however."
They've given you a lot of carries up the middle. Do you feel you can be effective there, too?
"Oh, definitely, definitely. They got the ball in the middle pretty much last week and I guess they felt like I was doing the right reads and I was doing everything right."
On the winning touchdown, Justin McMillan faked to you and everyone bit for it.
"Yeah, all 11 guys came up to me. I did a pretty good fake. That felt great because the whole drive they left me in. I was really waiting for them to take me out, but they didn't. They left me in and I was just going with it. I was just trying to make sure I did my job and just tried to score. That was it. That was on my mind, just scoring, scoring, just winning the game."
Do you feel like you are capable of handling that type of workload every week?
"Oh, definitely, definitely, definitely. I feel like I can go a little bit more. I definitely felt sore after the game, but it was a good sore. I like feeling sore because that means I did something."
Obviously, he was underused badly at times this year. His numbers in the three wins are 36 carries for 346 yards and five touchdowns. HIs numbers in the five losses are 28 carries for 175 yards and zero touchdowns. But he bears a little responsibility because his attention to detail is not always great. Regardless, I don't think the coaches will keep him on the sideline again like they did against SMU. His incredible breakaway threat trumps his weaknesses, and he can use power when he needs to as well.
This was an interesting interview.
You had 18 carries. How much fun was that?
"It was really fun. The whole week the coaching staff was like just be ready. They were making sure I was ready every day and making sure I was up to it. I knew they were going to give me the ball more because they told me they were going to give me the ball more. The SMU game they felt like they should have gave me the ball more, and so this game they kept prepping me. I was just ready for it."
Coach Fritz told us your three carries against SMU simply weren't enough. What did they tell you?
"Just after the game coach Fritz came up to me personally. He was like, I should have gave you the ball more, but we want to make sure next week you get the ball. Just be ready for it and just be locked in. It was immediately. We were still on the field. We were done with the little school song thing, and then he just came up next me and he was like, hey, I'm going to give you the ball more next week. You should have gotten the ball more in this game."
What was your feeling during the SMU game?
"I didn't really actually have a feeling. I was more mad that we lost the game. I was more focused on that. I really wasn't tripping on not getting the ball. I don't even know how to answer that."
So what was your feeling when he told you you should have gotten the ball more?
"That made me feel like he knew that we needed a change and we needed to give me the ball more. I felt like they see something in me, and I was ready for it."
What do you bring to the backfield in relation to the other running backs?
"I just feel like I do everything fast. I guess they like it. That's just me. I do everything fast."
The three games Tulane has won have been your biggest games. How much do you feel like you help this team?
"I feel like I can help the team a lot. I want to win games. That's the big thing for me, and whatever I can do to help my team out, I'll do it."
What's been the hardest thing for you this year?
"Not really. It's more believing what I can do and just putting me in and knowing that I can do that job."
You have seven runs of 35 yards or more this year. What makes you so explosive?
"Just my speed. Track. If I see a crease, I want to hit it full speed and give it my all and get a touchdown and help the team out however."
They've given you a lot of carries up the middle. Do you feel you can be effective there, too?
"Oh, definitely, definitely. They got the ball in the middle pretty much last week and I guess they felt like I was doing the right reads and I was doing everything right."
On the winning touchdown, Justin McMillan faked to you and everyone bit for it.
"Yeah, all 11 guys came up to me. I did a pretty good fake. That felt great because the whole drive they left me in. I was really waiting for them to take me out, but they didn't. They left me in and I was just going with it. I was just trying to make sure I did my job and just tried to score. That was it. That was on my mind, just scoring, scoring, just winning the game."
Do you feel like you are capable of handling that type of workload every week?
"Oh, definitely, definitely, definitely. I feel like I can go a little bit more. I definitely felt sore after the game, but it was a good sore. I like feeling sore because that means I did something."
