Jeffery Johnson did not practice today but has not been ruled out. They are resting him this week in the hope he will be able to go Saturday. It will be a game-time decision, and that's not coachspeak. it was the plan all week. He really needs to be available because he already is durable and capable of playing more downs than the smaller De'Andre Williams in the middle. Tulane is a much stronger team with Johnson at nose tackle and Williams at the other inside spot than it is with Williams at nose tackle and Alfred Thomas having to come in to relieve him.
Tirise Barge definitely practiced today in his usual spot with the second-team defense. He and Will Harper will continue their tag-team effort at nickelback. Barge struggled early against Nicholls after I praised him in my film study, but he settled down. This might be a game where Harper is the better option because UAB usually is run heavy.
Here is Fritz.
On the week of practice:
"The best thing is we got in every practice. You always worry about whether we are going to be able to get it in or not, but we were able to get in all the practices. We had to shift a couple of things around on Tuesday because we were thinking about going out to the Saints, but it all ended up working out, which is good."
On stopping UAB RB Spencer Brown:
"We have to do a good job up front and we have to do a good job fitting it up. Fitting it up means the front guys are in their correct gap and the linebackers are fitting in the correct gap and the secondary guys are getting in the correct gap. If everybody does that, you have an opportunity to be gap sound and make plays on the line of scrimmage of gains of 1 or 2 maximum. It's when one guys gets out of his gap where you get the big plays. Their offensive line has a lot of seniors. I was reading through their stuff and they are the most veteran team in America. They have 36 seniors and Navy has 37, and they've got more juniors than Navy's got, so they are the most experienced team in American."
On Justin McMillan:
"He's getting better every day. He's learning more of the system every day. It's tough right now to throw him out there because right now he's getting close to half of the playbook. Each week we're trying to find here's what we know you can do and here's what would be good against our opponent in case we've got to get them out there, but he's getting closer and closer. He's really doing a good job of studying and coming in and meeting with the coaches and all those kinds of things."
On his arm talent:
"He's got a good quick release. He throws a nice ball. I think if he gets repetitions running the ball, he'd be a really good runner. He's got speed and quickness."
On concerns if had to play him:
"There are some things he just couldn't do. The big thing we're trying to do is make sure we have some veteran backs in there with him. The signaling is a big part."
Tirise Barge definitely practiced today in his usual spot with the second-team defense. He and Will Harper will continue their tag-team effort at nickelback. Barge struggled early against Nicholls after I praised him in my film study, but he settled down. This might be a game where Harper is the better option because UAB usually is run heavy.
Here is Fritz.
On the week of practice:
"The best thing is we got in every practice. You always worry about whether we are going to be able to get it in or not, but we were able to get in all the practices. We had to shift a couple of things around on Tuesday because we were thinking about going out to the Saints, but it all ended up working out, which is good."
On stopping UAB RB Spencer Brown:
"We have to do a good job up front and we have to do a good job fitting it up. Fitting it up means the front guys are in their correct gap and the linebackers are fitting in the correct gap and the secondary guys are getting in the correct gap. If everybody does that, you have an opportunity to be gap sound and make plays on the line of scrimmage of gains of 1 or 2 maximum. It's when one guys gets out of his gap where you get the big plays. Their offensive line has a lot of seniors. I was reading through their stuff and they are the most veteran team in America. They have 36 seniors and Navy has 37, and they've got more juniors than Navy's got, so they are the most experienced team in American."
On Justin McMillan:
"He's getting better every day. He's learning more of the system every day. It's tough right now to throw him out there because right now he's getting close to half of the playbook. Each week we're trying to find here's what we know you can do and here's what would be good against our opponent in case we've got to get them out there, but he's getting closer and closer. He's really doing a good job of studying and coming in and meeting with the coaches and all those kinds of things."
On his arm talent:
"He's got a good quick release. He throws a nice ball. I think if he gets repetitions running the ball, he'd be a really good runner. He's got speed and quickness."
On concerns if had to play him:
"There are some things he just couldn't do. The big thing we're trying to do is make sure we have some veteran backs in there with him. The signaling is a big part."